tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-74181809769018912452024-03-07T13:22:26.063-05:00Inside Youth SportsReflections on creating the best youth sports experience.Jeffrey Rhoads [Inside Youth Sports]http://www.blogger.com/profile/14755096518688222702noreply@blogger.comBlogger129125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7418180976901891245.post-71065583069580151972015-01-11T13:46:00.000-05:002015-01-11T13:48:42.362-05:00Build Confidence and Paths to Success<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/heraldpost/4330155148" target="_blank" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwwf4RuhSZjxshTmrKJFLYo9i0VeUjamQpNTkdN5DCmQOHwH92PjJQKqwZE0mtbJCNnndvj3KC238xcpmaeqRizv8JxDXdr1V6JQgrPLYE8zfXU9YOqr-8AZtD9fMEpEu-dBolp4iJAik_/s320/Coach-handing-basketball.jpg" /></a></div><!-- Adjust Player/Coach/Parent Label Here --><div style="float:left;padding-right:0px;"><span style="font-size:60%;font-weight:bold;background-color:Lavender;color:#588EBC;padding-top:1px;padding-bottom:0px;padding-left:3px;padding-right:3px;text-align:center;vertical-align:1px;border-color:#D4D4E4;border-width:1px;border-style:solid;">COACH</span></div> <!-- Lead-in goes here -->A child typically views his or her sports experience through the lens of personal success. Each child’s sense of athletic worth is based on his or her performance relative to others and, in team sports, the perceived contributions made to his or her team.<br />
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Most kids naturally discover their talent as they mature. They gradually learn how to apply their abilities in a way that leads to both individual and team success. But problems can arise both in the way a child internally defines success and his or her understanding of how to achieve it.<br />
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Some young athletes erroneously view success in more selfish terms—am I dribbling the ball, scoring a goal, or am I otherwise the center of attention? They fail to connect the individual act to the overall goal. Still others struggle to find any path to success. They feel they can’t keep up and have no idea how to contribute.<br />
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Parents can also contribute to the problem when they push their child into situations for which they are not yet prepared to succeed. Parents may expect their child to play primary team roles and receive equal playing time—regardless of the situation. They fail to understand that there are times when equal playing time in a game does <i>not </i>provide the best developmental experience for a young child.<br />
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So, how does a coach help a struggling young player find his or her path to success? <br />
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<h3>Provide the <i>right </i>opportunities</h3>Learning to succeed in team sports is a process that depends on a child understanding a few fundamental individual skills, how to connect and apply these to team play, and then having the opportunity to do so in a game situations that do not overwhelm the child. Opportunity does not necessarily lead to success. Giving a beginning athlete the opportunity to play quarterback in a football game, when he has not demonstrated the necessary skills in practice, will usually result in the player failing at the task. Worse, it may reinforce the child’s negative feelings toward playing the sport. Instead, you should look to provide a more realistic opportunity for the child to apply his or her existing abilities in a meaningful and successful way.<br />
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Several years ago, I coached a team that included a sixth grade girl named Becky. She was a shy, quiet girl who was reluctant to shoot the ball and generally unsure of herself and her basketball abilities. However, she moved well and was clearly athletic. <br />
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My approach with Becky was to first build her confidence by having her perform tasks that were well within her abilities. I also initially avoided placing her in game situations requiring extensive ball handling or the need for her to shoot the ball. Becky quickly learned how to play great defense, set screens and make good passes. <br />
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As the season progressed, her confidence grew and she naturally began taking some shots and dribbling when required. By the end of our season, Becky was a key player on our team, confidently playing the game of basketball with a smile on her face. <br />
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Sometimes the reward for a coach is not only seeing a player develop and find themselves, but also the proud look in a parent’s eye. Becky’s dad, who played basketball in high school (and obviously hoped that his child would also enjoy the sport), gratefully thanked me and my assistant coach after our last game.<br />
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<h3>Grow the playing experience</h3>Although you should generally fit opportunities and team roles to a child’s ability to handle them, don’t necessarily eliminate opportunity because the child may be less likely to succeed. Even if a child is less talented or inexperienced, providing them with a chance for their big moment (one that may last a lifetime) is sometimes the right choice.<br />
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Your goal is to always provide each of your players with a sports experience that results in a real, positive sense of individual success. Tailor their practice and game opportunities, progressing from comfortable responsibilities and skills to more challenging ones. Let the child’s abilities and confidence naturally unfold. Occasionally throw the child into a more difficult situation that both tests them and provides them with their opportunity to enjoy a heroic moment. Pick your spots. A good coach can see ideal opportunities for lesser skilled kids to succeed. <br />
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</style><div style='float:left; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 8pt; line-height:1.3em; border-collapse: collapse;align:center;' width='220'><div style='float:left; width:92px; height:130px;'><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0984211322/ref=as_li_ss_il?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0984211322&linkCode=as2&tag=avaplay-20" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="http://ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=0984211322&Format=_SL110_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=avaplay-20" ></a><img src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=avaplay-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0984211322" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt="" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important;" /> </div><div style='font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 8pt;display:inline;float:left; width:166px; height:130px;padding-top:7px'>If you enjoyed this article, you may like my book: <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0984211322/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0984211322&linkCode=as2&tag=avaplay-20" style='color: #473624; text-decoration: underline; font-style: italic;font-weight:normal;'target="_blank">The Young Athlete's Guide to Playing Sports: <i>What Every Athlete Needs to Know to Play, Win, and Have Fun</i></a> <br />
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($8.95; <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002JVX6KO/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B002JVX6KO&linkCode=as2&tag=avaplay-20" target="_blank">Kindle:</a> $2.99)<img src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=avaplay-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B002JVX6KO" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt="" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important;" /> </div></div></span><div class="blogger-post-footer"><br/><hr />
Originally posted at <a href="http://insideyouthsports.blogspot.com">www.insideyouthsports.blogspot.com</a></div>Jeffrey Rhoads [Inside Youth Sports]http://www.blogger.com/profile/14755096518688222702noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7418180976901891245.post-62634753598955153972014-12-07T17:51:00.000-05:002014-12-07T17:54:05.832-05:00It’s Okay to Compete <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/nooccar/5405947985" title="1101_FreshmanGirlsBasketball_Adams65 by Devon Christopher Adams, on Flickr" target="_blank" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh88M7LsY07nWyyXrMK6NJ4ikIEf1c0uv9-S2ff-F2M8tar-MQdHuW2yXVemUw0cAWUDCKz9XStCw1jjHKVsbWIMf600pei2LZa6dJAecUUWqf7zoU8AjnS91OxWBC2g1z4Pyd5H0Ncr-xu/s320/Basketball_Girl_Tieup.jpg" /></a></div><!-- Adjust Player/Coach/Parent Label Here --><div style="float:left;padding-right:0px;"><span style="font-size:60%;font-weight:bold;background-color:Lavender;color:#588EBC;padding-top:1px;padding-bottom:0px;padding-left:3px;padding-right:3px;text-align:center;vertical-align:1px;border-color:#D4D4E4;border-width:1px;border-style:solid;">PLAYER</span></div> <!-- Lead-in goes here -->Everyone likes to fit in with other people when they play sports. But do you sometimes give in too easily to your teammates or opponents? Do you quickly back down when confronted or challenged by another player? Are you <i>too</i> nice? <br />
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Everyone’s personality is different, and you may genuinely be a warm, caring, fun-loving person. This trait will serve you well in casual pickup games and with others who enjoy playing your sport mainly for fun. Getting along with others and resolving conflict by building consensus is important. Your enjoyment of sports will grow through the satisfaction gained from being part of a community that shares similar values. <br />
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<h3>Some players are more competitive</h3>Understand, however, that <i>many of your teammates and opponents are different than you</i> and will take advantage of opportunities that provide them with a competitive edge. They may innately be more competitive, or win-oriented. Their values and reasons for playing the game may vary from yours. Their approach isn't necessarily good or bad, but is different, and you must account for it.<br />
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Also, as the competition level increases, you must expect others to have a more competitive attitude. It’s not uncommon at higher levels for the best players to play with an “edge.” With otherwise pleasant personalities, they give no quarter when competing. They don’t back down. The <i>great </i>players hate to lose—period.<br />
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<h3>Adjust your play</h3>If you tend to be too nice and always give in to others, seek the middle ground. Assert yourself more often. Stand your ground. Especially in competitive settings, play with a more selfish attitude. By doing so, you will not only maximize your personal rewards but also gain the respect of your teammates and competitors.<br />
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<div style="font-family: Arial; background-color: lavender; float:right; width:160px; height:auto; border-style: solid; border-top-width: 1px; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-color: black; margin-top: 8px; margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 10px; padding: 8px"><img style="height:1.2em; width:auto; background: none !important;
-moz-box-shadow: 0px 0px 0px transparent !important;
-webkit-box-shadow: 0px 0px 0px transparent !important;
box-shadow: 0px 0px 0px transparent !important border-style:none; padding:0px !important; border:0px !important;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirXDKKWTP7PilcmCy46IL_8xPlRgkmIM2XOl8dub4kREnashE66cCH9aCYpRu739gVBaeYamfzS6TYNzuRJdBOPvPZX0h7WBdTPBfbhm0dI8zPKVc9aRx4XUQZxiIt5vub5URtruM2untQ/s1600/bomb5b.gif" />If your teammates see you unnecessarily conceding to an opponent and not standing up for yourself, you will quickly lose their respect. Your team-mates do not want to lose because you’re afraid to claim what is rightfully yours.</div>In team practices or “friendly” pickup games, try to quickly assess your opponents to determine their personality type and how they’re going to play the game. If they’re extremely competitive, they may slightly bend the rules or make questionable calls to gain an advantage. Don’t accept this abuse. Instead, match their competitiveness and “name their sins” as they occur. By aggressively challenging these individuals, they will often back down and you will transform your game into one of pure competition.<br />
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Sometimes, the most satisfying, intense moments in sport come when you play with an aggressive edge—it brings out the best in both you and your competitor. <br />
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You can still be nice, but understand that it’s all right for you to compete.<br />
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<!-- Footer goes here --> <p style="text-align:center; font-size:70%;">Copyright © 2014 Jeffrey S. Rhoads. All Rights Reserved</p><style>img.MyImage {-moz-box-shadow: 0px 0px 0px #000000; -webkit-box-shadow: 0px 0px 0px #000000; -goog-ms-box-shadow: 0px 0px 0px #000000; box-shadow: 0px 0px 0px #000000;border-width:0}
</style><div style='float:left; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 8pt; line-height:1.3em; border-collapse: collapse;align:center;' width='220'><div style='float:left; width:92px; height:130px;'><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0984211322/ref=as_li_ss_il?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0984211322&linkCode=as2&tag=avaplay-20" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="http://ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=0984211322&Format=_SL110_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=avaplay-20" ></a><img src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=avaplay-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0984211322" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt="" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important;" /> </div><div style='font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 8pt;display:inline;float:left; width:166px; height:130px;padding-top:7px'>If you enjoyed this article, you may like my book: <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0984211322/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0984211322&linkCode=as2&tag=avaplay-20" style='color: #473624; text-decoration: underline; font-style: italic;font-weight:normal;'target="_blank">The Young Athlete's Guide to Playing Sports: <i>What Every Athlete Needs to Know to Play, Win, and Have Fun</i></a> <br />
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($16.95; <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00ETCKJPG/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B00ETCKJPG&linkCode=as2&tag=avaplay-20"></a><img src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=avaplay-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B00ETCKJPG" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt="" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important;"/><a style=" margin-left:-8px;" href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00ETCKJPG/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B00ETCKJPG&linkCode=as2&tag=avaplay-20" target="_blank">Kindle:</a> $7.99)<img src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=avaplay-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B00ETCKJPG" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt="" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important;"/></div></div><div style="float:left; width:15px; height:130px;"> </div><div style='float:left; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 8pt; line-height:1.3em; border-collapse: collapse;align:center;' width='220'; margin-left:10px;><div style='float:left; width:92px; height:130px;'><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0984211306/ref=as_li_ss_il?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0984211306&linkCode=as2&tag=avaplay-20" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="http://ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=0984211306&Format=_SL110_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=avaplay-20" ></a><img src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=avaplay-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0984211306" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt="" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important;" /></div><div style='font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 8pt;display:inline;float:left; width:156px; height:130px;padding-top:7px'>If you enjoyed this article, you may like my book: <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0984211306/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0984211306&linkCode=as2&tag=avaplay-20" target="_blank" style="color: #473624; text-decoration: underline; font-style: italic;font-weight:normal;">The Joy of Youth Sports: Creating the Best Youth Sports Experience for Your Child</a><img src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=avaplay-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0984211306" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt="" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important;" /> <br />
<br />
($8.95; <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002JVX6KO/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B002JVX6KO&linkCode=as2&tag=avaplay-20" target="_blank">Kindle:</a> $2.99)<img src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=avaplay-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B002JVX6KO" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt="" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important;" /> </div></div></span><div class="blogger-post-footer"><br/><hr />
Originally posted at <a href="http://insideyouthsports.blogspot.com">www.insideyouthsports.blogspot.com</a></div>Jeffrey Rhoads [Inside Youth Sports]http://www.blogger.com/profile/14755096518688222702noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7418180976901891245.post-68398996102590690352014-11-08T11:26:00.001-05:002014-11-08T11:27:26.020-05:00Is Your Child Ready for a Key Team Role? (Part 3)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhroRtZvb9QG7aEusRpye6t6mGkwP0ot5_ksAJbF9ITaICp5pzWUtVgaHfMVtlzGz0Usd5kEKZSf4iQiCZ70bgQ18zshyCelEcDtpOp_jn0bGhp2Q-xyfJnhZjyFFCpicVn-6b6ZPIwUoc5/s1600/Pickup+Football+1c.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhroRtZvb9QG7aEusRpye6t6mGkwP0ot5_ksAJbF9ITaICp5pzWUtVgaHfMVtlzGz0Usd5kEKZSf4iQiCZ70bgQ18zshyCelEcDtpOp_jn0bGhp2Q-xyfJnhZjyFFCpicVn-6b6ZPIwUoc5/s320/Pickup+Football+1c.jpg" /></a></div><!-- Adjust Player/Coach/Parent Label Here --><div style="float:left;padding-right:0px;"><span style="font-size:60%;font-weight:bold;background-color:Lavender;color:#588EBC;padding-top:1px;padding-bottom:0px;padding-left:3px;padding-right:3px;text-align:center;vertical-align:1px;border-color:#D4D4E4;border-width:1px;border-style:solid;">PARENT</span></div> <!-- Lead-in goes here --><i>Here's the third and final post in our three part series on how and why certain kids get to play key positions such as point guard, pitcher, and quarterback. In this post, we take a look at how pickup games can help your child develop key skills, and the role you play in helping your child become a better player.</i><br />
