Sports for Your Child

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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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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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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America loves football, as evidenced by the fact that, according to Reuters, the cost of a 30 second Superbowl commercial reached $3 million dollars in 2009. Wow!

How did American Football evolve to the game it is today? There are many historical references on the web that differ in their facts, so the dates will be somewhat vague intentionally.

This series of posts, will provide an overview of the history of American Football. You’ll be able to read about youth, high school, college, and professional football. Since the amount of information about American Football is so vast, the subject couldn’t be covered, successfully, in one blog post.

We’re interested in your opinion on this subject. Please feel free to comment.

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High School football was established around the late 1890s to early 1900s and took its lead from college football. As rules were changed at the college level, they filtered down to the high school level. High school football is, of course, the feeder program for universities around the country.

While larger high school divisions particpate in the 11 player game, smaller high schools can play with 6, 8, or even 9 players. Rules and field sizes vary depending upon the number of players.

References:

While not current, a very detailed history of American Football, and a reference for this article, can be found at: http://www.essortment.com/all/americanfootbal_rwff.htm

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/High_school_football

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How do you play with your four year old child?  If you’re reading this article and you have a young one, chances are that you either play or you’re considering playing with them.

These will be some of your fondest memories when they’re older and no longer need you as a play companion. Trust me . . . I miss those days.

When you first introduce your kid to sports, start them off with baby steps.  In other words, before you throw a baseball to your three year old girl, try rolling a tennis ball to her.  As your kid becomes increasingly athletic you can elevate the challenge.  If you start early enough, they should be catching a football or baseball, with a glove, by the time they’re four or five.

When you work with them on skills, teach them advanced tricks right away.  For instance, when they run, teach them to step out with their first step.  This will help with their speed, as most new high school athletes tend to take one or two steps in place before they get going.

I know several ex-baseball players who started their boys out by teaching them to hit and throw lefty even though they were right-handed.  This increased their value as they got older.

Also, don’t put huge expectations on their tiny shoulders. You can talk about college and the pros when they’re older. If they do come to you with lofty dreams of grandeur let them enjoy it for a little while, but make sure they ultimately understand how stacked the odds are against them.  Here’s a statistic you can tell them; one in 52,000 high school basketball players make it to the NBA.  Out of the players who make it to the NBA, at least half are out of the league within five years.  You need to bring them to reality so their dreams aren’t eventually crushed.

We’re interested in your opinion on this subject.  Please feel free to comment.

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