Winners in the Game of Life

Last week’s post dealt with the topic of positive sports parenting. Within hours of hitting the “publish” button, this video came across my Twitter feed: http://usatodayhss.com/2018/video-massive-brawl-breaks-out-between-parents-at-youth-softball-game Um…folks, this is not good. Then, a couple days later I met a sports parent (thankfully not affiliated with any program with which I am connected!) who can only be described as crazy in an obsessive, compulsive sort of way. So to begin, let’s review some of the key points of what makes a great sports parent. They are moms and dads who encourage rather than coerce, who understand school-based sports programs are meant to be educational, who model sportsmanship, who leave the coaching to coaches, who value everyone on the team, who understand growth emerges from occasional disappointment, who keep sports in perspective, and who promote health, fitness, and fun above all else. Perhaps the key point in ...

Many variables influence the success of high school athletic teams. One of the most significant factors are the parents. Aside from the obvious genetic traits passed along to the youngsters, the individual and collective mindsets of the moms and dads have a profound impact on whether their children's participation in athletics is a positive experience. This blog post will outline some of the characteristics of positive sports parenting. Great parents encourage   Being a teenager is tough. The difficult period between being a child and adult inflicts a heavy toll on emotional wellbeing. Kids’ identities are evolving, social relationships can be unstable, roles and expectations frequently create strain or even conflict. Sports should not become just another source of angst for those who participate. Make sure your son or daughter knows your love and approval is not contingent on their performance. Few people would admit to doing this on a conscious level, however in s...

One of the prevailing values of the American culture has been our work ethic. Pretty much every person who has risen to the top in any field has had the value of work imbedded deeply into their character. A young man who I admire deeply wears his work ethic as a badge of honor. East High Scarlets basketball player and member of the graduating class of 2018 Osdy Villegas will not let you out work him. Coaches frequently sing the praises of their players, almost habitually saying this or that player is a hard worker. But in the case of Osdy, this compliment is quite literal. A basketball season is a grind. We practice or play six days a week. The workouts are always exhausting. The competition we faced was brutal. Osdy was always there for us day in, day out. But this is only a small part of the story. In addition to meeting and exceeding the high expectations which are normal for a varsity basketball player, Osdy took it a big step further. You see after a full...