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In the prior two posts, we discussed some reasons why a child is selected to play a key team position, and also discussed the role coaches and organized sports play in the development of the skills needed to play these positions. As mentioned, organized sports programs cannot realistically give each child equal time in key positions. But there is still an alternative for each child to develop their skills—self-directed pickup games. And there are also other ways in which you can provide your child the best opportunity to succeed. <br />
<span class="fullpost"> <!-- Remainder of post goes here--><br />
<h3>The importance of pickup games</h3>Some of the most valuable lessons a child learns in sports are ones <i>not </i>obtained from adults in an organized sports program. Instead, these lessons come from a child’s interaction with his or her peers while participating in neighborhood pickup games. [See <a href="http://www.insideyouthsports.org/2009/05/role-of-organized-sports-in-your-childs.html" target="_blank">The Role of Organized Sports in Your Child's Life</a> for an in-depth discussion of the importance of self-directed sports play.]<br />
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These games usually vary in their level of competition. Different groups of kids provide different opportunities to play various positions and team roles. With older more experienced children, your child may play a relatively minor role. “Fairness” is not usually the primary concern of children in these games. Kids want to compete, have fun, and make sure that they have enough players to play their game. In balancing these needs, <i>they </i>decide who plays what position. And this usually means the young beginner doesn’t play the key positions until he or she demonstrates the necessary abilities.<br />
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But in other games with younger, less talented players, your child may be the "best" point guard, pitcher or quarterback for that group of kids. In these games, your child has the opportunity to develop his or her abilities in the more important positions—to put into play the skills taught in organized sports programs and individually practiced. And when your child returns to organized play the next season, he or she may be ready to play a key position at a more competitive level.<br />
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This is one of several reasons why parents should promote opportunities for their children to engage in self-directed pickup games.<br />
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<h3>What you can do</h3>Besides providing your child with the opportunity to play in pickup games and participate in a good organized sports program, what else can you do?<br />
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If you played your child’s sport when you were young, you may be able to provide valuable skill instruction and guidance. It’s no coincidence that a high school coach’s son or daughter often develops into a skilled player deserving of a key position and team role.<br />
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At an appropriate age, individual lessons from a skilled instructor may also benefit your child. These instructors can provide tips, techniques, and insights that a child would not necessarily learn on his or her own (or from a volunteer coach within the typical organized youth sports program).<br />
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And finally, try to maintain a balanced perspective on your child’s journey in sports. Fight for your child’s opportunity to grow and be his or her best. If you feel your child’s coach is unfairly favoring other children, pull the coach aside and discuss his or her reasons for placing your child in a more minor team role. The coach may believe it’s in your child’s best interest to play a team role in which she or she can enjoy some success. <br />
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Also, understand that a fun, successful sports experience for <i>all </i>of the team’s players may require your child to now play a certain role. As your child matures, learns new skills, and demonstrates talent, opportunities will naturally emerge for your child to play a more important team role on his or her organized sports teams. <br />
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<!-- Footer goes here --> <p style="text-align:center; font-size:70%;">Copyright © 2014 Jeffrey S. Rhoads. All Rights Reserved</p><style>img.MyImage {-moz-box-shadow: 0px 0px 0px #000000; -webkit-box-shadow: 0px 0px 0px #000000; -goog-ms-box-shadow: 0px 0px 0px #000000; box-shadow: 0px 0px 0px #000000;border-width:0}
</style><div style='float:left; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 8pt; line-height:1.3em; border-collapse: collapse;align:center;' width='220'><div style='float:left; width:92px; height:130px;'><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0984211322/ref=as_li_ss_il?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0984211322&linkCode=as2&tag=avaplay-20" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="http://ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=0984211322&Format=_SL110_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=avaplay-20" ></a><img src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=avaplay-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0984211322" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt="" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important;" /> </div><div style='font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 8pt;display:inline;float:left; width:166px; height:130px;padding-top:7px'>If you enjoyed this article, you may like my book: <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0984211322/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0984211322&linkCode=as2&tag=avaplay-20" style='color: #473624; text-decoration: underline; font-style: italic;font-weight:normal;'target="_blank">The Young Athlete's Guide to Playing Sports: <i>What Every Athlete Needs to Know to Play, Win, and Have Fun</i></a> <br />
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($16.95; <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00ETCKJPG/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B00ETCKJPG&linkCode=as2&tag=avaplay-20"></a><img src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=avaplay-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B00ETCKJPG" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt="" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important;"/><a style=" margin-left:-8px;" href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00ETCKJPG/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B00ETCKJPG&linkCode=as2&tag=avaplay-20" target="_blank">Kindle:</a> $7.99)<img src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=avaplay-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B00ETCKJPG" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt="" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important;"/></div></div><div style="float:left; width:15px; height:130px;"> </div><div style='float:left; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 8pt; line-height:1.3em; border-collapse: collapse;align:center;' width='220'; margin-left:10px;><div style='float:left; width:92px; height:130px;'><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0984211306/ref=as_li_ss_il?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0984211306&linkCode=as2&tag=avaplay-20" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="http://ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=0984211306&Format=_SL110_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=avaplay-20" ></a><img src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=avaplay-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0984211306" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt="" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important;" /></div><div style='font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 8pt;display:inline;float:left; width:156px; height:130px;padding-top:7px'>If you enjoyed this article, you may like my book: <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0984211306/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0984211306&linkCode=as2&tag=avaplay-20" target="_blank" style="color: #473624; text-decoration: underline; font-style: italic;font-weight:normal;">The Joy of Youth Sports: Creating the Best Youth Sports Experience for Your Child</a><img src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=avaplay-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0984211306" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt="" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important;" /> <br />
<br />
($8.95; <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002JVX6KO/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B002JVX6KO&linkCode=as2&tag=avaplay-20" target="_blank">Kindle:</a> $2.99)<img src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=avaplay-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B002JVX6KO" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt="" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important;" /> </div></div></span><div class="blogger-post-footer"><br/><hr />
Originally posted at <a href="http://insideyouthsports.blogspot.com">www.insideyouthsports.blogspot.com</a></div>Jeffrey Rhoads [Inside Youth Sports]http://www.blogger.com/profile/14755096518688222702noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7418180976901891245.post-10300601244743288262014-10-27T22:44:00.000-04:002014-10-28T12:29:41.911-04:00Is Your Child Ready for a Key Team Role? (Part 2)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZsU49-HLcd_Y9f2cewOsO6DDvRRA1rw_1F-zk-Lf5nOCRNarc3qzkEwIHhiB_hF2julwS-o4mZg2sFOWRgSOhO3SSUuWGChsakfpuHQSkWXrvMBlExWpE3ZMvvLESQ2PwqAC_RMV_1eYa/s1600/Football_Coach_Instructing-300w.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZsU49-HLcd_Y9f2cewOsO6DDvRRA1rw_1F-zk-Lf5nOCRNarc3qzkEwIHhiB_hF2julwS-o4mZg2sFOWRgSOhO3SSUuWGChsakfpuHQSkWXrvMBlExWpE3ZMvvLESQ2PwqAC_RMV_1eYa/s320/Football_Coach_Instructing-300w.jpg" /></a></div><!-- Adjust Player/Coach/Parent Label Here --><div style="float:left;padding-right:0px;"><span style="font-size:60%;font-weight:bold;background-color:Lavender;color:#588EBC;padding-top:1px;padding-bottom:0px;padding-left:3px;padding-right:3px;text-align:center;vertical-align:1px;border-color:#D4D4E4;border-width:1px;border-style:solid;">PARENT</span></div> <!-- Lead-in goes here --><i>Here's the second in a three part series on how and why certain kids get to play key positions such as point guard, pitcher, and quarterback. In this post, we take a look at how organized sports and coaches impact your child's opportunity to develop the necessary skills to play a key role.</i><br />
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Having provided some general background on who gets to play the key positions and why, let's move on and discuss how youth coaches impact your child's development. <br />
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<h3>How organized sports help (and hinder) development</h3>At the earliest ages, kids are taught fundamental skills by adults—often by volunteer coaches who both enjoy the sport and understand how to play and teach it. Under their guidance, every child <i>ideally </i>has an equal opportunity to play each position.<br />
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But as the examples in the <a href="http://www.insideyouthsports.org/2014/10/key-team-roles-in-youth-sports-1.html">previous post</a> illustrate, youth sports are structured play involving interaction between the team’s participants. Sometimes it may be necessary for a coach to play certain children more at a given position to achieve <i>any </i>development of team play.<br />
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Youth coaches face another obstacle with their youngest players. Because of their inexperience, these children may struggle to learn <i>one </i>position and associated skills, let alone multiple positions. For these children, a coach may believe it’s in their best developmental interest to focus on a single role for the current season. <br />
<span class="fullpost"> <!-- Remainder of post goes here--> <br />
As a child develops and gains experience, he or she may begin to demonstrate abilities to play a key position. But an underlying characteristic of most participation-based programs is that kids of different ages, sizes, skill levels, and innate athletic ability, are grouped together. Expectations of what makes up a "fun" and successful experience vary. Although a child may have developed some skills, he or she may still be underperforming relative to other children and the level of competition. And playing a child who is overmatched at a key position invites failure for both the child and the team. With limited practice time and the importance of certain roles to a team's opportunity to succeed, it's simply unrealistic for a coach in the typical youth program to provide every child with equal time at the key positions.<br />
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As the above paragraphs highlight, there are barriers in organized youth sports that may work against your child’s opportunity to play an important role and position.<br />
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But organized sports <i>can </i>provide your child with the instruction needed to play that “glory” position. Your child may quickly assimilate this knowledge and become his or her team’s point guard, quarterback or pitcher. So let’s now discuss the coach’s role in developing your child’s ability.<br />
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<h3>What to expect from your child’s coach</h3>Your child will benefit most from a coach who uses the <a href="http://www.insideyouthsports.org/2010/03/teach-everyone-everything-tee.html" target="_blank">Teach Everyone Everything (TEE™)</a> approach in practices. This coach teaches <i>all </i>of the fundamental skills to <i>every </i>kid on his or her team. This instruction incorporates both the demonstration of a skill and the equal opportunity in practice for each child to practice the associated technique (usually via a drill). Through this means, every child is provided the skill instruction that is required to play any position in the game. This does not mean that each child receives equal time at every position in practice scrimmages or games. Your child may still only play a relatively minor role on his or her team. But through the TEE approach, every child does receive the instruction that can unlock their potential to play any position.<br />
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Your child’s coaches should always look for opportunities to challenge your child. There are sometimes opportunities in practices and games where a coach can give kids a taste of playing a key role. And for the occasional child who develops quickly, a coach should expand the child’s team role during the course of the season.<br />
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One of the most important characteristic to look for in your child’s coach is his or her ability to create a fun environment that inspires your child to <i>want </i>to play the game, learn more, and practice. In the end, it’s your child’s natural abilities, desire, and acquired skills that determine what position your child plays. But a coach who opens your child’s eye to his or her potential is an important factor—especially for those children who may not be as athletically gifted.<br />
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<i>If you feel that a coach is not giving your child an opportunity to fully develop his or her talent, you may be asking yourself, "Do I have any other options?" In next week's article, we'll finish this series by looking at how pickup games and the choices you make can improve your child's opportunity to learn a sport in a way the maximizes his or her chance to play a key role.</i><br />
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<!-- Footer goes here --> <p style="text-align:center; font-size:70%;">Copyright © 2014 Jeffrey S. Rhoads. All Rights Reserved</p><style>img.MyImage {-moz-box-shadow: 0px 0px 0px #000000; -webkit-box-shadow: 0px 0px 0px #000000; -goog-ms-box-shadow: 0px 0px 0px #000000; box-shadow: 0px 0px 0px #000000;border-width:0}
</style><div style='float:left; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 8pt; line-height:1.3em; border-collapse: collapse;align:center;' width='220'><div style='float:left; width:92px; height:130px;'><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0984211322/ref=as_li_ss_il?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0984211322&linkCode=as2&tag=avaplay-20" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="http://ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=0984211322&Format=_SL110_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=avaplay-20" ></a><img src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=avaplay-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0984211322" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt="" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important;" /> </div><div style='font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 8pt;display:inline;float:left; width:166px; height:130px;padding-top:7px'>If you enjoyed this article, you may like my book: <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0984211322/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0984211322&linkCode=as2&tag=avaplay-20" style='color: #473624; text-decoration: underline; font-style: italic;font-weight:normal;'target="_blank">The Young Athlete's Guide to Playing Sports: <i>What Every Athlete Needs to Know to Play, Win, and Have Fun</i></a> <br />
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($16.95; <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00ETCKJPG/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B00ETCKJPG&linkCode=as2&tag=avaplay-20"></a><img src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=avaplay-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B00ETCKJPG" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt="" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important;"/><a style=" margin-left:-8px;" href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00ETCKJPG/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B00ETCKJPG&linkCode=as2&tag=avaplay-20" target="_blank">Kindle:</a> $7.99)<img src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=avaplay-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B00ETCKJPG" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt="" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important;"/></div></div><div style="float:left; width:15px; height:130px;"> </div><div style='float:left; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 8pt; line-height:1.3em; border-collapse: collapse;align:center;' width='220'; margin-left:10px;><div style='float:left; width:92px; height:130px;'><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0984211306/ref=as_li_ss_il?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0984211306&linkCode=as2&tag=avaplay-20" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="http://ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=0984211306&Format=_SL110_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=avaplay-20" ></a><img src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=avaplay-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0984211306" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt="" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important;" /></div><div style='font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 8pt;display:inline;float:left; width:156px; height:130px;padding-top:7px'>If you enjoyed this article, you may like my book: <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0984211306/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0984211306&linkCode=as2&tag=avaplay-20" target="_blank" style="color: #473624; text-decoration: underline; font-style: italic;font-weight:normal;">The Joy of Youth Sports: Creating the Best Youth Sports Experience for Your Child</a><img src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=avaplay-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0984211306" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt="" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important;" /> <br />
