Blog

Voluntary Accountability

SportsEsteem — Thu, 20 Jan 2011 22:58:18 -0600

In a local parent's meeting, Julie Bell, CEO of The Mind of a Champion, provided some nice insights into how we deal with problems.

She calls it voluntary accountability. Basically, the issue is how we deal with mistakes. When we make them do we go to the coach (or our boss - for us parents) and ask for help and instruction? Or, do we try to hide or deny the mistake? With voluntary accountability, a player is the first to point out a mistake.

Julie also provided another thought for consideration: Do we focus on what we do right as much as what we focus on what we do wrong? In a game, if 95% of the time we play well, then why do we, after the game, spend 95% of the time talking about what we did wrong? Why don't the conversation percentages match the performance percentage?

Some useful starting points for conversation.

Head Games and Youth Sports - from Huffington Post

SportsEsteem — Mon, 06 Sep 2010 21:30:30 -0500

Richard Senelick, M.D., a neurologist and Medical Director for Rehabilitation Institute of San Antonio provides some interesting medical and cultural insight into head injuries in kids. Recent research by the NFL into concussions and links to later-in-life disabilities is forcing a thorough rethinking of how we approach concussions in kids.

This is a must read for parents of kids in football and hockey!

What is the Lystedt Law?

SportsEsteem — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 08:12:38 -0600

Last summer, the state of Washington enacted a law that requires school districts and non-profits that use school facilities to adopt policies covering brain concussions. Named for Zackery Lystedt, a 13 year old, who suffered permanent brain damange and physical impairments after returning to a football game after being hit and suffering a brain concussion.

It is likely that over the next few years a majority of states will enact similar legislation. Many of the provisions are just common sense and were discussed in an earlier post on this site. Brain concussions happen more often in youth sports than most are aware. Hopefully, this law will make a lack of understanding about concussions a thing of the past.

Click here to learn more about the Lystedt law.

A Survey of Youth Sports Finds Winning Isn’t the Only Thing

SportsEsteem — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 07:56:13 -0600

Over the weekend, there was a great article in the New York Times about why kids participate in sports.

"Adults may lean toward turning children’s games into an approximation of professional sports. But ask young players what they want, and the answer can be disarmingly simple. More than training to be a Super Bowl star, more than even winning, youngsters play sports for fun — at least they do in Darien, Conn."

Read the full artilce at the New York Times

Why Education Matters

SportsEsteem — Thu, 26 Mar 2009 21:35:17 -0500

A recent article in Sports Illustrated shows the problems that former athletes face. Just two quick facts from the story:

By the time they have been retired for two years, 78% of former NFL players have gone bankrupt or are under financial stress because of joblessness or divorce.
Within five years of retirement, an estimated 60% of former NBA players are broke.

This is not the happy ending most kids expect when they dream of a pro career.

New Coaching & Parent Video

SportsEsteem — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 05:20:11 -0500

This video that ResponsibleSports.com, the Positive Coaching Alliance, and Liberty Mutual put together on developing parent/coach relationships is a pretty good overview of how to work with kids in youth sports.

Let’s “Green” the Hockey Environment

SportsEsteem — Sun, 27 Jan 2008 07:49:42 -0600

Below is an excellent article written by Keith Andresen, Senior Director of Hockey Programs for the Dallas Stars Youth Program. While the article is intended for a hockey specific audience, it is clearly applicable to all audiences.

“Green” has become the catchword for any cause that helps our environment. Everyday people examine ways we can “green” our environment by conserving our natural resources and eliminating pollution through the use of “green” products such as hybrid cars. The hockey environment could use some “greening” as well. Our environment is the rink and I have noticed that our game is being polluted by poor attitudes and foul language at an alarming rate and it’s time we all take a step back to see what we can do to make our Hockey Environment “GREEN”.

Anyone who comes to the rink is part of the environment and that includes, players, coaches, officials, and fans. Each person brings an attitude to the rink, and that attitude will create his or her contribution to the environment. When that attitude is a combination of respect and tolerance the hockey environment is healthy and “green”. However when there’s a lack of tolerance and respect, the environment suffers.

Let’s start with the officials. There are good officials and bad officials and fortunately the vast majority are good. No official is perfect and, here’s a flash for you, they do make mistakes; however, I have never met an official that intentionally tries to make mistakes. That being said I have found that there are officials who feel it necessary to leave their imprint on each game they work. They come out onto the ice with a chip on their shoulder and they find it necessary to let everyone know that they are in charge without much regard for the game that is going on in front of them. I’m not sure what these guys are thinking but I suggest they take time out to smile and remember that they are not the game people came to see. These are the guys who refuse to talk to a coach or player, even when approached politely, to answer questions or discuss a call. These are the officials who need to figure out that they will call fewer penalties and receive far less criticism if they just lighten up and keep a polite and open attitude.

