Parent Resources
« Previous EntriesYouth Athletes: Preparation Breeds Success
Monday, May 11th, 2009As I observe many athletic events/activities involving youth athletes in my community, I have come to realize that the lack of understanding and preparation for the sport or activity being conducted is hindering the success and enjoyment of the young athlete and his/her family/supporters. Whether your youth athlete is participating exclusively for a fun activity [...]
Positive Self-Talk for Sports Kids
Wednesday, April 1st, 2009“Sports kids often fall into a pattern of negative self-talk. This means that their “inner dialogue” – or what they tell themselves while they’re playing or after making mistakes – is often negative. For example, they might tell themselves they’re too small, too slow, or not strong enough to be good athletes. They might tell [...]
The Youth Coach/Parent Paradigm
Friday, March 20th, 2009In the world of youth sports today, there are many cases where the actions of parents have negatively impacted the experiences of sports kids. If you are (or decide to become) a youth sports coach, there are some things that you should know and consider when putting together your program and team. If you establish [...]
Realistic Approach to Sports Success
Friday, March 20th, 2009Parents and coaches often get caught up in the win/lose situations in sports. Many sports kids, especially ones that are just starting out and learning about sports and sportsmanship, should take the approach of working hard, learning more at each practice/game, and HAVING FUN!!! Setting unrealistic expectations or goals for your sports kid (or the [...]
Prepare Your Sports Kid for Athletic Success
Tuesday, March 10th, 2009As I observe many young athletes nowadays, I have seen plenty of individuals that are at a point where they are deemed “awkward” or “non-athletic” or the like. Well, there are some things that sports kids can do to help themselves move in a progressively positive direction toward athletic success. For example, I recently observed [...]
Being A Better Coach in Youth Sports
Monday, February 16th, 2009Parent Coach? Try to keep it all in perspective. Being both a parent and a coach is a difficult balancing act. On one hand you have to be careful not to play favorites with your child or his friends. On the other hand you don’t want to be too hard on your own kid either. [...]
Uruly Parents: A Downside of Youth Sports
Monday, February 16th, 2009The problem of bad parent behavior has unfortunately become the norm in kids’ sports. There are countless examples of parent’s acting poorly, under the guise of trying to support their child in their sport. Coaches at all levels, from little league tee-ball, up through high school varsity sports, report being inundated by unruly parents. They [...]
Helping Sports Kids Cope with Ups & Downs
Monday, February 16th, 2009Basketball, baseball, softball, cheerleading, volleyball and football normally have a limited number of positions on the team. If your child was intending on playing basketball and got cut from the school team, they may be faced with some difficult emotions. When I was in high school, I remember being cut from the softball team. I [...]
Youth Sports Training
Monday, February 16th, 2009An Informed Approach to Sports Training Athletes play competitive sports and participate in structured practices more than ever. Therefore, children lack free, unstructured play: pick-up games in the front yard, tag, riding their bike, and playing in the street with their dog. The lack of these unstructured activities undermines their athletic development, as they unconsciously [...]
7 Reasons Children Need Sports
Thursday, December 4th, 2008Encourage a Healthy Lifestyle Making exercise a part of your child’s life teaches your child the importance of fitness. This, along with proper nutrition, plays a vital role in maintaining health. Children need physical activity every day and participation in sports helps fill this need. With today’s wealth of video games and increasing computer literacy, [...]
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