<br />
($8.95; <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002JVX6KO/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B002JVX6KO&linkCode=as2&tag=avaplay-20" target="_blank">Kindle:</a> $2.99)<img src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=avaplay-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B002JVX6KO" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt="" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important;" /> </div></div></span><div class="blogger-post-footer"><br/><hr />
Originally posted at <a href="http://insideyouthsports.blogspot.com">www.insideyouthsports.blogspot.com</a></div>Jeffrey Rhoads [Inside Youth Sports]http://www.blogger.com/profile/14755096518688222702noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7418180976901891245.post-29800247483728530482014-10-19T22:25:00.000-04:002014-10-19T22:44:41.626-04:00Is Your Child Ready for a Key Team Role? (Part 1)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaRYa13Sxxsk2cVkfD7hOSNpJIctijI2J4IPuIxk5-JOSyat2LlauOKns7i1c-lfCr-XivwVPMRIcGq99QzwLaWuHjQmFKb1PBe0aZgiuiMpH7tYoN-_9xN-BMudU0q1uSFv2t-6mMEYC5/s1600/Baseball_Little_League_Pitcher.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaRYa13Sxxsk2cVkfD7hOSNpJIctijI2J4IPuIxk5-JOSyat2LlauOKns7i1c-lfCr-XivwVPMRIcGq99QzwLaWuHjQmFKb1PBe0aZgiuiMpH7tYoN-_9xN-BMudU0q1uSFv2t-6mMEYC5/s320/Baseball_Little_League_Pitcher.jpg" /></a></div><!-- Adjust Player/Coach/Parent Label Here --><div style="float:left;padding-right:0px;"><span style="font-size:60%;font-weight:bold;background-color:Lavender;color:#588EBC;padding-top:1px;padding-bottom:0px;padding-left:3px;padding-right:3px;text-align:center;vertical-align:1px;border-color:#D4D4E4;border-width:1px;border-style:solid;">PARENT</span></div> <!-- Lead-in goes here --><i>Here's the first post in a three-part series on how and why certain kids get to play key positions such as point guard, pitcher, and quarterback. In this series, we'll cover the importance of primary roles to a team's success, the skills a child needs to develop to play key positions, and also touch on the fairness issue of playing time.</i><br />
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A while back, a parent posted a comment and asked, <i>“How does my child develop expertise in an important role unless a coach is willing to rotate the player roles?”</i> This is a fair question. Parents recognize that more attention is often focused on the athletes who play the key positions on their team. And when parents see the same kids continually playing the primary roles, they may feel it’s unfair that their child is not afforded the same opportunity.<br />
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So let’s take a closer look at why certain kids play the “glory” positions, whether this is unfair to other children, and how you can help improve your child’s opportunity to play an important team role such as quarterback, pitcher, or point guard. <br />
<span class="fullpost"><br />
<h3>Who plays the key positions and why</h3>Success in team sports often hinges on the performance at key positions. In the NFL, it’s understood that having a “franchise” quarterback substantially improves the odds for a team to reach the Super Bowl. Championship basketball teams often have a dominant center, talented point guard, or both. Excellent hockey and soccer teams usually have forwards who can score and an outstanding goalie.<br />
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In <i>competitive </i>youth sports, the same principle holds true. Because youth leagues often bring together children of different age groups, the effect of dominant players in key positions is substantial. A team lacking talent at these positions will likely not compete for the league championship.<br />
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<i>Participation-oriented</i> youth programs usually require skilled players to occupy certain roles—not just to engage in balanced, fun competition, but to also achieve some semblance of teamwork and opportunity to play the game in a way that benefits <i>all </i>of the team’s players.<br />
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Placing a young football player at the quarterback position, when he has neither the strength nor accuracy to make a downfield throw, will not benefit the more experienced receivers on the team. A young baseball pitcher who can’t throw the ball over the plate will walk player after player, ruining the game for his or her teammates. And a point guard in basketball who has difficulty dribbling will continually turn the ball over to the other team. His or her teammates will never touch the ball, become frustrated, and lose interest in playing (no fun).<br />
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So even in participation oriented youth programs, there are valid reasons for coaches placing their more accomplished child athletes in certain positions. (But at this level of play, there are usually opportunities to give a less-skilled child a taste of playing a key position.)<br />
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<h3>Individual factors that lead to success</h3>Gaining expertise at a key position, and developing the necessary skills to play the associated team role well, is a process that develops over time and with a number of influences. A child’s natural athleticism, interest in playing sports, age and size relative to others, all affect a child’s overall ability to play a key position. These factors are often also the ones that determine how far an athlete can climb up the ladder of competitive success. But for many children, these factors vary throughout the developmental years. The youngest child of course becomes the oldest at some point, a change often accompanied by increased physical stature and ability.<br />
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The other main influence on a child’s ability to play a key position is the set of skills a child has mastered. Although natural physical ability is certainly helpful, many important sport skills are learned. And through practice and repetition, these skills are mastered. There are many examples of physically inferior athletes who have enjoyed enormous success because they both understood their position and mastered the requisite skill techniques.<br />
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How does a child begin the process of learning these essential skills? Today’s parents usually expect <b><i>organized youth sports programs</i></b> to provide the instruction and initial opportunity for their child. <br />
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<i>In next week's article, we'll look at how organized sports and a child’s coach impact the development of your child’s ability to play a key position.</i><br />
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<!-- Remainder of post goes here--> <!-- Footer goes here --> <p style="text-align:center; font-size:70%;">Copyright © 2014 Jeffrey S. Rhoads. All Rights Reserved</p><style>img.MyImage {-moz-box-shadow: 0px 0px 0px #000000; -webkit-box-shadow: 0px 0px 0px #000000; -goog-ms-box-shadow: 0px 0px 0px #000000; box-shadow: 0px 0px 0px #000000;border-width:0}
</style><div style='float:left; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 8pt; line-height:1.3em; border-collapse: collapse;align:center;' width='220'><div style='float:left; width:92px; height:130px;'><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0984211322/ref=as_li_ss_il?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0984211322&linkCode=as2&tag=avaplay-20" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="http://ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=0984211322&Format=_SL110_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=avaplay-20" ></a><img src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=avaplay-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0984211322" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt="" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important;" /> </div><div style='font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 8pt;display:inline;float:left; width:166px; height:130px;padding-top:7px'>If you enjoyed this article, you may like my book: <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0984211322/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0984211322&linkCode=as2&tag=avaplay-20" style='color: #473624; text-decoration: underline; font-style: italic;font-weight:normal;'target="_blank">The Young Athlete's Guide to Playing Sports: <i>What Every Athlete Needs to Know to Play, Win, and Have Fun</i></a> <br />
<br />
($16.95; <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00ETCKJPG/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B00ETCKJPG&linkCode=as2&tag=avaplay-20"></a><img src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=avaplay-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B00ETCKJPG" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt="" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important;"/><a style=" margin-left:-8px;" href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00ETCKJPG/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B00ETCKJPG&linkCode=as2&tag=avaplay-20" target="_blank">Kindle:</a> $7.99)<img src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=avaplay-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B00ETCKJPG" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt="" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important;"/></div></div><div style="float:left; width:15px; height:130px;"> </div><div style='float:left; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 8pt; line-height:1.3em; border-collapse: collapse;align:center;' width='220'; margin-left:10px;><div style='float:left; width:92px; height:130px;'><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0984211306/ref=as_li_ss_il?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0984211306&linkCode=as2&tag=avaplay-20" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="http://ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=0984211306&Format=_SL110_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=avaplay-20" ></a><img src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=avaplay-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0984211306" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt="" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important;" /></div><div style='font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 8pt;display:inline;float:left; width:156px; height:130px;padding-top:7px'>If you enjoyed this article, you may like my book: <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0984211306/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0984211306&linkCode=as2&tag=avaplay-20" target="_blank" style="color: #473624; text-decoration: underline; font-style: italic;font-weight:normal;">The Joy of Youth Sports: Creating the Best Youth Sports Experience for Your Child</a><img src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=avaplay-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0984211306" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt="" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important;" /> <br />
<br />
($8.95; <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002JVX6KO/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B002JVX6KO&linkCode=as2&tag=avaplay-20" target="_blank">Kindle:</a> $2.99)<img src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=avaplay-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B002JVX6KO" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt="" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important;" /> </div></div></span><div class="blogger-post-footer"><br/><hr />
Originally posted at <a href="http://insideyouthsports.blogspot.com">www.insideyouthsports.blogspot.com</a></div>Jeffrey Rhoads [Inside Youth Sports]http://www.blogger.com/profile/14755096518688222702noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7418180976901891245.post-69891126118984039802014-09-19T11:57:00.000-04:002014-09-21T13:10:12.920-04:00Teach to the Level of Your Players<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipOhvdOaijps73bTp0_LW32wpvvnxCoRKS0lYREaRkq55s-mLYQ7dqqjyo2Fpn5dq4GSUDng7L-dq45OU8Sulr5nPfrCxlWIQepraj75EldodkzOyK8qmvSMyehT5zg1WUs7Q-KqvnY5ML/s1600/Youth_Baseball_Coach_1a.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipOhvdOaijps73bTp0_LW32wpvvnxCoRKS0lYREaRkq55s-mLYQ7dqqjyo2Fpn5dq4GSUDng7L-dq45OU8Sulr5nPfrCxlWIQepraj75EldodkzOyK8qmvSMyehT5zg1WUs7Q-KqvnY5ML/s320/Youth_Baseball_Coach_1a.jpg" /></a></div><!-- Adjust Player/Coach/Parent Label Here --><div style="float:left;padding-right:0px;"><span style="font-size:60%;font-weight:bold;background-color:Lavender;color:#588EBC;padding-top:1px;padding-bottom:0px;padding-left:3px;padding-right:3px;text-align:center;vertical-align:1px;border-color:#D4D4E4;border-width:1px;border-style:solid;">COACH</span></div> <!-- Lead-in goes here -->A good friend of mine was in the stands watching his nine-year-old boy playing baseball when he heard his son’s coach yell, <i>“Don’t step in the bucket!”</i> The coach’s comment was directed at a young player who was struggling to hit the ball. Each time the boy swung his bat, he first stepped away from home plate with his front foot. <br />
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Upon hearing the coach’s instructions, the boy looked back at the coach with a confused expression on his face, and then looked around his feet searching for the “bucket” his coach had referred to. The boy had absolutely no clue what his coach was talking about. Although my friend recognized the disconnect, the boy's coach unfortunately did not.<br />
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<h3>Adapt Your Language</h3>A player’s age, experience, talent level, and personality, determines the content of your instruction and the way in which you communicate information to the player. You need to evaluate your players' level of understanding, and adapt your instructional language accordingly. For some kids, typically beginners, you may need to further simplify your instruction.<br />
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In the example above, the coach should have recognized that his player did not yet understand the idioms (i.e., sayings) that are commonly used among more experienced baseball players and coaches. In this instance, the coach should have instructed the player to “step toward the pitcher” when swinging at a pitch. <br />
<span class="fullpost"> <!-- Remainder of post goes here--><br />
<h3>Link Language to Concrete Actions</h3>One of the responsibilities of a youth coach is to not only instruct players on technique, but also introduce them to the culture and language of the sport. Whenever you use sports jargon during a practice that younger players may be hearing for the first time, elaborate on its meaning <i>and </i>demonstrate the associated technique. <br />
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For example, when I instruct my players on how to rebound a basketball, I first describe and demonstrate the technique of “boxing out.” I then have each player walk through the various elements of the technique (pivoting, placing your body against your opponent, moving as necessary to keep between your opponent and the basket, and then releasing to go after the ball). Finally, we perform a live drill, where groups of two players put this technique to practice. After going through this process, everyone on the team has a clear understanding of what “boxing out” means and I can use this phrase as needed to quickly communicate with my players.<br />
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<h3>Be Extra Sensitive to Your Beginner's Needs</h3>As mentioned above, simplify skill techniques for beginners. Concentrate your instruction on the skill's most important fundamental aspects. Always provide <i>specific </i>advice and instructions. Use the sandwich/Oreo cookie technique to address problems (what was done right – the problem – best action). For absolute beginners, struggling younger players, and children with more sensitive personalities, soften the criticism and emphasize the positive. Older, more experienced players, on the other hand, respond well to constructive criticism—especially when they understand that you appreciate their talent and have higher expectations for them. <br />
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Whenever you instruct a player, you should always try to match both the content of your instruction and your communication style to the needs of the individual player. Don’t assume that your younger players and beginners understand the jargon common to your sport. <br />
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<!-- Footer goes here --> <p style="text-align:center; font-size:70%;">Copyright © 2014 Jeffrey S. Rhoads. All Rights Reserved</p><style>img.MyImage {-moz-box-shadow: 0px 0px 0px #000000; -webkit-box-shadow: 0px 0px 0px #000000; -goog-ms-box-shadow: 0px 0px 0px #000000; box-shadow: 0px 0px 0px #000000;border-width:0}
</style><div style='float:left; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 8pt; line-height:1.3em; border-collapse: collapse;align:center;' width='220'><div style='float:left; width:92px; height:130px;'><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0984211322/ref=as_li_ss_il?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0984211322&linkCode=as2&tag=avaplay-20" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="http://ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=0984211322&Format=_SL110_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=avaplay-20" ></a><img src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=avaplay-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0984211322" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt="" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important;" /> </div><div style='font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 8pt;display:inline;float:left; width:166px; height:130px;padding-top:7px'>If you enjoyed this article, you may like my book: <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0984211322/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0984211322&linkCode=as2&tag=avaplay-20" style='color: #473624; text-decoration: underline; font-style: italic;font-weight:normal;'target="_blank">The Young Athlete's Guide to Playing Sports: <i>What Every Athlete Needs to Know to Play, Win, and Have Fun</i></a> <br />
<br />