Some of you coaches need to look in the mirror as well. While officials make mistakes now and then, every call that goes against your team is not a reason to climb up on the bench and start yelling at the officials like they just cost you a chance for the Stanley Cup. I have seen mite squirt and peewee coaches this year yelling and screaming at teenage officials to the point where the officials were almost in tears. Players need to learn at a young age that life isn’t always fair and that sometimes, even when you do everything right, the breaks go against you. A coach who can deal with adversity and teach that lesson to his players is a coach that will have a team that can play through almost anything. If you have to talk to an official do it with respect. Don’t stand up on the bench or boards but down in the bench so you can look him in the eye. Call the official over quietly and you’ll find that he will be far more willing to listen to what you have to say. You may not change his mind but you will have shown the official that you’re a decent guy and you will probably get the benefit of the doubt on future calls.

Players can make a difference in the environment as well. While the game is fast and physical, every penalty against you is not a bad call. In fact I would say that 95% of all calls are pretty obvious. The players who understand this are the ones who skate to the penalty box without saying a word. They understand that when a penalty is called on them, good or bad, arguing will not change the call and only make the official less sympathetic when making decisions on future calls. You may not want to hear this but officials are human and while they are supposed to be impartial, players who constantly whine about calls are rarely given the benefit of the doubt. If you’re a player and you're penalized go to the box and focus on how you’re going to help your team when you get out. You can’t do anything about what’s already happened so don’t dwell on it.

For me the most annoying part of our environment is the fan that just can’t watch the game without being an idiot. Again these fans are in the minority, but it only takes one or two of these “yahoos” to ruin the fun for everyone else. This is youth hockey people -- you need to get a grip. If you want to be part of the action then get your coaching or officiating certification and get out there. Better yet, join an adult league and discover just how difficult it is to play a game on ice with 1/8-inch wide blades on your feet. You’ll quickly realize that it’s a different game “inside the glass” and that tolerance by the fans toward the players, coaches and officials will make you enjoy the game more. It will also make you more fun to be around and it will certainly make those folks around you happy.

If you see yourself in my article please take a moment to reflect on what’s important when working with kids. Whether you’re a player, coach, fan or official try to remember that everyone involved came to the rink that day to have fun. Winning is important but not at the expense of mutual respect for all people involved in the game. We all can make a difference and together we can make our environment “GREEN”.

Just a thought: As you prepare for the home stretch of the season don’t forget the FUN. At this point teams are now either contenders or pretenders but everyone needs to mix in an equal dose of FUN with HARD WORK, RESPECT and DISCIPLINE. When these “ingredients of success” are mixed together the final result will always be a great season regardless of the standings.

Keith Andresen
Senior Director, Hockey Programs

Can Anyone Become the Next Wayne Gretzky?

SportsEsteem — Wed, 06 Jun 2007 08:15:18 -0500

According to a recent article in Wired Magazine, Peter Vint, a researcher with the US Olympic Committee believes that athletic skills can be learned even to the Wayne Gretzky level of performance. Such talent has long been assumed to be innate. "Coaches tend to think you either have it or you don't," Vint says. But Vint rejects the notion that Gretzky-style magic is unteachable.

One thing the article fails to mention but that further supports the argument for training to a Gretzky level of performance is Gretzky's commitment to practice and his attitude towards it summed in these quotes:

"The only way a kid is going to practice is if it's total fun for him... and it was for me."

"I wasn't naturally gifted in terms of size and speed; everything I did in hockey I worked for, and that's the way I'll be as a coach."

Read the full article at: http://www.wired.com/science/discoveries/magazine/15-06/ff_mindgames

Why Not a Youth Sports Franchise?

SportsEsteem — Tue, 05 Jun 2007 05:47:54 -0500

Parents and coaches work hard to keep their children and players safe and maximize everyone's enjoyment from the sport. However, parents and coaches often have limited experience with youth sports participation. Though they may have once been players themselves, the skills to be a good player and the skills to be a good youth sports parent or coach are quite different. It is a little like saying that because you can bake cookies you can run a bakery. Playing is about technical skills where as parenting and coaching are about educational skills.

This skill deficit is then compounded by turnover. Just about the time parents or coaches get good at their respective roles, the kids grow up and a new group of parents and coaches starts the process all over -- Not exactly a model for long term success. However, the business world provides a great role model for how to deal with these issues and run a successful youth sports organization - the franchise!

