Why “you can be anything you want to be” may be the wrong advice
I took my 14 year old daughter to see Wicked at the Kennedy Center this week. What an incredible show. What an incredible message. Young people everywhere are walking away with the courage to take on the world. Tapping into the ‘something that’s changed within them.’ Why not throw off what holds them down? Defy […]
The Parent-Coach-Kid triangle
“As a parent, it’s your job to see the very best in your child,” a coach once told our team parents. “It’s my job to see them as they are and to help them be better.” He was right. None of us is objective about our own child. But a good coach can be. I […]
Where Did Soccer Mom Go Wrong?
Part 2 in the 3 blog series: “Redeeming Soccer Mom” Soccer Mom has generated quite a lot of interest and not all of it positive. I found this out when I googled her. No longer just a Mom driving kids to their sports activities, Soccer Mom now seems to be: A crazy driver nearly causing […]
Is it “just” Growing Pains?
I was stretching with my U13 soccer team after a scrimmage. Through a chorus of moans and evident wincing one player told me, “Coach, no one in my class can touch their toes.” Her teammates nodded in agreement. Yep, tight muscles in longer limbs are natural when they’re growing. But does that mean pain is […]
NEEDED: Coaches Who Teach, Not Just Recruit
We’re seeing an alarming trend among coaches of elite athletes in all sports today: recruiting their talent rather than building it. After all, in an environment that celebrates winning above all else, teaching the fundamentals takes too long. Why develop talent when you can recruit it? Why spend time in injury prevention drills, strengthening and […]
How to Win at Sports Parenting
Do you wonder how you can: increase the fun in our children’s sports activities diffuse the fear of failure eliminate confusion between roles and expectations relieve the tension we feel as we drive up to the athletic complex Sports are the perfect place to grow the relationship between yourself and your child which is always […]