($16.95; <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00ETCKJPG/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B00ETCKJPG&linkCode=as2&tag=avaplay-20"></a><img src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=avaplay-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B00ETCKJPG" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt="" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important;"/><a style=" margin-left:-8px;" href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00ETCKJPG/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B00ETCKJPG&linkCode=as2&tag=avaplay-20" target="_blank">Kindle:</a> $7.99)<img src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=avaplay-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B00ETCKJPG" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt="" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important;"/></div></div><div style="float:left; width:15px; height:130px;"> </div><div style='float:left; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 8pt; line-height:1.3em; border-collapse: collapse;align:center;' width='220'; margin-left:10px;><div style='float:left; width:92px; height:130px;'><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0984211306/ref=as_li_ss_il?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0984211306&linkCode=as2&tag=avaplay-20" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="http://ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=0984211306&Format=_SL110_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=avaplay-20" ></a><img src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=avaplay-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0984211306" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt="" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important;" /></div><div style='font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 8pt;display:inline;float:left; width:156px; height:130px;padding-top:7px'>If you enjoyed this article, you may like my book: <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0984211306/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0984211306&linkCode=as2&tag=avaplay-20" target="_blank" style="color: #473624; text-decoration: underline; font-style: italic;font-weight:normal;">The Joy of Youth Sports: Creating the Best Youth Sports Experience for Your Child</a><img src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=avaplay-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0984211306" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt="" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important;" /> <br />
<br />
($8.95; <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002JVX6KO/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B002JVX6KO&linkCode=as2&tag=avaplay-20" target="_blank">Kindle:</a> $2.99)<img src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=avaplay-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B002JVX6KO" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt="" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important;" /> </div></div></span><div class="blogger-post-footer"><br/><hr />
Originally posted at <a href="http://insideyouthsports.blogspot.com">www.insideyouthsports.blogspot.com</a></div>Jeffrey Rhoads [Inside Youth Sports]http://www.blogger.com/profile/14755096518688222702noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7418180976901891245.post-17834236970358242142014-09-10T11:57:00.000-04:002014-09-10T12:13:03.543-04:00The Playground Playbook<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7g-OGmDuOwS9EgEBAKciGgXJdXDvdhi3gWEdMe7MIOsPsamabpXDglWBNTJlktvL0iPOQMkcRK2qtBWRtoXqHQg20uJcGbcuvDdnULbKpsXQccOVR9s1PqXeqz5SqWH1U5-p1YwpFKBJD/s1600/The-Playground-Playbook-Cover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7g-OGmDuOwS9EgEBAKciGgXJdXDvdhi3gWEdMe7MIOsPsamabpXDglWBNTJlktvL0iPOQMkcRK2qtBWRtoXqHQg20uJcGbcuvDdnULbKpsXQccOVR9s1PqXeqz5SqWH1U5-p1YwpFKBJD/s320/The-Playground-Playbook-Cover.jpg" /></a></div><!-- Adjust Player/Coach/Parent Label Here --><div style="float:left;padding-right:0px;"><span style="font-size:60%;font-weight:bold;background-color:Lavender;color:#588EBC;padding-top:1px;padding-bottom:0px;padding-left:3px;padding-right:3px;text-align:center;vertical-align:1px;border-color:#D4D4E4;border-width:1px;border-style:solid;">PARENT</span></div> <!-- Lead-in goes here -->I was contacted recently by <b>Todd Rosenthal</b>, author of a short book for young children titled, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/The-Playground-Playbook-joining-building/dp/149496404X/ref=tmm_pap_title_0"><i>The Playground Playbook</i></a>. Todd does a nice job of explaining the basics of playing pickup games, and does so with language and drawings that are suitable to the youngest readers (ages 6-10). The book begins with introductory chapters on how to "Get in the Game" and "Understanding How Games Work," and progresses to game-oriented advice in "Game Behavior" and "Game Strategies." <br />
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I found one chapter, "Find Your Role," especially appealing. In my book, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0984211322/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0984211322&linkCode=as2&tag=avaplay-20" target="_blank"><i>The Young Athlete's Guide to Playing Sports</i></a><img src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=avaplay-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0984211322" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt="" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important;"/>, I discuss at length the importance of every young athlete understanding the concept of team roles. Knowing what you do best, how your abilities fit with those of your teammates, and having the willingness to play the necessary role(s) to help your team win, is a key to success in both organized sports and pickup games. Todd also addresses this topic and does a great job of describing how each young child can figure out what type of player he or she is. <br />
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Here is an excerpt from The Playground Playbook: <br />
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<a href="http://www.avaplay.com/Playground Playbook - Find Your Role.pdf">Chapter 4 - "Find Your Role"</a> (PDF file)<br />
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/The-Playground-Playbook-joining-building/dp/149496404X/ref=tmm_pap_title_0"><i>The Playground Playbook</i></a> is available on Amazon. As an excellent introduction to pickup games, I wholeheartedly recommend this book.<br />
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<span class="fullpost"> <!-- Remainder of post goes here--> <!-- Footer goes here --> <p style="text-align:center; font-size:70%;">Copyright © 2014 Jeffrey S. Rhoads. All Rights Reserved</p><style>img.MyImage {-moz-box-shadow: 0px 0px 0px #000000; -webkit-box-shadow: 0px 0px 0px #000000; -goog-ms-box-shadow: 0px 0px 0px #000000; box-shadow: 0px 0px 0px #000000;border-width:0}
</style><div style='float:left; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 8pt; line-height:1.3em; border-collapse: collapse;align:center;' width='220'><div style='float:left; width:92px; height:130px;'><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0984211322/ref=as_li_ss_il?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0984211322&linkCode=as2&tag=avaplay-20" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="http://ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=0984211322&Format=_SL110_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=avaplay-20" ></a><img src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=avaplay-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0984211322" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt="" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important;" /> </div><div style='font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 8pt;display:inline;float:left; width:166px; height:130px;padding-top:7px'>If you enjoyed this article, you may like my book: <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0984211322/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0984211322&linkCode=as2&tag=avaplay-20" style='color: #473624; text-decoration: underline; font-style: italic;font-weight:normal;'target="_blank">The Young Athlete's Guide to Playing Sports: <i>What Every Athlete Needs to Know to Play, Win, and Have Fun</i></a> <br />
<br />
($16.95; <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00ETCKJPG/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B00ETCKJPG&linkCode=as2&tag=avaplay-20"></a><img src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=avaplay-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B00ETCKJPG" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt="" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important;"/><a style=" margin-left:-8px;" href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00ETCKJPG/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B00ETCKJPG&linkCode=as2&tag=avaplay-20" target="_blank">Kindle:</a> $7.99)<img src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=avaplay-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B00ETCKJPG" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt="" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important;"/></div></div><div style="float:left; width:15px; height:130px;"> </div><div style='float:left; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 8pt; line-height:1.3em; border-collapse: collapse;align:center;' width='220'; margin-left:10px;><div style='float:left; width:92px; height:130px;'><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0984211306/ref=as_li_ss_il?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0984211306&linkCode=as2&tag=avaplay-20" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="http://ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=0984211306&Format=_SL110_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=avaplay-20" ></a><img src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=avaplay-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0984211306" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt="" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important;" /></div><div style='font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 8pt;display:inline;float:left; width:156px; height:130px;padding-top:7px'>If you enjoyed this article, you may like my book: <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0984211306/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0984211306&linkCode=as2&tag=avaplay-20" target="_blank" style="color: #473624; text-decoration: underline; font-style: italic;font-weight:normal;">The Joy of Youth Sports: Creating the Best Youth Sports Experience for Your Child</a><img src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=avaplay-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0984211306" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt="" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important;" /> <br />
<br />
($8.95; <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002JVX6KO/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B002JVX6KO&linkCode=as2&tag=avaplay-20" target="_blank">Kindle:</a> $2.99)<img src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=avaplay-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B002JVX6KO" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt="" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important;" /> </div></div></span><div class="blogger-post-footer"><br/><hr />
Originally posted at <a href="http://insideyouthsports.blogspot.com">www.insideyouthsports.blogspot.com</a></div>Jeffrey Rhoads [Inside Youth Sports]http://www.blogger.com/profile/14755096518688222702noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7418180976901891245.post-53656684340993666272014-08-21T15:17:00.000-04:002014-08-21T15:17:47.072-04:00Motivation and the Young Athlete (Part 2)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9KqQW6P5rZOg4eW6K-_35RGsZ5meF5ktBh7kg-8baSd7K-St5Ra5UJWjAV2c8ScQUUgnP_hUb3Y0M9lfQmp-To3tzxlNOCP3YyBvMAxTc3YVeA-5OLETqtMVQUscz1IbPUhZ6h9ozYI90/s1600/soccer_coach_motivation_2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9KqQW6P5rZOg4eW6K-_35RGsZ5meF5ktBh7kg-8baSd7K-St5Ra5UJWjAV2c8ScQUUgnP_hUb3Y0M9lfQmp-To3tzxlNOCP3YyBvMAxTc3YVeA-5OLETqtMVQUscz1IbPUhZ6h9ozYI90/s320/soccer_coach_motivation_2.jpg" /></a></div><!-- Adjust Player/Coach/Parent Label Here --><div style="float:left;padding-right:0px;"><span style="font-size:60%;font-weight:bold;background-color:Lavender;color:#588EBC;padding-top:1px;padding-bottom:0px;padding-left:3px;padding-right:3px;text-align:center;vertical-align:1px;border-color:#D4D4E4;border-width:1px;border-style:solid;">PARENT</span></div> <!-- Lead-in goes here --><i>Here's the second of the two-part guest post from <b>Dr. Tony McGroarty</b>, a sports psychologist with whom I play basketball. In this concluding post, Tony discusses motivation in the context of specific feedback given by young players and coaches themselves. Although his data is older, newer studies have resulted in similar findings (e.g., the importance of FUN). As in the first part, his ideas apply equally to all sports.</i><br />
<br />
<h3>The Players Speak</h3>If we have the prudence to ask, players will tell us what conditions create motivation to begin playing in the first place, what conditions create the motivation to continue playing and what conditions lower that motivation, sometimes to the point where they drop out. The Athletic Footwear Association sponsored a survey of youth sports participation conducted by the Youth Sports Institute at the University of Michigan. They did ask some kids - 3,900 boys and girls, grades 7 to 12, to be exact. The number one reason both boys and girls gave for playing sports was "To have fun". The first two reasons for quitting a sport were: "I lost interest" and "I was not having fun". The number one change which would bring players back to a sport they quit was, "I would play again if... practices were more fun". The lists follow.<br />
<span class="fullpost"> <!-- Remainder of post goes here--><br />
<br />
<b><i>The 12 Most Important Reasons I Play My Best School Sport</i></b><br />
<br />
<table><tr>
<td style="width: 240px;"><b>BOYS</b></td>
<td style="width: 240px;"><b>GIRLS</b></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 240px;">1. To have fun</td>
<td style="width: 240px;">1. To have fun</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 240px;">2. To improve skills</td>
<td style="width: 240px;">2. To stay in shape</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 240px;">3. Excitement of competition</td>
<td style="width: 240px;">3. To get exercise</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 240px;">4. To do something I'm good at</td>
<td style="width: 240px;">4. To improve skills</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 240px;">5. To stay in shape</td>
<td style="width: 240px;">5. To do something I'm good at</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 240px;">6. Challenge of competition</td>
<td style="width: 240px;">6. To be part of a team</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 240px;">7. To be part of a team</td>
<td style="width: 240px;">7. Excitement of competition</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 240px;">8. To win</td>
<td style="width: 240px;">8. To learn new skills</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 240px;">9. To compete at higher level</td>
<td style="width: 240px;">9. For the team spirit</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 240px;">10. To get exercise</td>
<td style="width: 240px;">10. Challenge of competition</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 240px;">11. To learn new skills</td>
<td style="width: 240px;">11. To compete at higher level</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 240px;">12. For the team spirit</td>
<td style="width: 240px;">12. To win</td>
</tr>
</table> <br />
<h3>The Coaches Respond</h3>These findings speak for the soccer players we are charged to train. They can be seen as guides which steer us in the right direction while developing a mission statement for the organization or a philosophy of coaching. The kids can tell us so much about what they need in order to begin playing soccer and to continue in the game. Their words can be used to help us formulate a set of principles youth coaches can use to increase player motivation.<br />
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<b>Coaching Principles</b> <br />
The overriding goal of soccer coaches for all age groups is to <b><i>find the balance between being an external source of motivation and encouraging the growth of internal motivation</i></b>. How this is done depends on an assessment of where the athlete is in the process and then judging how much external motivation is necessary to help the player improve.<br />
<br />
Another guiding principle for the coach is to <b><i>make the expectations for the players clear and challenging, yet attainable</i></b>. Coaches should strive to introduce new skills and tactics which stretch their players' abilities; but not so far that the players become too anxious about failing. On the other hand, coaches should avoid making the expectations too low because the players will learn nothing new and become bored.<br />
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The principle of <b><i>providing encouragement</i></b> through the use of positive feedback is more complicated than it appears. It turns out that giving players only positive feedback does less for their motivation than mixing it with honest criticism of their play. Players who receive honest feedback about mistakes as well as instruction on how to improve their game are happier with the sport experience and their coach than are those who are only praised. This is not criticism in the form of putting the player down. It is constructive in that mistakes are identified and corrected. In this way the player is clear about how far off the performance is, about the proper way to execute the skill, and about what to do to improve.<br />
<br />
The method of offering feedback when a player has made an error or when trying a new move but does not have it down quite right is called the "sandwich" method of offering constructive criticism. Teaching the player how to do it correctly is sandwiched between two evaluative statements. For example, lets say the defender failed to offer support to a teammate on defense and the error in judgment led to a goal against. The coach could make the following three statements: "Where's your head? We went over that yesterday in practice. You have to pay more attention in practices." he coach using the sandwich method to teach the same player would make these three statements: "Jimmy, you didn't support Alex there. When Alex steps up you need to stay connected on the inside. You'll get it next time!" This second coach's statements convey specifics about what the younger, and sometimes the older, player needs from the coach to maintain motivation--to learn new skills and see that the coach has confidence in them. As athletes mature and gain experience through playing time, similar phrases become internalized and are used by players to criticize, correct and encourage themselves.<br />
<br />
Coaches who adopt the principle of <b><i>teaching players to think for themselves</i></b> and to learn from the consequences of making their own decisions will have athletes who learn faster because they are more focused and better able to evaluate themselves and others. Soccer is a game of instant decisions requiring players to be creative on the field. Coaches who are constantly yelling instructions from the sidelines inhibit their players' ability to think for themselves. The players are distracted from what is happening on the field because their attention is directed at the sideline, not on the here-and-now flow of the game. There are some things coaches can do to promote focus, communication and creativity in their soccer players. Most teaching should be confined to practice and half-time. Coaches can help players focus on the flow of the game by being as quiet as possible during the scrimmage at the end of practice and during the game. When a player comes off the field or when the team gathers at half-time, self-evaluation can be encouraged by asking what is going well and what needs to change before the coach launches into instructions. If an important adjustment must be made during the game, the coach can tell the captain or the closest outside midfielder to convey the message to the team on the field. This approach gives players opportunities to practice leadership and effective communication.<br />