In a franchise system, a franchisor sets the standards and provides an operations manual that franchisees much follow exactly to make sure that their business succeeds. The operations manual has been perfected over many years and with the experience of many franchisees. Thus, the operations manual is a proven path to business success. New franchisees don't have to reinvent the wheel. They immediately start their business with all the skills of long term participants. New McDonald's run as smoothly as the oldest ones even though the manager and crew may have just started. Now, why not take this model to youth sports?

Creating a Youth Sports Franchise

Organized youth sports can do more than just setup game and practice schedules. It can also set the the right physical and behavioral standards that ensure that kids can enjoy sports over their entire childhood. These standards are not just codes of conduct. These standards are very detailed plans for behavior, instruction and participation.

Little League Baseball has implemented one step towards this with its new pitching standards policy which is shown below. Similar standards can be created in a variety of sports. Instead of taking away creativity or flexibility from coaches, these standards give coaches the benefit of years of participation and the input from medical experts. In order to improve, youth sports needs to implement more of these standards to help everyone achieve their goals - better kids playing longer and healthier.

Little League Baseball Pitching Standards The table below gives an overview of the number of pitches that will be allowed per day for each age group during the regular season in 2007.

League Age	Pitches allowed per day
17-18	105
13-16	95
11-12	85
10 and under	75

The rest periods required during the 2007 regular season are listed below.

Pitchers league ages 7 through 16 must adhere to the following rest requirements:

If a player pitches 61 or more pitches in a day, three (3) calendar days of rest must be observed.

If a player pitches 41 - 60 pitches in a day, two (2) calendar days of rest must be observed.

If a player pitches 21 - 40 pitches in a day, one (1) calendar day of rest must beobserved.

If a player pitches 1-20 pitches in a day, no calendar day of rest is required before pitching again.

Pitchers league age 17-18 must adhere to the following rest requirements:

If a player pitches 76 or more pitches in a day, three (3) calendar days of rest must be observed.

If a player pitches 51 - 75 pitches in a day, two (2) calendar days of rest must be observed.

If a player pitches 26 - 50 pitches in a day, one (1) calendar day of rest must beobserved.

If a player pitches 1-25 pitches in a day, no calendar day of rest is required before pitching again.

Source: Little League Online (http://www.littleleague.org)

Concussions - The Least Understood Sports Injury

SportsEsteem — Tue, 12 Dec 2006 09:18:35 -0600

A severely sprained wrist or a broken bone quickly earn a player a visit to a doctor for treatment. Yet the treatment of a concussion, a potentially much more severe injury, is often handled by a coach or parent without any medical knowledge. Much of this lies with the fact that sports related concussions are not uncommon and most players who suffer concussions are capable of resuming play within a few minutes of experiencing them. Pressure from coaches, parents or even from the player himself may dictate a quick return to the game.

But, new research is starting to show that just because players can resume playing after a concussion, doesn't mean they should.

What is a Concussion?
A concussion is an impact to the brain caused either by a blow to the head or the rapid movement of the head resulting in the brain hitting the inside of the skull. Symptoms of a concussion can include:

Headache
Vision disturbance
Dizziness
Loss of balance
Confusion
Memory loss (called amnesia)
Ringing ears
Difficulty concentrating
Nausea

A severe concussion can include the following symptoms and are cause for a quick trip to the emergency room:

Stiff neck
Difficulty walking, speaking or using your arms
Severe headache
Repeated vomiting
Confusion that gets worse
Convulsions
Unusual sleepiness¹

Treatment
Fortunately, most mild concussions leave no lasting impact on a player and are treated with rest and headache remedies. However, repeated mild concussions or a single severe concussion may cause brain swelling and/or bleeding and threaten the life of the player.

Risks of Returning to Play
Dr. Michael Collins, a neuropsychologist and assistant director of the University of Pittsburgh Center for Sports Medicine's Concussion Program conducted a study of high school athletes and found that "prior concussions may indeed lower the threshold for subsequent concussion injury and increase symptom severity in even seemingly mild subsequent concussions".

A 17-year-old high school football player was tackled on the last day of the first half of a varsity game and struck his head on the ground. During half-time intermission, he told a teammate that he felt ill and had a headache; he did not tell his coach. He played again during the third quarter and received several routine blows to his helmet during blocks and tackles. He then collapsed on the field and was taken to a local hospital in a coma where he died a few days later.² Accounts such as this are not limited to football. Almost every sport has a similar story.

