Issues & Advice

Before enrolling your child in a sport program, ask yourself if you are ready to take a step back and embrace a more hands-off role as a “sideline teammate” to your child. Signing up your young athlete for a team means they will soon become a teammate to others. As a parent, you will likely […]

“In general, adult players don’t need to go top of the line. The difference between one brand or another comes down to what you want to spend.” Although imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, opting for the same gear your favorite NHL star has won’t help you play like the pros. It could actually […]

The other key component is the fun factor. Kids who are being asked to work a lot harder than the fun they are having often choose to just walk away. Everybody involved in youth sports has seen the same play. A young athlete who has played his or her sport for several years decides to […]

More studies need to be performed to more completely evaluate the safety of Field Turf at the highest levels of competition. Synthetic playing surfaces were initially developed in the 1960’s with the reported advantages over natural surfaces of being a durable, versatile surface, less affected by weather conditions, allowing multi-sport use, having easier maintenance and being […]

A very select few may benefit at some point in their careers from specialization. For everybody else, broadening your sports experience is the way to go. Playing multiple sports versus playing only one sport has been a hot topic of debate for quite a few years. My opinion has never wavered. I think young athletes […]

At the start of every week, give your team a ‘weekly challenge’ and announce it on your on-deck bulletin board right there on-deck. The end of 2018 is on the horizon, which means out with the old and in with the new. This may mean breaking some bad habits in the pool, re-committing yourself to […]

The overall idea is to aim small and miss small. So if you have a pitcher who needs to gain more precision in hitting her spots, give this drill a try. A few months ago I put up a post that showed a way to help fastpitch softball pitchers who were struggling with hitting their inside and […]

Over this period, I celebrated communication with coaches I idolized, cried over some seemingly dashed dreams and worked to find my way through this uncharted and never-ending territory. Much like the celebrated, daring explorers of the past, I embarked on a treacherous journey, one that was certain to be filled with obstacles, potential heartache and a […]

Make sure that the administrators, coaches and parents know that youth sports is first and foremost “about the kids.” My son’s club soccer team, defending state champion at age 11-12, had an undefeated season the following year until it lost in the finals. As we were walking over to receive the second-place medals, the father of one […]