Tag: youth sport
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Am I the problem?
As a coach and leader of programming, the thing that I used to complain about the most to my colleagues was that the kids were not engaged. They were not playing the games. They were sitting on the bench. They were distracted. They were on their phones. It was all about them and their behaviors,…
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The phone’s in the way
I have a confession. I love sport. I see its power in so many ways. But I haven’t engaged in it personally in a while. And I find the busyness of my current schedule has made it difficult for me to even watch live sports. Well, that’s not entirely true. I have to admit, that…
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The stories not yet written
We, the collective youth sports sector, like to say that sport changes lives. We use it as a blanket statement without getting into the nuance, and without calling to attention that change isn’t always good. We can’t keep generalizing. We don’t know enough. There are stories that have gone untold for far too long. There…
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I can’t remember the last time I was at that field
That park holds so many memories for me, as a kid who grew up playing soccer. But it was more than just a sporting field. It was so much more. I can tell you about all the games I played in and those I later officiated. And let’s not forget the grueling practices and hill…
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You make it fun
Yesterday I wrote about the idea of your co-participation being important to kids actively engaged in sport. But it is because you can make it fun. When you play alongside the kids, you can set the vibes. You can model the rules for safe game play. You can move the energy from this is boring…
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What is it about fathers?
Multiple studies have found associations between father’s physical activity and daughter’s physical activity. I remember one study in particular, from Isgor et al (2013) that found this association for fathers and daughters, but not the same for mothers. I wonder why that is. There are many possible reasons, which would all be conjecture at this…
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What makes a good leader?
What makes a good leader? What a great way to pose the question. It highlights that leaders are made not born. Leaders are made through experience. You have to lead to come into your own as a leader. For coaches who hope to develop their athletes into leaders, that means, you have to give them…
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Play under surveillance
Years ago, as a youth athlete I went to soccer practice and that was it. I looked with envy as the other players engaged in pick-up games on the weekend and off days. I had always heard that was the best way to improve my skill level, but I never joined in. It was just…
The Sideline Fix 