Dr. David Kushner at the University of Miami School of Medicine recommends that athletes who have symptoms of concussion lasting more than 15 minutes or who have post-traumatic amnesia should not be permitted to resume sports participation for at least one week. No athlete should be permitted to return to play while signs or symptoms of a concussion are present. He also recommends an emergency department evaluation for any athlete who suffers loss of consciousness.³

¹http://familydoctor.org/458.xml
²http://www.headinjury.com/sports.htm
³http://www.aafp.org/afp/20010915/1007.html

Sports Injuries

SportsEsteem — Mon, 26 Jun 2006 09:16:00 -0500

All youth sport activities carry the risk of injury. The following table outlines the statistics for various sports activities.

Rank	Sport	Estimated Injuries	Participation (1,000s)	Injuries per 1,000 Participants
1.	Basketball	631,186	29,417	21.5
2.	Football	355,247	17,091	20.8
3.	Bicycles	577,621	43,535	13.3
4.	Soccer	169,734	13,167	12.9
5.	Baseball	180,582	15,856	11.4
6.	Ice Hockey	22,231	2,131	10.4
7.	Skateboards	54,532	5,782	9.4
8.	Softball	132,625	15,595	8.5
9.	Ice Skating	33,741	7,799	4.3
10.	In-Line Skating	110,783	27,033	4.1
11.	Tennis	22,665	11,227	2.0
12.	Golf	46,019	27,496	1.7
13.	Swimming	49,331	58,249	0.8

Source: R. Mrphey, Murost Enterprises, LLC (compiled Jan. 7, 2002)

Born in December? Maybe You Aren't Good Enough?

SportsEsteem — Tue, 06 Jun 2006 09:19:10 -0500

A variety of studies show that the cutoff age for a sport and a child's relative birthdate are two of the largest factors determining future success. Kids born just after a sports cutoff date are the oldest players in their group and the most likely to succeed. In youth hockey, where the cutoff date is often January first, kids born in January are most likely to reach the highest levels (see chart below). In youth soccer, where the cutoff date is August 1, kids born in August are most likely to reach the highest levels.

Early-born children (born soon after cut-off date) are more likely to be identified as being talented at younger ages. This identification leads to more encouragement and selection for participation in special training programs or teams. Kids who are born just before the cutoff date show much higher rates of dropping out of the sport.

More information is available at: http://www.socialproblemindex.ualberta.ca/Relage.htm.

Dying for Summer

SportsEsteem — Fri, 12 May 2006 10:09:10 -0500

As a child once observed, the sun rises in the summer just like the winter, it just rises more so. Too much sun can bring a bad end to a good time. In order to protect kids, parents need to be aware of the symptoms of the three stages heat related problems.

Stage 1 - Heat Stress
At this stage, the body is overworked and having trouble cooling off. When parents observe any of these symptoms, they should immediately get their kids into the shade or an air-conditioned car and give them water. Symptoms include:

Reduced coordination
Slower thinking
Less caution
Cramps

Stage 2 - Heat Exhaustion
At this stage, the body is getting severely dehydrated. Immediate attention is required and parents should consider taking kids to the hospital if any symptoms do not seem to go away after the kid starts cooling down and drinking fluids. Symptoms include:

Headache
Heavy sweating
Intense thirst
Dizziness
Fatigue
Loss of coordination
Nausea
Vomiting
Impaired judgment
Loss of appetite
Hyperventilation
Tingling in hands or feet
Anxiety
Cool moist skin
Weak and rapid pulse
Fainting

Stage 3 - Heat Stroke
At this stage, the body's ability to cool off has shut down. This is a life threatening emergency and children should be taken to the hospital at once, time is critical. Symptoms include:

Dry skin - no sweating
Red skin
Rapid pulse
Difficulties breathing
Bizarre behavior
Constricted pupils
Convulsions
Collapse
Coma

Precautions
Kids and parents can both suffer a heat illness, but everyone can take a few simple precautions:

Condition yourself for working in hot environments - start slowly then build up to more physical work. Allow your body to adjust over a few days.
Drink lots of liquids. Don't wait until you're thirsty, by then, there's a good chance you're already on your way to being dehydrated. Electrolyte drinks are good for replacing both water and minerals lost through sweating. Never drink alcohol, and avoid caffeinated beverages like coffee and pop.
Take a break if you notice you're getting a headache or you start feeling overheated. Cool off for a few minutes before going back to work.
Wear light weight, light colored clothing when working out in the sun.
Take advantage of fans and air-conditioners.
Get enough sleep at night.

Source: Oklahoma State University

That Competitive Spirit

SportsEsteem — Wed, 03 Aug 2005 12:05:39 -0500

Though competition for adults is often about more substantive matters, competition is most intense and pronounced in kids. Every day, kids compete to:

Be the first ready for school
Get the largest dessert
Win at a video game
Be the first in line
Get the best grade
Get the best spot in the cafeteria
Get the attention of the opposite sex
Get a greater share of parental attention
Get into the best school
Get a job (or avoid a job)
Be selected for a team

Competition is best understood when there is a clear opportunity to win or to lose. When it comes to youth sports, competition often becomes synonymous with winning the game. Yet, this simple translation of success may often cause more problems than it solves.