<br />
<b><i>Fairness and consistency</i></b> are very important principles for promoting internal motivation in the younger athlete. If players go in and out of the game using rolling substitutions and learn they will play an equal amount of time regardless of how they are performing, then each player will feel relaxed enough to try new skills during the game without the fear of being taken out because of a mistake. Effort is emphasized over immediate results, success is defined by player improvement rather than by goals scored or wins and healthy risk-taking is the norm rather than the exception. This approach most closely resembles the atmosphere of a neighborhood pick-up game where the kids figure it out by themselves. The coach who teaches skills and allows the kids to play the game accelerates the "figure it out" part. The players do not need the coach to show them how to have fun. <br />
<br />
If we let our young athletes "play" the game, we can learn a lot about human potential from our players--and have fun in the process. When the players and the coaches have fun at practices and games they will be motivated to be with the team again next season. That kind of success is a great source of motivation which makes winners of us all.<br />
<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 2em; background-color: #F2F2F2;
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"><i><b>Dr. Tony McGroarty</b> is a clinical and sport psychologist in the Pittsburgh area. He welcomes your questions and suggestions. Please contact him at: mcgroartyt@msn.com or (412) 983-1790 or 242 S. Highland Ave. Pittsburgh, PA 15206.</i><br />
</div><br />
<!-- Footer goes here --> <p style="text-align:center; font-size:70%;">Copyright © 2014 Jeffrey S. Rhoads. All Rights Reserved</p><style>img.MyImage {-moz-box-shadow: 0px 0px 0px #000000; -webkit-box-shadow: 0px 0px 0px #000000; -goog-ms-box-shadow: 0px 0px 0px #000000; box-shadow: 0px 0px 0px #000000;border-width:0}
</style><div style='float:left; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 8pt; line-height:1.3em; border-collapse: collapse;align:center;' width='220'><div style='float:left; width:92px; height:130px;'><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0984211322/ref=as_li_ss_il?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0984211322&linkCode=as2&tag=avaplay-20" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="http://ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=0984211322&Format=_SL110_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=avaplay-20" ></a><img src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=avaplay-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0984211322" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt="" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important;" /> </div><div style='font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 8pt;display:inline;float:left; width:166px; height:130px;padding-top:7px'>If you enjoyed this article, you may like my book: <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0984211322/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0984211322&linkCode=as2&tag=avaplay-20" style='color: #473624; text-decoration: underline; font-style: italic;font-weight:normal;'target="_blank">The Young Athlete's Guide to Playing Sports: <i>What Every Athlete Needs to Know to Play, Win, and Have Fun</i></a> <br />
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Originally posted at <a href="http://insideyouthsports.blogspot.com">www.insideyouthsports.blogspot.com</a></div>Jeffrey Rhoads [Inside Youth Sports]http://www.blogger.com/profile/14755096518688222702noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7418180976901891245.post-66960420305042012102014-08-14T12:26:00.000-04:002014-08-14T14:38:11.675-04:00Motivation and the Young Athlete (Part 1)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://flic.kr/p/9NrNbH" target="_blank" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfTi5XnU2KkNnIWEEWoh8TVgnepuQByrAhx3UQd9XPqxa_kR1qnhyphenhyphenHuSfoVXHVPtLiNPuBe4_BrAuHGNlWnZ6Htr6IaauowgW-UUs_sFg2wb-l8fNbXOu6ctOvtz5E1T4ejUaUvZ4BCqvC/s320/soccer_coach_motivation.jpg" /></a></div><!-- Adjust Player/Coach/Parent Label Here --><div style="float:left;padding-right:0px;"><span style="font-size:60%;font-weight:bold;background-color:Lavender;color:#588EBC;padding-top:1px;padding-bottom:0px;padding-left:3px;padding-right:3px;text-align:center;vertical-align:1px;border-color:#D4D4E4;border-width:1px;border-style:solid;">PARENT</span></div> <!-- Lead-in goes here --><i>Here's the first of a two-part guest post from <b>Dr. Tony McGroarty</b>, a sports psychologist with whom I play basketball. In these articles, Tony discusses motivation and how it impacts the performance and development of young soccer players. Although the article is directed at the soccer community, his ideas apply equally to all sports. Tony's philosophy mirrors many of the principles I advocate in my writings, but he goes into much greater detail and brings a professional psychologist's perspective.</i><br />
<br />
<h3>Motivation</h3>Thought, emotion, and movement are woven together to create the performance you see on the soccer field. You, athletes and coaches, love what you do! Right? I hope so. You work hard in practice and in competition year after year, persevering with a <i>sense of joy</i>. This, of course, is the ideal situation. It is ideal; but it is not unrealistic to expect a good dose of joy along the way as you accomplish the goals you set for yourself. It keeps you going, no matter what the pursuit. You feel motivated! Others say you are a motivated coach and soccer player.<br />
<br />
What is motivation and how can the player and coach make it happen? Some things in soccer are clear because they can be measured: your time in the 40, the score of the game, goals per game average. Other aspects of the game are not so easily understood: shifts in momentum during the game, the appearance and disappearance of a slump, the experience of being in the zone. Motivation is likewise a perplexing concept. Because it takes place within the individual player or team member, it cannot be seen nor easily measured. When the goalkeeper spends time after practice on footwork, when the defender doggedly marks a forward for a full eighty minutes, when the two captains run and lift weights during the off season, we say those players are motivated. However, what we observe in the players' actions at practice, during games, and in the off season is not motivation. It is the end result of motivation which really is psychological activity occurring within the soccer player. Motivation takes place within the individual.<br />
<br />
What is it that occurs within a soccer player that constitutes motivation? Thoughts and emotions are the two psychological activities continually at work within each of us as we go through the day. Motivation is a particular form of thinking and feeling about something we want to do.<br />
<span class="fullpost"> <!-- Remainder of post goes here--><br />
<h3>External and Internal Sources of Motivation</h3>Young children rely on adults to teach them how to think clearly and how to understand and properly express their feelings. Much of the motivation to play soccer, especially for micro through U-8, comes from the external world of important adults such as parents and coaches. As children get older, the source of their motivation to play gradually becomes more internal. But, throughout childhood and adolescence there is always a mix of internal and external influences on motivation. Even the youngest athlete is internally motivated to some degree and older players still require external sources of support to maintain their motivation. <br />
<br />
<i><b>External Sources for Motivation</b></i><br />
Young children characteristically are motivated by external forces. External motivation refers to the situation where the player decides to play or to continue playing because of the influence of others or because they expect rewards or punishments. From the viewpoint of the child, the influence can either be positive or negative.<br />
<br />
<i><b>Positive External Motivation</b></i><br />
Here are some examples of positive external motivation: the child plays soccer to please the parent, to wear a "cool" uniform, or to be thought of by friends as part of the in-group. These types of reasons for playing produce the joy of anticipation before the game and feelings of pride when others show enjoyment from the sideline. <br />
<br />
<i><b>Negative External Motivation</b></i><br />
All forms of external motivation are not accompanied by such pleasurable feelings. Negative external influences also act to motivate the athlete. An example of a negative external influence is when the child keeps playing during the season because of fear. The player may fear that a parent would be angry and resort to punishment if the child did not finish out the season. The child might be afraid to lose friends for not joining the team. Sometimes, the child who is motivated at first by a negative force such as fear may actually learn to enjoy playing soccer and become influenced by the more positive sources of motivation.<br />
<br />
<h3>Internal Sources of Motivation</h3>As the child grows motivation matures. During the middle school years the U-12 through U-14 soccer player begins to show signs of genuine internal motivation to play the game. It's great benefit to the player is that there is less need to depend on outside influences to keep playing Internal motivation cannot begin to arrive on the scene until the child can think analytically and have control over emotions. On the middle school soccer team we often see fluctuations in the balance between external and internal motivation. One day the player is excited about practice or makes plans to go jogging. Another day this same child would rather play a video game or hang out with friends than go to practice or even play in a game.<br />
<br />
Changes take place within the middle school player which support the internalization of motivation. They can think more abstractly. Abstract thinking ushers in the possibility of making a more realistic evaluation of themselves and others. Coaches and parents now begin to see the appearance of true competitiveness and authentic feelings of soccer competence. Self doubt may appear for the first time as a consequence of the young player's making a realistic appraisal of skills and finding areas of weakness. The U-13 players who understand their emotions better can, for example, use aggression appropriately without losing control and seeing constructive aggression turn to undermining anger. However, kids at this age still get too angry at themselves and others during practices and games.<br />
<br />
One can expect the high school player to have methods for motivation in place. Internal motivation requires higher-level thinking for players to put setbacks into perspective and for working toward a goal far into the future. In order to counteract feelings such as boredom, frustration and discouragement experienced during the demands of a long season, the high school player will intentionally think about winning the state championship game to generate happy feelings connected to the win. But just because internal motivation predominates, it does not mean that the high school player is ready to go it alone. Although players U-14 and older can gradually make better evaluations of the performances of self and others and set realistic goals for improvement, they still need the support of others. In fact, the truly internally motivated player knows when help is needed and how to find it.<br />
<br />
<h3>The Goal: Skills for Healthy Self-regulation</h3>The key difference between the athlete who becomes internally motivated and the one who remains dependent on motivation from without is that the player who is internally motivated is less vulnerable to the inevitable setbacks and obstacles encountered by those who put themselves on the line and strive for excellence. Internal motivation develops when the athlete and coach plan strategies for improvement and find a network of people who provide support. Athletes still playing at the high school level have developed psychological skills which strengthen internal motivation through self-regulation of their thoughts and emotions. For instance, they can change doubt to hope by transforming thinking from negative to positive. They can control competition anxiety through the use of routines and self-relaxation methods. High school athletes look to their coaches for skill and tactical training and, just as importantly, coaches become a source for rebuilding the internal motivation which can be seriously challenged by the physical and psychological demands of playing at a high level.<br />
<br />
<br />
<i><b>Next Week:</b> The Players Speak and The Coaches Respond!</i><br />
<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 2em; background-color: #F2F2F2;
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"><i><b>Dr. Tony McGroarty</b> is a clinical and sport psychologist in the Pittsburgh area. He welcomes your questions and suggestions. Please contact him at: mcgroartyt@msn.com or (412) 983-1790 or 242 S. Highland Ave. Pittsburgh, PA 15206.</i><br />
</div><!-- Remainder of post goes here--> <br />
<!-- Footer goes here --> <p style="text-align:center; font-size:70%;">Copyright © 2014 Jeffrey S. Rhoads. All Rights Reserved</p><style>img.MyImage {-moz-box-shadow: 0px 0px 0px #000000; -webkit-box-shadow: 0px 0px 0px #000000; -goog-ms-box-shadow: 0px 0px 0px #000000; box-shadow: 0px 0px 0px #000000;border-width:0}
</style><div style='float:left; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 8pt; line-height:1.3em; border-collapse: collapse;align:center;' width='220'><div style='float:left; width:92px; height:130px;'><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0984211322/ref=as_li_ss_il?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0984211322&linkCode=as2&tag=avaplay-20" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="http://ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=0984211322&Format=_SL110_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=avaplay-20" ></a><img src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=avaplay-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0984211322" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt="" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important;" /> </div><div style='font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 8pt;display:inline;float:left; width:166px; height:130px;padding-top:7px'>If you enjoyed this article, you may like my book: <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0984211322/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0984211322&linkCode=as2&tag=avaplay-20" style='color: #473624; text-decoration: underline; font-style: italic;font-weight:normal;'target="_blank">The Young Athlete's Guide to Playing Sports: <i>What Every Athlete Needs to Know to Play, Win, and Have Fun</i></a> <br />
<br />
($16.95; <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00ETCKJPG/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B00ETCKJPG&linkCode=as2&tag=avaplay-20"></a><img src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=avaplay-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B00ETCKJPG" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt="" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important;"/><a style=" margin-left:-8px;" href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00ETCKJPG/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B00ETCKJPG&linkCode=as2&tag=avaplay-20" target="_blank">Kindle:</a> $7.99)<img src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=avaplay-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B00ETCKJPG" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt="" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important;"/></div></div><div style="float:left; width:15px; height:130px;"> </div><div style='float:left; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 8pt; line-height:1.3em; border-collapse: collapse;align:center;' width='220'; margin-left:10px;><div style='float:left; width:92px; height:130px;'><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0984211306/ref=as_li_ss_il?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0984211306&linkCode=as2&tag=avaplay-20" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="http://ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=0984211306&Format=_SL110_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=avaplay-20" ></a><img src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=avaplay-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0984211306" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt="" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important;" /></div><div style='font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 8pt;display:inline;float:left; width:156px; height:130px;padding-top:7px'>If you enjoyed this article, you may like my book: <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0984211306/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0984211306&linkCode=as2&tag=avaplay-20" target="_blank" style="color: #473624; text-decoration: underline; font-style: italic;font-weight:normal;">The Joy of Youth Sports: Creating the Best Youth Sports Experience for Your Child</a><img src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=avaplay-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0984211306" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt="" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important;" /> <br />
<br />
($8.95; <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002JVX6KO/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B002JVX6KO&linkCode=as2&tag=avaplay-20" target="_blank">Kindle:</a> $2.99)<img src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=avaplay-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B002JVX6KO" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt="" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important;" /> </div></div></span><div class="blogger-post-footer"><br/><hr />
Originally posted at <a href="http://insideyouthsports.blogspot.com">www.insideyouthsports.blogspot.com</a></div>Jeffrey Rhoads [Inside Youth Sports]http://www.blogger.com/profile/14755096518688222702noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7418180976901891245.post-70814899517715340372014-07-30T12:36:00.000-04:002014-07-30T12:37:51.976-04:00On Becoming a Youth Coach<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiw7itlb3qyVRU1ZOIN4cRMsHbD5rKfMOiXP1ayn2Vy52l0UN2Yib0IgRIa1_62H-a7KWo00SeVWhwnDEOChctYonwgae5l-LeG2QGYfod1s5wyABblAXK5iWZM9AtCMFancXLQTudmtLzW/s1600/Basketball-Timeout.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiw7itlb3qyVRU1ZOIN4cRMsHbD5rKfMOiXP1ayn2Vy52l0UN2Yib0IgRIa1_62H-a7KWo00SeVWhwnDEOChctYonwgae5l-LeG2QGYfod1s5wyABblAXK5iWZM9AtCMFancXLQTudmtLzW/s320/Basketball-Timeout.png" /></a></div><!-- Adjust Player/Coach/Parent Label Here --><div style="float:left;padding-right:0px;"><span style="font-size:60%;font-weight:bold;background-color:Lavender;color:#588EBC;padding-top:1px;padding-bottom:0px;padding-left:3px;padding-right:3px;text-align:center;vertical-align:1px;border-color:#D4D4E4;border-width:1px;border-style:solid;">COACH</span></div> <!-- Lead-in goes here -->Are you thinking about becoming a youth coach? Besides considering your qualifications to teach your sport, you will likely run through a number of questions in your mind including, “Do I want to get involved? Am I ready to commit my time and energies?” Implicit in these personal questions is another one: “What are the benefits?”<br />
