Sports for Your Child

Unless your child is at an age where the score of the game isn’t tracked, winning counts and losing hurts.  The original quote was “It’s not whether you win or lose, but how you play the game.”  I believed this for a long time, but as I found out in my first year of coaching, losing is not fun at all.  I would prefer if the quote went like this “It matters if you win and how you play the game.”

The funniest quote that I read on the subject was “It’s not whether you win or lose, it’s how you place the blame” by Oscar Wilde.  I also read a witty comment that the person who originally said “It’s not whether you win or lose, but how you play the game” obviously lost a lot.

Getting back to my first year in coaching; my best friend at the time had a vision where kids could play to have fun whether they won or lost.  We went 1-7 and, believe me, when you see kids crying in the huddle you know they’re not having fun.  That was when I realized that if you want kids to have a lot of fun in sports you have to each them how to win.

You can’t go out on the field and play to win, either.  The best way to win is to work hard and smart and then focus on execution.  If you focus on winning only your eye is on the outcome, and not the moment.  The best teams are focused entirely on the ‘moment in time’ and that moment continually moves forward.  If players continually focus on the present, they can’t possibly beat themseleves up for making a bad play.  This is the best way to have a ’short memory’.

Work hard and smart, train diligently, focus on the moment and you stand a great chance of winning.

Happy July 4th weekend, everybody.

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Whoa!  This is truly a sensitive subject!  I’m sure to lose some friends over this post.   

Certain parents love their children so much that they think they should get the most playing time on the team, whether they deserve it or not.  If this is you, I apologize for being so blunt with my statement. 

OK, you’re right, on a recreational team playing time shouldn’t be withheld from any player.  This post only addresses competitive teams in competitive situations.  If your child is on a “rec” team and they’re not getting playing time then talk to the coach.

My boys have been in both situations (lots of playing time and not so much) and I agree that it hurts to watch your child sulk on the sideline.  It’s no fun watching unless the player just wants to be on a team to hang out with the other players and say that they were a part of something.  I’ve watched my oldest son ride pine (sit on the bench), in baseball, on the 4th ranked team in the country.  When my youngest was just starting in football, he stunk up the joint and earned plenty of time watching from the sideline.  He was the most polite player on the team . . . on defense! 

I don’t fault those coaches.  When you’re playing to win, and you know that losing sucks, a coach will put his best foot forward every time.  In both of those situations, the downtime just served as a catalyst to incent my boys to work that much harder going forward.

As a caution to parents and kids when they get to high school (actually on any competitive team); don’t ask for playing time; earn it!  Chances are that if you ask for more playing time, you’ll spend more time on the sideline than you would have.  Would it be fair to take playing time away from the kid who earns it?  The answer to that question should be obvious!

As Mike Green, founder of The Sports Family Club, said very eloquently on Twitter “hard work and a desire that can’t be measured or created are the true differentiators of a pro athlete”.  This applies to athletes at any level.  The harder you work and the more desire that you have, the better you’ll be.  If you improve from working hard, you’ll get serious playing time.  That’s what it’s all about!  You’ll be proud of the playing time that you receive.  Oh, by the way, when you get playing time, make plays so that you continue to be in the mix in the future.

Best wishes to all players as they strive to achieve! 

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This blog post is intended, mostly, for parents who are just getting their kids into tackle football.  There are certain suggestions that impact more experienced players or those who are switching teams as well.  

Youth tackle football practices will begin within the next month.  If your kids are new to tackle football, buying equipment is very exciting, especially if they’ve watched football on televison.  Don’t get ahead of yourself on buying the equipment though.  The first thing you should do is talk to your son’s football coach to find out what the team requires from it’s players. 

You will have some very important considerations:

The team colors can have an effect on some of the accessories that you purchase such as : helmets, gloves, and cleats. Your child’s helmet can be specific in color so find this out before you buy.  Also, helmets can have many upgrades, mostly in the area of protection from head injuries.  Gloves and cleats don’t have to match the uniforms, but if you have a choice why not go for a matching color.  Remember it’s not only important how they play, but they must look mahvelous (thanks, Billy Crystal).

The position your child plays can impact the shoulder pads that they wear as they get older.  If they are going to play a line position, the pads should be more protective.  At skill positions, players need to have flexibility in their pads so they can lift their arms up high for a pass.  As your kids get older, you should have a pretty good idea of their position, although this can change at any age. 

The coach of your team may have an arrangement with selected stores for your purchases.  If they don’t and you want to save money, you may want to check into a store that sells used equipment.  This is your choice, but I always error on the side of good protective equipment.  By the way, I’ve had good luck buying equipment online, in many cases you can save many and get more options. 