A single minded pursuit of victory in a game may often translate into problems in relationships with teammates or others. Players who are only focused on winning the game may:

Lash out at teammates
Throw equipment
Argue with referees or coaches
Show moments of intense anger
Lie or cheat
Play unfairly

The dictionary defines the word competitive as “Showing a fighting disposition”. A fighting disposition is a great thing to have against opponents, but it may sometimes be hard to quickly turn off when dealing with teammates, referees or a sibling.

Competing is a Life Skill
Parents need to help their child understand the process of competing. Competition may show itself in many ways other than just a strong desire to win a game. Parents can focus kids on a broader understanding of competition, such as competing against past performances or winning in multiple areas. Parents can help their kids:

Understand what they are competing to achieve (be the best player, be a team leader, make the smartest plays)
Understand how to apply their competitive spirit with their friends and teammates
Understand that winning at all costs has consequences (hurt feelings, resentments, loss of respect)
Understand that a win achieved unfairly is not a victory
Understand that other kids may not show competitive spirit the same way
Understand when not to be competitive at all

Winning is more than a scoreboard. It takes parents to help kids understand the differences. Like all other life skills, helping kids find balance is essential to a lifetime of success.

Building the Right Physical Foundations

SportsEsteem — Fri, 03 Dec 2004 11:38:37 -0600

There is no question that the ability to perform well during a game is often dependent on the skills a player develops through practice and repetition. However, what is often overlooked is that these skills are also based on other more fundamental abilities that are developed away from the playing field. These fundamentals govern the ability of a player to perform a skill well or to perform the same skill repeatedly throughout an entire game.

Skills

Quickness

Agility

Strength

Anaerobic Conditioning

Aerobic Conditioning

Conditioning Diagram

The diagram above shows the foundations for physical development. Without a good aerobic conditioning base, it is difficult to adequately develop the other areas. Each layer builds the necessary physical abilities to improve performance at the next level. Good physical conditioning is a foundation for everything else and becomes more important as a player gets older. Playing ability improves as players improve their physical abilities at each level of the conditioning diagram.

Aerobic Conditioning
Aerobic conditioning is the body’s ability to convert oxygen into energy. As muscles work, they get energy from two sources: foods and oxygen. The more efficiently a body can use oxygen, the quicker it recovers from hard work. Performed for at least twenty minutes and three times a week, the following activities improve aerobic conditioning:

Jogging

Walking quickly

Swimming

Biking

Ice skating

Roller skating

Anaerobic Conditioning
Anaerobic conditioning is the body’s ability to work very hard for short periods of time. A sprint down the ice, a run to first base or a breakaway in soccer, all test a player’s anaerobic conditioning. The longer players can go hard before feeling exhausted, the better their anaerobic conditioning. It is tougher to develop good anaerobic abilities because the only way to do so is by exercising harder and longer with high intensity and high speed exercises. The following exercises improve anaerobic conditioning:

Sprinting

Foot racing

Skating full speed down the length of the ice

Strength, Quickness and Agility Conditioning
Most doctors agree that children under the age of ten should not weight train. However, exercise that builds stamina such as running and resistance training provides a good way to exercise muscles without risking injury.

Resistance training is using the body like a weight set. Common resistance type exercises that help build strength are:

Push-ups

Chin-ups

Sit-ups

Leg lifts

Squats

To build quickness, look at exercises that involve rapid feet movement. Good ways to build quickness include:

Jumping

Bounding

Hopping

Skipping rope

Agility is the ability to start, stop and change direction quickly. Agility is built by moving the feet quickly in a variety of movements such as quick turns and cuts. Agility can be increased by:

Obstacle courses

Zig-zag running

Side shuffles

Helping Kids Build their Foundations
Kids are exposed to a great deal of aerobic and anaerobic conditioning during normal play and sports activities. One of the best ways to build on their physical abilities is to encourage a variety of sports activities. Avoiding specialization in a particular sport until high school is often the best way to develop a top athlete because it helps kids build a conditioning foundation that is so essential for top level performance at older ages.

Structured exercise is seldom fun, so it is important that kids get as much “fun” exercise as possible disguised as things they want to do such as playing sports with friends. The more parents encourage a fun approach to developing these foundations early, the longer and better their child will play.

