Mystery and Magic in Sports

Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com "Whether you think you can, or you think you can't-you're right." --Henry Ford Coaching intrigued me when I was a young athlete, but I did not take it up until I was an older adult. My coaching role was "intangibles coach." You know, those things that you aren't able to…

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Seven Simple Suggestions for Sports Parents

Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com Common sense is not so common." --Voltaire, 1764 Young parents are extraordinarily busy. Moms find themselves with more than one full-time occupation, outside and inside the home. Dads are called upon to make extra trips to school or to complete "honey-do" lists. Add in a couple of sports or six…

Testing Limits in Sports

Photo by Brennan Tolman on Pexels.com "Just OK is Not OK"--AT&T Advertising Campaign At an awards program for an elementary school, a beloved and respected teacher delivered an eloquent address. It seems there was a race where a disabled athlete was participating among throngs of other children. As the running commenced, all the participants surged…

Tokens and Trophies

Photo by Brett Sayles on Pexels.com For honor, worthily obtained, is in its nature a personal thing, and incommunicable to any but those who had some share in obtaining it."-- Benjamin Franklin to his daughter, 1784 This is my husband's favorite quote, and I have come to appreciate it in the context of sports achievement.…

TEAM MENTALITY

Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com "How good and pleasant it is when brothers live together in unity!"--King David, Psalm 133:1 What's your definition of team? Key operative words come to mind: group, common goal, leadership, compliance, support, relationship. I've heard youth coaches say "there's no 'I' in t-e-a-m." There's an implied submitting of personal mandates…

IN DEFENSE OF SPORTS

Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com "You're playing a game, whether it's Little League or Game 7 of the World Series. It's impossible to do well unless you're having a good time. People talk about pressure. Yeah, there's pressure. But I just look at it as fun." --Derek Jeter Included in Webster's definition of the word…

INDEPENDENT PLAY

"The function of leadership is to produce more leaders, not more followers."--Ralph Nader Watching children interact from a distance is a teaching experience. If an adult encroaches, often the play is modified or transformed from child-driven to adult-led. Still, when parents join in a play scenario already in progress, which is led by children, (only…

Mental Edge in Sports

Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com "The biggest game you will ever play is the game in your mind." --Kevin Abdulrahman, Author of "Whatever You're Into" The keys to successful outcomes in sports include appropriate mental approach before, during, and after competition. The reason so many athletes feel pressure, and athletes do respond differently to pressure,…

WHO GETS TO MAKE THE CALL?

Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com "You win a few. You lose a few. Some are rained out. But you got to dress for all of them."--Satchel Paige During the NFC Championship last year between the Rams and the Saints, a non-call by the official became the focus of the outcome. The disputed play, an apparent…

Decision-Making in Sports

Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com Parents can only give good advice or put them on the right paths, but the final forming of a person's character lies in their own hands."--Anne Frank Whether or not you believe this is true, it is a difficult task in today's culture of "preparing the path for the child,"…