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If you’re coaching your own son or daughter, the benefits may seem obvious. But there are a host of other reasons to coach youth sports—both good ones and bad ones. <br />
<span class="fullpost"> <!-- Remainder of post goes here--><br />
<h3>Why I Enjoy Coaching</h3>Coaching youth provides many benefits including a strong sense of personal satisfaction in teaching young children how to both participate in and enjoy sports. As a coach, I feel rewarded when a young player realizes that they too can contribute and play the sport—when their self-esteem takes a step forward as a result of my efforts.<br />
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I also enjoy building a team—developing each player’s skills and understanding of the game, and then watching a bond slowly form among them as they begin to share a common goal. More selfishly, I like being part of a team, competing, and staying connected to the child inside me. I also enjoy playing basketball with my former players when they become adults, each of us appreciating the unique community and circle we are a part of.<br />
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<h3>My First Experience</h3>To help you better decide whether youth coaching is right for you, here’s a story that describes my first “big” moment in coaching. As you read the following words, ask yourself how you would feel if you were in my place. What rewards would you take away from this experience?<br />
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<em><blockquote><em>As a town recreation counselor during my college summers, I taught fourth through sixth graders fundamental basketball skills. At the end of the summer, an All-Star game was played between teams representing each of our town’s two parks.<br />
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On the team I coached was a sixth grader named Chris who was an outgoing boy who loved to shoot the ball and score. But when it came to playing good defense, or expending energy on anything other than the offensive side of his game, Chris seemingly could care less. Although good-natured, he was also lackadaisical.<br />
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That All-Star game was closely contested and went into overtime. With little time left and the score tied, I called a timeout and ran through what I wanted my team to do. Chris, bending over, still breathing hard from his all-out defensive effort, looked up at me and proclaimed, “Coach, if we win this game, I promise to hustle the rest of my life!”<br />
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More experienced coaches and parents are probably accustomed to these types of grand statements from young boys. But for me back then, it was all I could do not to burst out laughing at these unexpected and exceedingly earnest words. Besides the humor of Chris’s prospective life commitment, I was also struck by his desire to succeed and willingness to expend all of his remaining energies to help our team win. That moment revealed a noble part of Chris’s character I hadn't seen before.<br />
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I don’t remember whether our team won or lost the game, but I haven’t forgotten that timeout. To finish the story, I happened to run into Chris years later when he was a young adult. He introduced himself to me, and we talked briefly about those summers in the town park. <br />
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Before our conversation ended, Chris said, “Mr. Rhoads, do you remember that All-Star game I played in?” I told him I did. He went on to talk about the thrill he experienced playing in that game. Years later, that game still represented a fulfilling moment in Chris’s life—a proud remembrance of meeting a challenge early in life and playing to the best of his ability.</em> </blockquote></em><br />
Although Chris’s experience came in the heat of an All-Star game, I've many times since seen the same response from players of limited skill engaged in a competitive game. They too have found themselves playing an integral, exciting part in something larger than themselves. They've also experienced the personal satisfaction of contributing to the success of their team, whether it was sinking a shot or setting a screen that freed a teammate to score.<br />
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And for me, being a part of that experience is what youth coaching is all about.<br />
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So Coach, "Are you in?" <br />
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<!-- Footer goes here --> <p style="text-align:center; font-size:70%;">Copyright © 2014 Jeffrey S. Rhoads. All Rights Reserved</p><style>img.MyImage {-moz-box-shadow: 0px 0px 0px #000000; -webkit-box-shadow: 0px 0px 0px #000000; -goog-ms-box-shadow: 0px 0px 0px #000000; box-shadow: 0px 0px 0px #000000;border-width:0}
</style><div style='float:left; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 8pt; line-height:1.3em; border-collapse: collapse;align:center;' width='220'><div style='float:left; width:92px; height:130px;'><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0984211322/ref=as_li_ss_il?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0984211322&linkCode=as2&tag=avaplay-20" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="http://ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=0984211322&Format=_SL110_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=avaplay-20" ></a><img src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=avaplay-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0984211322" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt="" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important;" /> </div><div style='font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 8pt;display:inline;float:left; width:166px; height:130px;padding-top:7px'>If you enjoyed this article, you may like my book: <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0984211322/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0984211322&linkCode=as2&tag=avaplay-20" style='color: #473624; text-decoration: underline; font-style: italic;font-weight:normal;'target="_blank">The Young Athlete's Guide to Playing Sports: <i>What Every Athlete Needs to Know to Play, Win, and Have Fun</i></a> <br />
<br />
($16.95; <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00ETCKJPG/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B00ETCKJPG&linkCode=as2&tag=avaplay-20"></a><img src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=avaplay-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B00ETCKJPG" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt="" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important;"/><a style=" margin-left:-8px;" href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00ETCKJPG/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B00ETCKJPG&linkCode=as2&tag=avaplay-20" target="_blank">Kindle:</a> $7.99)<img src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=avaplay-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B00ETCKJPG" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt="" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important;"/></div></div><div style="float:left; width:15px; height:130px;"> </div><div style='float:left; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 8pt; line-height:1.3em; border-collapse: collapse;align:center;' width='220'; margin-left:10px;><div style='float:left; width:92px; height:130px;'><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0984211306/ref=as_li_ss_il?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0984211306&linkCode=as2&tag=avaplay-20" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="http://ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=0984211306&Format=_SL110_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=avaplay-20" ></a><img src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=avaplay-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0984211306" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt="" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important;" /></div><div style='font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 8pt;display:inline;float:left; width:156px; height:130px;padding-top:7px'>If you enjoyed this article, you may like my book: <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0984211306/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0984211306&linkCode=as2&tag=avaplay-20" target="_blank" style="color: #473624; text-decoration: underline; font-style: italic;font-weight:normal;">The Joy of Youth Sports: Creating the Best Youth Sports Experience for Your Child</a><img src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=avaplay-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0984211306" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt="" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important;" /> <br />
<br />
($8.95; <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002JVX6KO/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B002JVX6KO&linkCode=as2&tag=avaplay-20" target="_blank">Kindle:</a> $2.99)<img src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=avaplay-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B002JVX6KO" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt="" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important;" /> </div></div></span><div class="blogger-post-footer"><br/><hr />
Originally posted at <a href="http://insideyouthsports.blogspot.com">www.insideyouthsports.blogspot.com</a></div>Jeffrey Rhoads [Inside Youth Sports]http://www.blogger.com/profile/14755096518688222702noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7418180976901891245.post-47516206866714146282014-07-16T11:38:00.000-04:002014-07-16T11:41:04.704-04:00The Technology To Solve Youth Sport’s Big Problem<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhl96bhoKRPB_h66JDAILPP7ilQwebE9vXyawiS7dAwX5Oc-_B7tUDr2u-RiMfVxDC3LX5rTIrvFiwIKtliWn8bnpOsH9H70Kqi59Kw_q8c85ozDO-LcsZNfcVOp-okSWTWQ2BupBhOxGdh/s1600/ipad-baseball-9f2b26939f905aedb7300fd803834087.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhl96bhoKRPB_h66JDAILPP7ilQwebE9vXyawiS7dAwX5Oc-_B7tUDr2u-RiMfVxDC3LX5rTIrvFiwIKtliWn8bnpOsH9H70Kqi59Kw_q8c85ozDO-LcsZNfcVOp-okSWTWQ2BupBhOxGdh/s320/ipad-baseball-9f2b26939f905aedb7300fd803834087.jpg" /></a></div><!-- Adjust Player/Coach/Parent Label Here --><div style="float:left;padding-right:0px;"><span style="font-size:60%;font-weight:bold;background-color:Lavender;color:#588EBC;padding-top:1px;padding-bottom:0px;padding-left:3px;padding-right:3px;text-align:center;vertical-align:1px;border-color:#D4D4E4;border-width:1px;border-style:solid;">PARENT</span></div> <!-- Lead-in goes here --><i>Here's a guest post from <b>Brian Covert</b>, Community Builder with Up My Game, a company that connects athletes and coaches, using video analysis to enhance individual skill development. Brian takes a look at youth sports participation, some discouraging trends, and offers a suggestion on how to help keep kids playing.</i><br />
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There is a problem with participation in youth sports. <br />
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Unknown to many though is just how big the problem is. Right across the board, no matter the sport, the number of children starting and staying active in sports is decreasing. The good news is that technology offers solutions that could help reverse the trend. <br />
<span class="fullpost"> <!-- Remainder of post goes here--><br />
<h3>A Drop-off in Participation</h3>But first it’s important to understand just how serious this downward trend has become. The data, tabulated by the Sports & Fitness Industry Association and presented by the Wall Street Journal, says the numbers of kids aged six to 17 playing the four most-popular sports - baseball, football, basketball, and soccer - declined from 2008 to 2012. Surprisingly it’s basketball that saw the largest drop off, losing 8.3% of participants over the study while soccer dropped 7.2% of its players, baseball 7.2%, and football down 5.4 %. These numbers become increasingly worrying when placed against the backdrop of a childhood obesity epidemic along with concerns over childhood bullying and the like. <br />
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<h3>No Fun, and Some Reasons Why</h3>But to properly evaluate possible solutions, we must understand why these children are dropping out in the first place. According to data from ESPN’s 2013 Kids In Sport Focus, the most often cited reason (the reasons were presented in a list and participants were able to check off multiple reasons) given by both boys and girls for leaving sport is that “they were not having fun.” Unfortunately, this is largely subjective as the survey can’t determine exactly what is and not fun. Going down the list a clearer picture begins to take shape: 22% of boys and 18% of girls said they didn't get along with their coach, 18% and 16% reported not getting along with their teammates, and 15% of both felt they just weren't good enough. <br />
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What this data does is paint a picture of a young athlete who just isn't developing or able to participate in a sport to a level they feel they should. These feelings then lead to a belief they are inadequate, that leads to feelings of resentment towards both coach and teammates, which leads to the feelings that the sport is no longer fun which inevitably ends in the youth leaving the sport altogether. The whole scenario is quite heartbreaking and is the exact antithesis of what youth sport should all be about. <br />
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However, studies suggest several approaches to address this problem. Among the top are focusing once again on the fun aspects of the game, encourage effort and not focus on results, and skill development. <br />
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<h3>Skill Development</h3>This is where adopting technology into youth sports can come in. And the most promising technology application in this regard is online video analysis. The reason for this is that these video analysis applications can directly address skill development which in turn gives a young player confidence which then helps them to have more fun playing the sport. <br />
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One study that looked at the correlation between video analysis and skill development was done in Italy where a group of female volleyball players were divided into two groups - the first, a control group who received no special treatment and the second, an experimental group that used video analysis of their technique but got no feedback from their coach. The results showed “the importance of video analysis training and visual feedback” and that the “the experimental group improved more and in less sessions.” Putting the improvement into numbers, the experimental group saw a 12% improvement over the control group in terms of blocking and spiking success over the 10 week experiment. Now imagine a coach providing instruction and feedback. With this additional input, video analysis would become an even better tool. <br />
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There are several companies offering up video analysis technology to coaches and athletes alike. And while all these companies vary in functionality and such, they all operate around the same premise: that through technology any athlete can receive positive feedback on their skills and technique from any coach from anywhere at anytime. <br />
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This technology holds very exciting possibilities for sport development. In fact, it’s quite realistic that these technologies can help address the majority of the reasons youth are dropping out of sport. Through use of video analysis technology, any young athlete can get one-on-one coaching for any part of their game they may be struggling with. The opportunities for positive reinforcement abound and focusing on skill development is of utmost importance. With this focus on development, there is the potential for the young athlete to develop and to discover what is fun about sport.<br />
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<h3>Improved Skills, More Confidence, More Fun</h3>It would be wrong to say these technologies are the one and only solution for keeping kids engaged in sports. But they certainly have the potential to become a very important tool. Through these applications, kids can receive the attention and positive reinforcement they need to properly develop their skills. That will give them confidence which in turn leads them to having more fun. And in the end, that is what’s most important. <br />
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<i><b>Editor's Note:</b> Individual skill development undoubtedly plays a large role in whether a child perceives sports as "fun." As Brian states above, and as I have echoed in my books and this blog, improved skills lead to more confidence, success, and a desire to further improve. Establishing this "virtuous circle" is key. Besides skill development tools like video analysis or my <a href="http://www.insideyouthsports.org/p/how-to-rock-sports-apps.html"><i><b>How to Rock Sports</b></i></a> apps for young beginners, there are other ways in which parents can help make sports for their child more fun. Providing opportunities for kids to engage in self-directed pickup play is chief among them. In this setting, "process" is emphasized. Kids play the way they want to. Games can be competitive, or played more for relaxed fun. Kids play different roles (scorer, defender, etc.) depending on the mix of players. Everyone plays. Community is established. And the child continues to play and enjoy sports!</i><br />
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"><i><b>Brian Covert</b> is a Community Builder with <b>Up My Game</b> (www.upmygame.com), developers of an app that is committed to helping athletes and coaches connect and communicate. <br />
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Up My Game's aim is to help athletes improve their performances by perfecting their skills and training, believing this is possible when the athlete-coach relationship is combined with video analysis and a process of learning, analyzing, and measurement. Up My Game's goal is to provide its users with an environment where this is possible</i><br />
</div><br />
<!-- Footer goes here --> <p style="text-align:center; font-size:70%;">Copyright © 2014 Jeffrey S. Rhoads. All Rights Reserved</p><style>img.MyImage {-moz-box-shadow: 0px 0px 0px #000000; -webkit-box-shadow: 0px 0px 0px #000000; -goog-ms-box-shadow: 0px 0px 0px #000000; box-shadow: 0px 0px 0px #000000;border-width:0}