Betting a Childhood on Sports

SportsEsteem — Thu, 18 Nov 2004 11:13:47 -0600

Ask children to draw pictures of themselves as adults and the odds are that you will get back a picture of someone in a sports uniform. Sports and the people who play them are powerful influences in the lives of children. The focus on sports as a recreational past time and as an adult profession is often encouraged by parent involvement at games and by the presents that kids ask for and receive at birthdays and holidays. Jerseys, equipment and trading cards often top many gift lists.

Though these fantasies and activities are normal, too much focus on sports can leave kids with a singular identity and at risk of serious difficulties in high school or college when their sports goals do not materialize. Kids who find acceptance and purpose with sports at young ages may find themselves completely lost and adrift when they, like 99.9% of all other student athletes, fail to find employment as a sports professional.

Dr. Shawn Byler, a sport psychology consultant in Atlanta, Georgia, often works with kids (9 and up) whose lives have become too entangled with sports activities. She observes, ”Kids want approval from their parents. If early on they struggle with schoolwork but excel in sports, they will naturally spend more time in sports related activities and less in academic efforts. Unfortunately, many of these kids are then poorly prepared for life after high school."

Kids who identify themselves as athletes will have a difficult time when their time in sports comes to an end. Like adults who have a singular identity, the end of that identity can have disastrous consequences. Dr. Byler warns: “Like an adult who has spent a fair amount of his/her life saying 'I am a (fill in the blank)', a child who has grown up saying 'I am a baseball player' will have no clear sense of identity or self worth when that chapter comes to a close. Adults and kids are then at their most vulnerable when they lose their identity with much higher risks of problems with depression, drugs, alcohol and a whole host of other challenges.”

How do parents know if their child is at risk of these problems later on? Dr. Byler counsels “Parents should be alert for kids whose lives are out of balance. Focusing on sports to the detriment of academics, family and other diversified activities are clear danger signs. If a child's friends and social standing derive in large part from their sports activities, then that child is at risk. Parents can ask themselves how often they are inquiring about their child’s sport outside of practice or competition time. Allowing the child to leave the sport at the gym or field is a step in the right direction”

Some warning signs parent should be alert to are:

Family schedules that are dominated by sports events

College discussions focused on sports programs or possible athletic scholarships

Academics and homework have a lower priority than athletic training

All of a child's friends are also teammates

Kids who focus on just one sport prior to the age of 14

Kids who answer “I am a _____ player” to a question of who they are.

Parents can get ahead of the problem if they understand it and catch it early enough. Dr. Byler tells parents to help their child separate roles from identity. For example, kids always have several roles such as athlete, student, son/daughter, sibling, friend and citizen. Parents can help their child identify each of these roles and understand their plans for success in each. Then if their actions in one role are not successful, kids will still have other areas in which to feel positive. Parents can help kids transition to multiple roles by:

Stressing schoolwork

Exposing their child to more than just sports activities

Encouraging friendships with non-athletes

Helping children see themselves as successful in other areas

It is not necessary that parents crush the pro-athlete dreams of kids. However, it is important that parents talk to their children about how they would be proud of their child in other careers as well.

Helping kids identify their multiple roles can have immediate benefits Dr. Byler states. “When kids identify themselves in only one role, a failure can seem more catastrophic than it really is. For example, if children see themselves as a baseball player but then fail to catch a fly ball that costs the game, that error may hurt more than it should, impacting not only their non-baseball life but also interfering with their performance in future games. Failure is an important learning tool, but only if kids can get past those failures, and use them as building blocks to success”

Dr Byler goes on: “It is important with kids that they stay in the present. Too often, kids will punish themselves for days or weeks for a bad play. They may live in the memory of that mistake or the fear of making another one. Only when kids’ lives are balanced are they able to handle mistakes and put them in the proper perspective.”

Though youth sports offer tremendous advantages for kids, an overemphasis of sports can put kids at serious risk as they transition to adulthood. The odds are extremely slim that a child plays college or professional sports. When parents or kids bet a childhood on this unlikely outcome, they risk not only the loss of a career but also they lose the opportunity to develop a skill set for dealing with life.

