Sports for Your Child

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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“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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Most americans understand the game of baseball, right? Maybe not. This blog is a brief, easy to understand overview of America’s Pastime.

In baseball, each team fields nine players on defense. There are three outfielders, four infielders, a catcher and a pitcher. The pitcher throws balls from the pitching mound to the catcher who is positioned behind home plate. The batter from the other team, who is standing next to home plate, attempts to hit the ball.

There is an imaginary rectangle which is the width of home plate and extends from the letters on the jersey down to the knees of the batter. This rectanglular area is called the strike zone. When the pitcher throws the ball, to the catcher, if it passes within the strike zone and the batter doesn’t swing it is called a strike by an official called the home plate umpire. Also if the batter swings and doesn’t hit the ball, no matter where it is pitched, it’s also a strike. Three strikes and the batter is out. If the pitcher throws four balls (outside of the strike zone and the batter doesn’t swing) the batter goes to first base on a “walk”.

If none of the defensive players can catch the ball on a fly or field the ball and throw to first base before the batter can reach the base, the batter has a base hit. If the batter tries to extend the hit by running to second, third or home plate and gets tagged out when they’re not planted on a base or having touched home plate they are out. The last base they reach determines the type of base hit that is recorded.

At the youth levels, different age groups play a different number of innings and with different rules. Additionally, there are different sponsoring organizations in the United States that have different rules.

An inning is when each team has an opportunity to send at least three batters to the plate with a chance to get on base. Each teams “at bat” is not complete until three outs are recorded. The other team tries to get three outs as quickly as possible. The object for the defense is to limit the number of runs that score.

There are four types of base hits:

1) Single – The batter reaches first base safely
2) Double – The batter reaches second base safely
3) Triple – The batter reaches third base safely
4) Home Run – The batter reaches home plate safely

Whenever a runner circles the bases, either on their own hit or after reaching base and then being “driven in” by a teammate, their team scores a run. The team with the most runs at the end of the game wins.

There are many more intricacies to the game, but this is just a basic overview.

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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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Please Note:  These position primers are intended for the youth level of lacrosse only.

A seventh grade defenseman with his long pole.

There are three dedicated defensive players positioned on the field when a team is at full strength. Now this isn’t totally true as the three middies also play defense and they should be dedicated. The distinction is that the three defenseman primarily play defense. In most cases these defensemen will use a stick that is longer than the other sticks on the field. This longer stick is, fittingly, called a long pole.

The primary responsibility of the defenseman is to prevent the offensive team from scoring. The defensive player can be positioned on any offensive player in a man to man scheme. In a zone defense, the player will be responsible for an area or zone and will do their best to guard that territory.

Very often, coaches will place less athletic players on defense. This doesn’t work out very well since a good defender should have quick feet and be able to mirror the offensive player’s movements. As kids get older, it becomes apparent that good, athletic long poles are critical to the success of the team.

Strength is very important, as the defenseman will want to check the opposing player to disrupt the flow of a play. Since lacrosse is a team sport, it is necessary for a long pole to “slide” over when a teammate loses control of the offensive player. The sliding player becomes the secondary defender when this occurs.

Defensemen Attributes at a Glance:

Quick
Strong
Adaptive
Selfless
Physical
Aware

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The attack player is primarily responsible for offensive production. There are three attacks on the field when the team is at full strength. Two of the attack players (wings) are usually positioned on the imaginary line from the front of the goal toward each sideline, which is called the Goal Line Extended (GLE). The other attack player should be at the X position, which is behind the goal.

The wings can be used to get an angle on the goal and score when they have an open shot. The X Attack player is similar to a point guard in basketball because they can create goals by finding the open player. It could be one of the wing attack players or one of the middies. This doesn’t mean that the X player can’t score, but it will be the second option after finding the open player.

Another responsibility of the attack player is to run after the ball, after a shot, since the closest player as it goes out of bounds will maintain possession. If the ball goes out of bounds on a pass, the last player to have touched the ball inbounds will forfeit possession.

There are many potential formations in lacrosse and the locations mentioned above, for the attack players, will be different in some other formations.

When the ball is turned over to the other team all offensive players become defensive players. If the attack players excel on defense there is an opportunity to recover the ball.

Attack Attributes at a Glance:

Quick
Great Stick Skills
Excellent Shooter
Good Passer
Vision
Tenacious

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The midfielder or the “middie” is the player who can play on either side of the field without requiring another player to change what they do ordinarily. The middie is a part of the offense and defense. Unlike hockey, which is a similar sport, most of the positions in lacrosse are restricted to one side of the field. The midfielder is the exeption to this rule.

Because of this freedom of movement, the middie must be in top physical shape. Speed is a great attribute for the middie, who also must possess excellent stick skills. Players should work at using their off-hand, over time, until they become comfortable with the stick. In time, the player should be able to use both hands which makes them more adaptable to situations.

The middie needs to possess strong defensive skills. When playing defense, the midfielder should keep their feet moving so they are positioned between the opposing player and their goal. At all times they should be in position to prevent a shot on goal.

In the offensive scheme, the middie can be used to clear, shoot, pass, drive, possess or cut.

Middie Attributes at a Glance:

Fast
Quick
In Excellent Condition
Great Stick Skills
Quick feet
Strong

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The goalie is the last line of defense in lacrosse. This position requires a courageous player with a temperment durable enough to accept that goals happen sometimes regardless of how well the goalie plays.

The goalie must have quick hands and feet in order to stop a speeding bullet (the ball). The ball is made of rubber and while it is about the size of a baseball, it is heavier. Getting hit by a lacrosse ball can hurt and certainly can cause a bruise. At younger ages, goalies can be found wearing shin pads and every other kind of pad imagineable. I have seen goalies that resemble Robocop, but they were slowed by all the padding. Competitive goalies in field lacrosse typically do not wear shin pads, although they do protect themseleves with a helmet, gloves, shoulder, a mouthguard, elbow pads, a cup, a chest protector, a short stick with an oversized mesh head.

This player must be aware of the location of the ball at all times which can be challenging. It’s important for the goalie to cut off angles and minimize the visible area where the offensive player can shoot. For instance, if the attack player at X comes around the right side of the goal, the goalie should move to that side and position their body right next to the goal post. It would be very difficult for the attack player to score from the side of the goal since the open area of the goal would be very narrow.

There are times when the offensive player is shielded, from sight, by the defensive player. Since shots can come from many angles, it becomes very difficult for the goalie to stop every shot.

Goalie Attributes at a Glance:

Quick Hands and Feet
Courageous
Short Memory
Aware
Leadership Abilities
Ability to Meet an Offensive Player

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