</style><div style='float:left; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 8pt; line-height:1.3em; border-collapse: collapse;align:center;' width='220'><div style='float:left; width:92px; height:130px;'><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0984211322/ref=as_li_ss_il?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0984211322&linkCode=as2&tag=avaplay-20" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="http://ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=0984211322&Format=_SL110_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=avaplay-20" ></a><img src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=avaplay-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0984211322" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt="" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important;" /> </div><div style='font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 8pt;display:inline;float:left; width:166px; height:130px;padding-top:7px'>If you enjoyed this article, you may like my book: <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0984211322/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0984211322&linkCode=as2&tag=avaplay-20" style='color: #473624; text-decoration: underline; font-style: italic;font-weight:normal;'target="_blank">The Young Athlete's Guide to Playing Sports: <i>What Every Athlete Needs to Know to Play, Win, and Have Fun</i></a> <br />
<br />
($16.95; <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00ETCKJPG/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B00ETCKJPG&linkCode=as2&tag=avaplay-20"></a><img src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=avaplay-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B00ETCKJPG" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt="" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important;"/><a style=" margin-left:-8px;" href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00ETCKJPG/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B00ETCKJPG&linkCode=as2&tag=avaplay-20" target="_blank">Kindle:</a> $7.99)<img src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=avaplay-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B00ETCKJPG" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt="" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important;"/></div></div><div style="float:left; width:15px; height:130px;"> </div><div style='float:left; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 8pt; line-height:1.3em; border-collapse: collapse;align:center;' width='220'; margin-left:10px;><div style='float:left; width:92px; height:130px;'><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0984211306/ref=as_li_ss_il?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0984211306&linkCode=as2&tag=avaplay-20" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="http://ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=0984211306&Format=_SL110_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=avaplay-20" ></a><img src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=avaplay-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0984211306" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt="" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important;" /></div><div style='font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 8pt;display:inline;float:left; width:156px; height:130px;padding-top:7px'>If you enjoyed this article, you may like my book: <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0984211306/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0984211306&linkCode=as2&tag=avaplay-20" target="_blank" style="color: #473624; text-decoration: underline; font-style: italic;font-weight:normal;">The Joy of Youth Sports: Creating the Best Youth Sports Experience for Your Child</a><img src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=avaplay-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0984211306" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt="" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important;" /> <br />
<br />
($8.95; <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002JVX6KO/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B002JVX6KO&linkCode=as2&tag=avaplay-20" target="_blank">Kindle:</a> $2.99)<img src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=avaplay-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B002JVX6KO" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt="" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important;" /> </div></div></span><div class="blogger-post-footer"><br/><hr />
Originally posted at <a href="http://insideyouthsports.blogspot.com">www.insideyouthsports.blogspot.com</a></div>Jeffrey Rhoads [Inside Youth Sports]http://www.blogger.com/profile/14755096518688222702noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7418180976901891245.post-6824988703257305722014-07-11T10:49:00.000-04:002014-07-11T10:50:50.810-04:00Free - The Joy of Youth Sports E-book<div style="float: left; margin: 0px 10px 0px 20px;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0984211306?ie=UTF8&tag=avaplay-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0984211306" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipGsAVlViTYOS5qngIZhml7keoDsjn5YRpu1BrHKFXH4zij3EJfSJ8nov0YquNa_VSWJHtiYq0mnPYf9ufcxTyAY97DV9c9GsOOCA63BgStouJ6ptfKTqUjZaM6VT2qglQ-wDXMDWos88/s1600/51ICBNfKD0L._SL160_.jpg" /></a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=avaplay-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0984211306" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0px;" width="1" /></div><!-- Adjust Player/Coach/Parent Label Here --><div style="float:left;padding-right:0px;"><span style="font-size:60%;font-weight:bold;background-color:Lavender;color:#588EBC;padding-top:1px;padding-bottom:0px;padding-left:3px;padding-right:3px;text-align:center;vertical-align:1px;border-color:#D4D4E4;border-width:1px;border-style:solid;">EVERYONE</span></div> <!-- Lead-in goes here -->To celebrate the release of our <a href="http://www.avaplay.com/how-to-rock-sports-apps.htm"><i><b>How to Rock Sports</b></i></a> series of sports instructional apps for kids, we've got a special offer for our readers. Starting today through July 15th, you can download <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002JVX6KO/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B002JVX6KO&linkCode=as2&tag=avaplay-20" target="_blank">The Joy of Youth Sports</a> for <b>free</b>! <br />
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This short book provides parents with a concise overview of how to create a great youth sports experience for their child. It includes 5 steps that parents need to take to help their child both compete and have fun.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://play.google.com/store/search?q=Avaplay" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDyZD1MShrjS1eVDi94XnIorL4bHF3zGUnAoZYL_mPVVg92ZSHYDAZaTvBVJGukbinoAICxET95itrWH5CDBiDOeRAmyWNmjVadCJtkXYKnJ-7KuL6hMF9SJBOPtGWW8nzX7DdGbgg85rQ/s320/RS-how-to-rock-sports1.png" /></a></div>And if you haven't checked it out already, take a look at our <b>free</b> <a href="http://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.avaplay.rocksports.letsplayball"><b>Let's Play Ball</b></a> app on the Google Play store. This is an introduction to the <a href="http://www.avaplay.com/how-to-rock-sports-apps.htm"><i><b>How to Rock Sports</b></i></a> series and includes a number of instructional tips that can help a young child get in the game and have more fun. <br />
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Finally, if you're looking for a gift for your older athlete, check out <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0984211322/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0984211322&linkCode=as2&tag=avaplay-20" style='color: #473624; text-decoration: underline; font-style: italic;font-weight:normal;'target="_blank">The Young Athlete's Guide to Playing Sports: <i>What Every Athlete Needs to Know to Play, Win, and Have Fun</i></a>. Endorsed by leaders in the sports community, this book contains tips, techniques, and approaches that will help any player, in any sport, improve his or her game. It's also an excellent read for parents who want to provide guidance and instruction to their child. <br />
<span class="fullpost"> <!-- Remainder of post goes here--> <br />
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<!-- Footer goes here --> <p style="text-align:center; font-size:70%;">Copyright © 2014 Jeffrey S. Rhoads. All Rights Reserved</p><style>img.MyImage {-moz-box-shadow: 0px 0px 0px #000000; -webkit-box-shadow: 0px 0px 0px #000000; -goog-ms-box-shadow: 0px 0px 0px #000000; box-shadow: 0px 0px 0px #000000;border-width:0}
</style><div style='float:left; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 8pt; line-height:1.3em; border-collapse: collapse;align:center;' width='220'><div style='float:left; width:92px; height:130px;'><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0984211322/ref=as_li_ss_il?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0984211322&linkCode=as2&tag=avaplay-20" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="http://ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=0984211322&Format=_SL110_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=avaplay-20" ></a><img src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=avaplay-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0984211322" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt="" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important;" /> </div><div style='font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 8pt;display:inline;float:left; width:166px; height:130px;padding-top:7px'>If you enjoyed this article, you may like my book: <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0984211322/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0984211322&linkCode=as2&tag=avaplay-20" style='color: #473624; text-decoration: underline; font-style: italic;font-weight:normal;'target="_blank">The Young Athlete's Guide to Playing Sports: <i>What Every Athlete Needs to Know to Play, Win, and Have Fun</i></a> <br />
<br />
($16.95; <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00ETCKJPG/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B00ETCKJPG&linkCode=as2&tag=avaplay-20"></a><img src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=avaplay-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B00ETCKJPG" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt="" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important;"/><a style=" margin-left:-8px;" href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00ETCKJPG/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B00ETCKJPG&linkCode=as2&tag=avaplay-20" target="_blank">Kindle:</a> $7.99)<img src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=avaplay-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B00ETCKJPG" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt="" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important;"/></div></div><div style="float:left; width:15px; height:130px;"> </div><div style='float:left; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 8pt; line-height:1.3em; border-collapse: collapse;align:center;' width='220'; margin-left:10px;><div style='float:left; width:92px; height:130px;'><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0984211306/ref=as_li_ss_il?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0984211306&linkCode=as2&tag=avaplay-20" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="http://ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=0984211306&Format=_SL110_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=avaplay-20" ></a><img src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=avaplay-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0984211306" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt="" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important;" /></div><div style='font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 8pt;display:inline;float:left; width:156px; height:130px;padding-top:7px'>If you enjoyed this article, you may like my book: <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0984211306/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0984211306&linkCode=as2&tag=avaplay-20" target="_blank" style="color: #473624; text-decoration: underline; font-style: italic;font-weight:normal;">The Joy of Youth Sports: Creating the Best Youth Sports Experience for Your Child</a><img src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=avaplay-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0984211306" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt="" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important;" /> <br />
<br />
($8.95; <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002JVX6KO/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B002JVX6KO&linkCode=as2&tag=avaplay-20" target="_blank">Kindle:</a> $2.99)<img src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=avaplay-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B002JVX6KO" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt="" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important;" /> </div></div></span><div class="blogger-post-footer"><br/><hr />
Originally posted at <a href="http://insideyouthsports.blogspot.com">www.insideyouthsports.blogspot.com</a></div>Jeffrey Rhoads [Inside Youth Sports]http://www.blogger.com/profile/14755096518688222702noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7418180976901891245.post-83387706246297761692014-06-27T12:26:00.000-04:002014-06-28T18:19:16.158-04:00The Art of Throwing a Baseball<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://youtu.be/5c_onhzgvcY" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSjYk1GM8WB4m-gtzI49pEw38cjUO8KFjJ1wPHFF3PGPj_Ql70ozktdxf-D18UzHlG9_I2ItfyJpWHQ1f2ZM06m2Fexx0FJCgdpdS8isL07z_RM5qybRFboo0TMOss_4FJrgHGkFO6h_2n/s320/vw-son-throwing.jpg" /></a></div><!-- Adjust Player/Coach/Parent Label Here --><div style="float:left;padding-right:0px;"><span style="font-size:60%;font-weight:bold;background-color:Lavender;color:#588EBC;padding-top:1px;padding-bottom:0px;padding-left:3px;padding-right:3px;text-align:center;vertical-align:1px;border-color:#D4D4E4;border-width:1px;border-style:solid;">PARENT</span></div> <!-- Lead-in goes here -->Most of us who enjoy sports probably laughed the first time we saw the Volkswagen commercial of the father and son playing catch. (For those of you who haven’t seen it, click on the picture.)<br />
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Of course the father and son have it all wrong. Even those who never played baseball probably recognized that something just wasn't right. But what? <span class="fullpost"> <br />
<!-- Remainder of post goes here--><br />
Years ago, before girls participated widely in sports, a boy watching the video might have remarked, “They throw like a girl!” That’s because many girls back then, and some boys, were never taught the most basic aspect of throwing a baseball--<i>lead with the leg opposite the throwing arm</i>.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.avaplay.rocksports.letsplayball" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjawBngMmQ0IHpOG73XlU4ajD6K2jscoQpOTCbhaL2J2mN6RD515tX8mA8aykDWcXIYo0bfx__2A-EbBsX7ksdYKi3eXbbxDUheUTcBAvKqApoduQIvm9WE1Jr1IjQiT7gSOHwdVt6EiqUE/s320/Screenshot_Opposite_Leg_400h.jpg" /></a></div>A goal of the <b><i>How to Rock Sports</i></b> app series is to teach young kids these important skill elements--the fundamental aspects of key sports skills like throwing, catching, and shooting. Learning these essential skills is the first step to playing and enjoying sports with friends and family. <br />
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For kids just starting out, these apps provide an engaging, interactive look at how to perform these important skills. Animated characters walk the child through each step of a skill. Audio instruction and interactive props (flowers, butterflys, frogs) make the experience even more fun for the youngest beginners.<br />
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These apps can also help parents more effectively instruct their child. They help remind a parent of which skill elements to teach and how they are performed.<br />
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So if you haven’t yet taken a look, check out the free <a href="http://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.avaplay.rocksports.letsplayball"><b>Let's Play Ball</b></a> app on the Google Play store. And if you really want to find out how <b>NOT </b>to throw like the father and son in the VW commercial, consider downloading the companion <a href="http://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.avaplay.rocksports.throwbaseball"><b>How to Throw a Baseball</b></a> app! <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://play.google.com/store/search?q=Avaplay" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDyZD1MShrjS1eVDi94XnIorL4bHF3zGUnAoZYL_mPVVg92ZSHYDAZaTvBVJGukbinoAICxET95itrWH5CDBiDOeRAmyWNmjVadCJtkXYKnJ-7KuL6hMF9SJBOPtGWW8nzX7DdGbgg85rQ/s320/RS-how-to-rock-sports1.png" /></a></div><br />
<!-- Footer goes here --> <p style="text-align:center; font-size:70%;">Copyright © 2014 Jeffrey S. Rhoads. All Rights Reserved</p><style>img.MyImage {-moz-box-shadow: 0px 0px 0px #000000; -webkit-box-shadow: 0px 0px 0px #000000; -goog-ms-box-shadow: 0px 0px 0px #000000; box-shadow: 0px 0px 0px #000000;border-width:0}
</style><div style='float:left; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 8pt; line-height:1.3em; border-collapse: collapse;align:center;' width='220'><div style='float:left; width:92px; height:130px;'><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0984211322/ref=as_li_ss_il?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0984211322&linkCode=as2&tag=avaplay-20" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="http://ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=0984211322&Format=_SL110_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=avaplay-20" ></a><img src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=avaplay-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0984211322" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt="" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important;" /> </div><div style='font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 8pt;display:inline;float:left; width:166px; height:130px;padding-top:7px'>If you enjoyed this article, you may like my book: <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0984211322/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0984211322&linkCode=as2&tag=avaplay-20" style='color: #473624; text-decoration: underline; font-style: italic;font-weight:normal;'target="_blank">The Young Athlete's Guide to Playing Sports: <i>What Every Athlete Needs to Know to Play, Win, and Have Fun</i></a> <br />
<br />
($16.95; <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00ETCKJPG/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B00ETCKJPG&linkCode=as2&tag=avaplay-20"></a><img src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=avaplay-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B00ETCKJPG" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt="" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important;"/><a style=" margin-left:-8px;" href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00ETCKJPG/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B00ETCKJPG&linkCode=as2&tag=avaplay-20" target="_blank">Kindle:</a> $7.99)<img src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=avaplay-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B00ETCKJPG" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt="" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important;"/></div></div><div style="float:left; width:15px; height:130px;"> </div><div style='float:left; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 8pt; line-height:1.3em; border-collapse: collapse;align:center;' width='220'; margin-left:10px;><div style='float:left; width:92px; height:130px;'><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0984211306/ref=as_li_ss_il?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0984211306&linkCode=as2&tag=avaplay-20" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="http://ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=0984211306&Format=_SL110_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=avaplay-20" ></a><img src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=avaplay-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0984211306" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt="" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important;" /></div><div style='font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 8pt;display:inline;float:left; width:156px; height:130px;padding-top:7px'>If you enjoyed this article, you may like my book: <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0984211306/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0984211306&linkCode=as2&tag=avaplay-20" target="_blank" style="color: #473624; text-decoration: underline; font-style: italic;font-weight:normal;">The Joy of Youth Sports: Creating the Best Youth Sports Experience for Your Child</a><img src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=avaplay-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0984211306" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt="" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important;" /> <br />