Promoting Better Health for Young People

SportsEsteem — Sat, 05 Jun 2004 12:56:11 -0500

A Report to the President From the Secretary of Health and Human Services and the Secretary of Education

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

Our nations young people are, in large measure, inactive, unfit, and increasingly overweight. In the long run, this physical inactivity threatens to reverse the decades-long progress we have made in reducing death from cardiovascular diseases and to devastate our national health care budget. In the short run, physical inactivity has contributed to an unprecedented epidemic of childhood obesity that is currently plaguing the United States. The percentage of young people who are overweight has doubled since 1980.Physical activity has been identified as one of our nations leading health indicators in Healthy People 2010, the national health objectives for the decade. Enhancing efforts to promote participation in physical activity and sports among young people is a critical national priority. That is why, on June 23, 2000, President Clinton issued an Executive Memorandum directing the Secretary of Health and Human Services and the Secretary of Education to work together to identify and report within 90 days on strategies to promote better health for our nations youth through physical activity and fitness. The President concluded his directive: "By identifying effective new steps and strengthening public-private partnerships, we will advance our efforts to prepare the nations young people for lifelong physical fitness."To increase their levels of physical activity and fitness, young people can benefit from

Families who model and support participation in enjoyable physical activity.
School programs - including quality, daily physical education; health education; recess; and extracurricular activities that help students develop the knowledge, attitudes, skills, behaviors, and confidence to adopt and maintain physically active lifestyles, while providing opportunities for enjoyable physical activity.
After-school care programs that provide regular opportunities for active, physical play.
Youth sports and recreation programs that offer a range of developmentally appropriate activities that are accessible and attractive to all young people.
A community structural environment that makes it easy and safe for young people to walk, ride bicycles, and use close-to-home physical activity facilities.
Media campaigns that help motivate young people to be physically active.

Strategies

The following strategies are all designed to promote lifelong participation in enjoyable and safe physical activity and sports.

Include education for parents and guardians as part of youth physical activity promotion initiatives. Help all children, from pre-kindergarten through grade 12, to receive quality, daily physical education.
Help all schools to have certified physical education specialists; appropriate class sizes; and the facilities, equipment, and supplies needed to deliver quality, daily physical education.
Publicize and disseminate tools to help schools improve their physical education and other physical activity programs.
Enable state education and health departments to work together to help schools implement quality, daily physical education and other physical activity programs.
Enable more after-school care programs to provide regular opportunities for active, physical play.
Help provide access to community sports and recreation programs for all young people.
Enable youth sports and recreation programs to provide coaches and recreation program staff with the training they need to offer developmentally appropriate, safe, and enjoyable physical activity experiences for young people.
Enable communities to develop and promote the use of safe, well-maintained, and close-to-home sidewalks, crosswalks, bicycle paths, trails, parks, recreation facilities, and community designs featuring mixed-use development and a connected grid of streets.
Implement an ongoing media campaign to promote physical education as an important component of a quality education and long-term health.
Monitor youth physical activity, physical fitness, and school and community physical activity programs in the nation and each state.

Implementation

Full implementation of the strategies recommended in this report will require the commitment of resources, hard work, and creative thinking from many partners in federal, state, and local governments; non-governmental organizations; and the private sector. Only through extensive collaboration and coordination can resources be maximized, strategies integrated, and messages reinforced. Development or expansion of a broad, national coalition to promote better health through physical activity and sports is an important first step toward collaboration and coordination. A foundation to support the promotion of physical activity could complement the work of the coalition and play a critical role in obtaining the resources needed to help our young people become physically active and fit. The 10 strategies and the process for facilitating their implementation described in this report provide the framework for our children to rediscover the joys of physical activity and to incorporate physical activity as a fundamental building-block of their present and future lives.

Choosing Sports Heroes

SportsEsteem — Fri, 16 Apr 2004 12:52:54 -0500

When parents hear their child compared to professional athletes, they hope to hear that their child has the moves of Wayne Gretzky or the arm of Brett Favre. Parents don't really want to learn that their child has the manners of Dennis Rodman or the easygoing nature of John McEnroe. Not all comparisons to professional athletes are intended as compliments.

It is easy for kids to admire professional athletes who stand out in their sport. This admiration often takes the form of "hero worship" and gives kids someone to mimic in their path to adulthood. Just like their heroes, most kids can easily see themselves making the winning score or receiving the praise and lifestyle that comes with success. Many parents encourage this behavior through buying jerseys and seeking autographs.

Professional sports are a form of entertainment just like television programs. Like actors and actresses, professional athletes become celebrities and gain additional exposure for the things they do away from the game - blurring the line between performance and lifestyle. Parents can't always control what kids know about their favorite players. As personal celebrity becomes intermixed with professional accomplishment, kids can begin to mimic an athlete's personal actions and mannerisms as well as an athlete's professional skill. Kids can become confused about what it is they are trying to imitate.

However, as recent news accounts only reconfirm, professional athletes do not always make the best role models. A professional player's conduct away from the game is often unknown. Most fans do not really know a player's morals, ethics, work habits and respect for teammates or for fans. Thus, most parents do not really know if they want their child to grow up mimicking the life choices of a specific professional athlete.