If you purchase visors for helmets, be aware that leagues may prohibit dark colors.  This is for the safety of your child because, if there is an injury the attending coach/caregiver will need to see your child’s eyes to make an informed decision as to how to care for your child.

Football is almost here.  Can you feel it!

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Many youth players don’t realize how the power of their minds can benefit them when it comes to sports.  Obviously, if the mind is focused, a player can achieve much more than when it isn’t.  Any player with ‘athletic ADD’ is going to have problems whether they are trying to hit a baseball/softball with a bat, catch a football, or score a goal in hockey, basketball, soccer or lacrosse.   Please note that I’m not referring to kids who have ADD, but kids who don’t focus when they’re playing sports.

As many East Indian gurus have told us there is a monkey in the back of the mind that is always trying to distract us.  A player must focus and refocus to stay in the present and prevent emotions from taking hold.

It is also true that both winning and losing can be mindsets.  To transition from a losing mindset to a winning mindset, the whole team has to be focused on every play.  It requires steadfast alignment of the collective thinking of the team that they can win.  They must stay focused throughout the game and think about the outcome after the game is over.  If players are focused on the outcome then they aren’t in the moment.

We’ve all seen teams with big leads lose games and that happens because the players aren’t thinking in the present.  This is true for all actions in life and it’s certainly easier said than done, but coaches and captains need to be aware of the power of the mind.

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“Exertion is a concept describing the use of physical or perceived energy. It normally connotates a strenuous or costly effort related to physical, muscular, philosophical actions and work.” — Wikipedia

“Fatigue (also called exhaustion, lethargy, languidness, languor, lassitude, and listlessness) is a state of weariness. It can describe a range of afflictions, varying from a general state of lethargy to a specific work-induced burning sensation within one’s muscles. It can be both physical and mental. Physical fatigue is the inability to continue functioning at the level of one’s normal abilities.”  Wikipedia

Parents and coaches spend a great deal of time and money preparing youth athletes for tournaments.  That investment should be protected to ensure that the child has the very best experience on the field.  When there is a tournament that requires sleeping away from home, there is a tendency to let the kids have fun in the wrong ways.  Anything that requires physical exertion is draining for an athlete both physically and mentally.  When the body is tired the brain doesn’t function as well.

Any activity that is physical, time spent in the sun, or anything that depletes the body of fluids such as a sauna or hot tub should be avoided as much as possible. A few years back, the players on my older son’s baseball team thought it would be great idea to have a catch, with a football, at a baseball tournament during a long wait between games.  When they played in the championship game, that followed the break, they lost 15-0.  Coincidence?  I don’t think so.  I have watched several outstanding teams crumble from unnecessary physical exertion during tournaments. 

Pool activity should be limited to a maximum of 30 minutes per day. Players should refrain from playing catch. swimming, or conducting horseplay of any kind. 

While chatting with Kirk Mango, a friend who has been a high school coach for 17 years and is the author of “Becoming a True Champion”, I confirmed my concerns about the negative effects of over-exertion.  When chatting about teenage athletes engaging in recreational swimming during tournaments, Kirk said “. . . they are at the age when real competition begins. . . . discuss it from the standpoint that it is important that they can wind down and find other (non-physical) activities to get their mind off the game, release stress, and bond as a team.  They need to consider how certain choices affect not only them, but their teammates. I would start by coming right out and asking, or reaffirming, the goals they have for the season. Then I’d bring them full circle to show them how that choice they made – swimming for that many hours - diminished their chances of reaching their goal.  Good kids, competitive athletes will not do that again.” 

Kirk also mentioned that:

·     Fatigue breaks down the body to the point where the risk of injury is increased

·     His daughter’s competitive soccer team restricts time in a pool during tournaments

Be smart about the way you allow youth athletes to exert themselves during tournaments and they’ll have a more satisfying experience.  Competitive players shouldn’t allow fun off the field to jeopardize fun on the field where it counts.

Here’s the link for “Becoming a True Champion” by Kirk Mango  http://www.becomingatruechampion.com/

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They’re not all fast, strong, agile, or quick, but all professional athletes have one thing in common with each other.  They were all youth athletes!

Coaches and parents have a lot to say about the development of youth athletes, but ultimately it’s what’s inside the athlete that determines whether they succeed as a high school, college or, ultimately, professional athlete.  If an athlete isn’t determined and willing to work hard, it doesn’t matter how much talent they have.