For kids who want heroes and parents who want role models, there can be conflict. One way around this conflict is for parents to begin distinguishing between admiration for a player's abilities and admiration for a player. For example, saying that a professional player is a great athlete is different than saying a professional player is a great person. Parents can help focus their children's attention on players whose community actions are admirable even if the player's game actions are not at the superstar level. Helping kids understand the difference between a player as a person and a player as an athlete is the key to providing the right role models to children.

Losing Only Teaches You How to Lose

SportsEsteem — Thu, 05 Feb 2004 11:49:07 -0600

"Winning is a habit. Unfortunately, so is losing."

"If it doesn't matter who wins or loses, then why do they keep score?"

"Losing only teaches you how to lose."

"Americans play to win at all times. I wouldn't give a hoot for a man who lost and laughed."

America prides itself on all forms of competition and tracking wins and losses is an ingrained part of the nation's character. This winning attitude should be carried over into youth sports. However, without understanding what it is we are trying to win, we run the risk of losing and losing big.

Tracking wins and losses is easy when there are countable things like game outcomes. It becomes much harder when it comes to things such as fun, passion and skills progression. This sometimes leads parents and coaches to believe that winning in youth sports concerns game outcomes rather than life experiences.

The old adage that losing only teaches someone how to lose doesn't apply only to games. It applies to all areas of life such as learning, sportsmanship, friendship, teamwork and self-discipline, to name a few. If kids lose in these areas but win in games, then kids won't have much to show for their youth sports experience. However, if kids win in these areas but lose games, then their experiences will last a lifetime.

Professional sports, used as a role model for youth sports, can often produce disastrous results for a kid's long-term success. Youth sports are not a farm system for high school, college or professional sports. Youth sports are a farm team for business, politics, education, communities and families. Viewed in this manner, success and winning are all about building the best kids possible.

The chances of any child's playing college or professional sports are extremely slim. So, if winning is determined by this standard, most kids will end up as losers. If winning is determined by positive life lessons, then there is an opportunity for every kid to be a winner. And, there is an opportunity for every coach and parent to make a difference.

The popular saying that "Losing makes you a loser" may be true. But, its misuse in youth sports threatens to leave parents with kids who value the appearance of winning over true personal success. Parents have a huge role to play in helping their kids learn the right lessons from youth sports and use their youth experiences to become better business, community and family leaders. Winning is an important part of youth sports. But, parents must always keep focused on what their kids are trying to win. Keeping this perspective makes it much easier to see game outcomes as interesting but irrelevant.

What to do When Your Child Doesn't Hustle?

SportsEsteem — Thu, 15 Jan 2004 11:46:59 -0600

Sooner or later, every parent will have to face the perceived shame and humiliation caused by a child who didn't "hustle" during a game. Most of the other parents will be polite and say things like "Is you child feeling okay?" or "Hope everything is okay at home." Some parents will suggest private lessons or maybe even other teams to play on, but most will be quiet and avoid direct eye contact. When this happens, parents can either put on a brave face and laugh off the comments, or just pretend to be on their cell phone while quickly walking their five year old to the car. When confronted with too much shame and humiliation, parents quit youth sports and never return.

WAIT! WAIT! WAIT! Parents aren't quitting youth sports in record numbers, kids are. The last count was more than 70% by age 13. Shame and humiliation may have their place in a corporate financial scandal but they have no place in youth sports. Kids are not always going to play a good game and parents may want to talk with them about their "hustle". But, before getting into that discussion, parents need to remember that a lack of hustle may actually be things that they cause or influence. For example:

Were there external distractions such as problems at school or with friends or siblings?
Were there physical influences such as an illness, lack of proper nutrition or insufficient rest?
Is there a diminished lack of interest in the sport caused by burnout or a lack of time for other activities?
Is physical conditioning in areas such as stamina or strength adequate for playing an entire game?
Does a lack of fundamental skills hinder more advanced play?
Is there a good understanding of strategy and positioning so that a young player knows how to react in specific situations?
Is the child playing at the right level of competition? Playing with kids who are much more or much less talented can be demoralizing and slow improvement.

These issues are also why it can be so harmful to yell "hustle" from the sidelines. Children can instantly understand if their parents are upset, but may not think through whether they were adequately prepared with things like rest, proper nutrition and instruction. Kids may even come to believe they are not "hustlers" and may slow down in other areas of their life due to lowered self-esteem. Yelling "hustle" is a simple response to something that has many causes. If it is not clear what the problem is, parents should have a positive conversation with their child or with the coach to better identify the problem and the corrective actions necessary. Most of all, parents must be patient. Sports is a learned activity and requires time to master. The age of the player and the length of time between events give parents plenty of opportunity to get to the heart of a hustle problem.