So maybe pros have two things in common;  they were youth athletes and they work(ed) hard.

If your youth athlete wants to continue in sports as long as possible, the key is hard work.  All pro athletes have skills that came easily to them and other skills that they had to work hard to master.  Guide your child by inspiring them to give 100% effort every time they practice or play.

You’ll be surprised what’s possible with hard work. 

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Too much talent?  We’ve seen this in professional sports many times.  A general manager stacks his team with many of the best talents in the game.  Observers expect those players to overcome any adversity and then the team doesn’t gel.  Every team must have team players to win.  If a team has too many stars and the players do not subordinate their egos, there won’t be team play.

Our summer lacrosse team has many players that have outstanding talent and our challenge as coaches is to manage the player’s “collective team thinking” as well their talents.  If we do this, the team can go a long way.  If we don’t accomplish this task, we’ll follow a long list of underacheiving teams.

We have our first summer team tournament this weekend and it will be interesting to see how well we do against some excellent teams.  More info on the tournament will follow after the weekend.  Enjoy your weekend, all.

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I’m not an expert in Sports Medicine.  It’s necessary, however, to talk about sports injuries as they do happen and you want to provide a good long-term solution for your child.  Here are some quick pointers that come from my experience as a father of two youth athletes:

1) If an injury looks like it could be a broken bone, go to a doctor immediately for x-rays, preferably an orthopaedic physician.  Some broken bones will heal by themselves after being set and some will require surgery.

2) If your child keeps getting chronic injuries to their ankles, heels, knees, back or neck, the problems could be resolved by chiropractic care.  Look for a chropractic doctor or clinic that specializes in sports injuries.  My boys were adjusted over several months by Dr. Dennis Nikitow of DTC Chiropractic in Denver, Colorado.  Both boys showed considerable improvement as evidenced by before and after x-rays.  It may be necessary for your child to be fitted with orthotics to correct foot alignment problems.  This can make a huge difference as our feet can be the starting point for problems with the spine.   Here is the website for DTC Chiropractic: http://dtcchiropractic.com/

3) Dehydration can be a serious health concern.  Make sure that your child is sufficently hydrated at all time but especially when playing sports.

4) Ice or Heat?  Here’s a very simple rule to use.  Apply ice packs or a baggy filled with ice if there is swelling.  Ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin, etc.) is an anti-inflammatory medicine and can also help to reduce swelling.  If there’s no swelling, then heat would be better. For a much better explanation just click on this link: http://sportsmedicine.about.com/cs/rehab/a/heatorcold.htm 

5) If your child needs surgery for a sports injury consider the Steadman Hawkins Clinic or a comparable team of doctors.  They are experts at diagnosing and treating  sports and orthopaedic problems.Here is the website for The Steadman Hawkins Clinic: http://www.steadman-hawkins.com/aboutUs.asp

This is not the most comprehensive and detailed information regarding sports injuries, but I hope it helps you.

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Mostly I’m reflecting on what has been, what is, and what will be.  I look forward to each day of coming maturity.  With every day, I see him edging closer to the end of the tunnel that teenagers pass through.  Does that mean there will be  a light? 

I know that one day, he’ll be a great man and I’m proud of his independence, as it is the process that will take him to greatness one day.  I love my boys and support their growth.  After all, what should I want for them other than continued growth.  I’m reminded of a song from the broadway play, Camelot, called “How to Handle a Woman?”.  The answer to the question is, “love them, simply love them”. 

So it is with our kids!  If we continue to love them, certainly all will turn out well.  We have to let them go!

Rich Rosdal

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We’re confronted with a serious problem in our schools across the country.  As a lack of money has been an issue for many individuals during this economic crisis, it’s also an issue for many school districts across the United States.  When money is tight at the school district level there are only so many things they can cut.  Unfortunately, spending on physical education is an easy target.

On the negative side, there are students who get their feelings hurt by their classmates, i.e. getting teased, being selected last for team sports, and other such indignities.  Self esteem is certainly a major concern for certain students and the pain caused by these random acts of cruelty is damaging. 

Many of these students have weight issues that can be rectified (to some extent) by the regimented exercise involved in physical education programs.  For many of these kids, this is the only exercise they get on a daily basis.  Research has proven that 20 seconds of sprinting can release natural HGH in the body which helps the mind and the body.

I firmly believe that the benefits of physical education far outweigh the costs and drawbacks.  School districts should consider fundraising efforts if money is the problem.  Let’s not forsake the health and welfare of kids because we’re not willing to work hard to raise money.

Take a stand in favor of physical education and let your voice be heard.

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