<br />
($8.95; <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002JVX6KO/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B002JVX6KO&linkCode=as2&tag=avaplay-20" target="_blank">Kindle:</a> $2.99)<img src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=avaplay-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B002JVX6KO" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt="" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important;" /> </div></div></span><div class="blogger-post-footer"><br/><hr />
Originally posted at <a href="http://insideyouthsports.blogspot.com">www.insideyouthsports.blogspot.com</a></div>Jeffrey Rhoads [Inside Youth Sports]http://www.blogger.com/profile/14755096518688222702noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7418180976901891245.post-3146222540455713952014-06-23T09:17:00.000-04:002014-06-23T09:17:21.618-04:00How to Rock Sports Apps for Kids and Parents<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://play.google.com/store/search?q=Avaplay" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDyZD1MShrjS1eVDi94XnIorL4bHF3zGUnAoZYL_mPVVg92ZSHYDAZaTvBVJGukbinoAICxET95itrWH5CDBiDOeRAmyWNmjVadCJtkXYKnJ-7KuL6hMF9SJBOPtGWW8nzX7DdGbgg85rQ/s320/RS-how-to-rock-sports1.png" /></a></div><!-- Adjust Player/Coach/Parent Label Here --><div style="float:left;padding-right:0px;"><span style="font-size:60%;font-weight:bold;background-color:Lavender;color:#588EBC;padding-top:1px;padding-bottom:0px;padding-left:3px;padding-right:3px;text-align:center;vertical-align:1px;border-color:#D4D4E4;border-width:1px;border-style:solid;">PARENT</span></div> <!-- Lead-in goes here -->In my last post, I talked about the importance of kids learning the fundamental <i>individual</i> skills associated with the sports they play. The timing of that post was a bit self-serving, as today I’m announcing the availability of the <b><i>How to Rock Sports</i></b> series of Android apps. <br />
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Using animated cartoon characters and audio instruction, these apps teach basic sports skills in a way that will appeal to young beginners. These apps will also help those parents who want to teach sports to their child.<br />
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As an introduction to the <b><i>How to Rock Sports</i></b> series, the <b>free </b><a href="http://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.avaplay.rocksports.letsplayball"><b>Let's Play Ball</b></a> app is available on Google’s Play store. This app provides tips related to throwing and catching a ball and shooting a basketball. <br />
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I've also released <a href="http://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.avaplay.rocksports.throwbaseball"><b>Throw a Baseball</b></a> and <a href="http://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.avaplay.rocksports.catchbaseball"><b>Catch a Baseball</b></a>. These apps break down each part of these skills, providing more in-depth instruction. <i>Shoot a Basketball</i> and <i>Throw a Football</i> are in the works, with more to follow.<br />
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I've worked hard over the past year putting together these apps. I hope the readers of <i>Inside Youth Sports</i> find the results worthwhile. If you download and like <a href="http://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.avaplay.rocksports.letsplayball"><b>Let's Play Ball</b></a> or the other apps, please pass the word on to other parents! <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://play.google.com/store/search?q=Avaplay" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjc-lj9f4h0-iJuGTtqrdI5ORENHUEkvjH0145X5Q35ntXg9TuiNf_c893jrW0WVVYGtlFS4mr4GiKEPsYizVnYotdZoHWYBW1LwCFLFp3JTWbgAGKVV33Iz4NCPOu_D5OzRNkrga5jEU8Q/s320/RS-you-just-rocked-sports.png" /></a></div><span class="fullpost"> <br />
<!-- Remainder of post goes here--><br />
<!-- Footer goes here --> <p style="text-align:center; font-size:70%;">Copyright © 2014 Jeffrey S. Rhoads. All Rights Reserved</p><style>img.MyImage {-moz-box-shadow: 0px 0px 0px #000000; -webkit-box-shadow: 0px 0px 0px #000000; -goog-ms-box-shadow: 0px 0px 0px #000000; box-shadow: 0px 0px 0px #000000;border-width:0}
</style><div style='float:left; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 8pt; line-height:1.3em; border-collapse: collapse;align:center;' width='220'><div style='float:left; width:92px; height:130px;'><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0984211322/ref=as_li_ss_il?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0984211322&linkCode=as2&tag=avaplay-20" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="http://ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=0984211322&Format=_SL110_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=avaplay-20" ></a><img src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=avaplay-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0984211322" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt="" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important;" /> </div><div style='font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 8pt;display:inline;float:left; width:166px; height:130px;padding-top:7px'>If you enjoyed this article, you may like my book: <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0984211322/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0984211322&linkCode=as2&tag=avaplay-20" style='color: #473624; text-decoration: underline; font-style: italic;font-weight:normal;'target="_blank">The Young Athlete's Guide to Playing Sports: <i>What Every Athlete Needs to Know to Play, Win, and Have Fun</i></a> <br />
<br />
($16.95; <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00ETCKJPG/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B00ETCKJPG&linkCode=as2&tag=avaplay-20"></a><img src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=avaplay-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B00ETCKJPG" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt="" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important;"/><a style=" margin-left:-8px;" href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00ETCKJPG/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B00ETCKJPG&linkCode=as2&tag=avaplay-20" target="_blank">Kindle:</a> $7.99)<img src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=avaplay-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B00ETCKJPG" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt="" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important;"/></div></div><div style="float:left; width:15px; height:130px;"> </div><div style='float:left; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 8pt; line-height:1.3em; border-collapse: collapse;align:center;' width='220'; margin-left:10px;><div style='float:left; width:92px; height:130px;'><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0984211306/ref=as_li_ss_il?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0984211306&linkCode=as2&tag=avaplay-20" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="http://ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=0984211306&Format=_SL110_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=avaplay-20" ></a><img src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=avaplay-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0984211306" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt="" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important;" /></div><div style='font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 8pt;display:inline;float:left; width:156px; height:130px;padding-top:7px'>If you enjoyed this article, you may like my book: <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0984211306/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0984211306&linkCode=as2&tag=avaplay-20" target="_blank" style="color: #473624; text-decoration: underline; font-style: italic;font-weight:normal;">The Joy of Youth Sports: Creating the Best Youth Sports Experience for Your Child</a><img src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=avaplay-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0984211306" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt="" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important;" /> <br />
<br />
($8.95; <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002JVX6KO/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B002JVX6KO&linkCode=as2&tag=avaplay-20" target="_blank">Kindle:</a> $2.99)<img src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=avaplay-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B002JVX6KO" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt="" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important;" /> </div></div></span><div class="blogger-post-footer"><br/><hr />
Originally posted at <a href="http://insideyouthsports.blogspot.com">www.insideyouthsports.blogspot.com</a></div>Jeffrey Rhoads [Inside Youth Sports]http://www.blogger.com/profile/14755096518688222702noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7418180976901891245.post-57877491757853190732014-06-19T14:46:00.000-04:002014-06-19T14:46:48.362-04:00The Importance of Individual Sports Skills<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_IG6ZVSVKnue7Nbc7TrEZr8FuoZIdzHelQNXf-42YDs99Hb2-ipEh0zBGD3YBKdbr9V2Q8KTDlPR_xzqhHM3Ef9QAuA7gW86IBqZ0_3mQORaM07cK3j8xmGEFHkhtysOlTyN1BMWvIzmr/s1600/Rhoads-Pushing-the-L.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_IG6ZVSVKnue7Nbc7TrEZr8FuoZIdzHelQNXf-42YDs99Hb2-ipEh0zBGD3YBKdbr9V2Q8KTDlPR_xzqhHM3Ef9QAuA7gW86IBqZ0_3mQORaM07cK3j8xmGEFHkhtysOlTyN1BMWvIzmr/s320/Rhoads-Pushing-the-L.png" /></a></div><!-- Adjust Player/Coach/Parent Label Here --><div style="float:left;padding-right:0px;"><span style="font-size:60%;font-weight:bold;background-color:Lavender;color:#588EBC;padding-top:1px;padding-bottom:0px;padding-left:3px;padding-right:3px;text-align:center;vertical-align:1px;border-color:#D4D4E4;border-width:1px;border-style:solid;">PARENT</span></div> <!-- Lead-in goes here -->As a youth coach in participation-based programs, I often struggle to teach <i>everything</i> within a short season. Individual and team skills, game strategy, and tactics are all part of a well-rounded learning experience in youth sports. It can be a challenge getting all of this information across to the entire team when the opportunity to practice and play is limited. <br />
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Sometimes I find myself placing <i>too much</i> emphasis on team and situational play. With the abilities that each player brings to the team, this is often the easiest path to chalking up victories. Set plays, passing, zone defenses are examples of this type of instruction. It’s easy for a youth coach to fall into this coaching pattern. <br />
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<h3>Focus on the Foundation</h3>Team-oriented instruction is of course essential to the success of any athlete playing team sports. But the foundation of excellent sports play begins with the <i>individual</i> sports skills particular to each sport. Throwing and catching a ball, shooting a ball or puck, ball handling, defending an opponent one-on-one are all examples of key individual sports skills. When coupled with basic physical traits (size, strength, endurance) and related physical skills such as running and jumping, a young boy or girl possesses the necessary tools to progress and achieve success in sports. And that’s the real goal—enabling each child to reach his or her athletic potential, and to do so in a way that protects the joy of playing.<br />
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<h3>The Right Coach</h3>As a parent of a child who plays and enjoys <i>organized</i> sports, you need to pay attention to this aspect of your child’s education in sports. When your child is young, try to place the child in programs that emphasize the teaching of basic sports skills. Look for the right coaches—the ones who are there for the teaching and have a well-balanced, informed view of how to develop each child’s potential. Make sure that your child’s coach is not focused simply on team tactics and winning games. <br />
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<h3>What You Can Do</h3>If you've played sports, spend time with your son or daughter and teach them essential skills like throwing and catching a ball. Participate by “playing catch” with your kids and making this a regular part of your interaction. Possibly add these games to your after-dinner family routine. <br />
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Whenever possible, promote to your child the idea of playing in <i>pickup games</i>. It’s this desire to play with friends that will often lead to even more self-directed play. And that means more practice and repetitions of key sports skills. <br />
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You can also place your child in local clinics that teach young kids basic sports skills. Often, your local high school, college, or other community organization will sponsor these clinics. Whether it’s basketball, baseball, tennis, or another sport, these clinics are usually inexpensive. For those of you who have more financial resources, personal coaches and trainers can often get your child started in the right direction. And of course there are other resources including books, video instruction, and computer software that can provide guidance to a young athlete or parent. <br />
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<!-- Footer goes here --> <p style="text-align:center; font-size:70%;">Copyright © 2014 Jeffrey S. Rhoads. All Rights Reserved</p><style>img.MyImage {-moz-box-shadow: 0px 0px 0px #000000; -webkit-box-shadow: 0px 0px 0px #000000; -goog-ms-box-shadow: 0px 0px 0px #000000; box-shadow: 0px 0px 0px #000000;border-width:0}
</style><div style='float:left; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 8pt; line-height:1.3em; border-collapse: collapse;align:center;' width='220'><div style='float:left; width:92px; height:130px;'><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0984211322/ref=as_li_ss_il?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0984211322&linkCode=as2&tag=avaplay-20" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="http://ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=0984211322&Format=_SL110_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=avaplay-20" ></a><img src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=avaplay-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0984211322" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt="" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important;" /> </div><div style='font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 8pt;display:inline;float:left; width:166px; height:130px;padding-top:7px'>If you enjoyed this article, you may like my book: <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0984211322/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0984211322&linkCode=as2&tag=avaplay-20" style='color: #473624; text-decoration: underline; font-style: italic;font-weight:normal;'target="_blank">The Young Athlete's Guide to Playing Sports: <i>What Every Athlete Needs to Know to Play, Win, and Have Fun</i></a> <br />
<br />
($16.95; <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00ETCKJPG/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B00ETCKJPG&linkCode=as2&tag=avaplay-20"></a><img src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=avaplay-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B00ETCKJPG" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt="" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important;"/><a style=" margin-left:-8px;" href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00ETCKJPG/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B00ETCKJPG&linkCode=as2&tag=avaplay-20" target="_blank">Kindle:</a> $7.99)<img src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=avaplay-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B00ETCKJPG" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt="" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important;"/></div></div><div style="float:left; width:15px; height:130px;"> </div><div style='float:left; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 8pt; line-height:1.3em; border-collapse: collapse;align:center;' width='220'; margin-left:10px;><div style='float:left; width:92px; height:130px;'><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0984211306/ref=as_li_ss_il?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0984211306&linkCode=as2&tag=avaplay-20" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="http://ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=0984211306&Format=_SL110_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=avaplay-20" ></a><img src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=avaplay-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0984211306" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt="" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important;" /></div><div style='font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 8pt;display:inline;float:left; width:156px; height:130px;padding-top:7px'>If you enjoyed this article, you may like my book: <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0984211306/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0984211306&linkCode=as2&tag=avaplay-20" target="_blank" style="color: #473624; text-decoration: underline; font-style: italic;font-weight:normal;">The Joy of Youth Sports: Creating the Best Youth Sports Experience for Your Child</a><img src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=avaplay-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0984211306" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt="" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important;" /> <br />
<br />
($8.95; <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002JVX6KO/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B002JVX6KO&linkCode=as2&tag=avaplay-20" target="_blank">Kindle:</a> $2.99)<img src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=avaplay-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B002JVX6KO" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt="" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important;" /> </div></div></span><div class="blogger-post-footer"><br/><hr />
Originally posted at <a href="http://insideyouthsports.blogspot.com">www.insideyouthsports.blogspot.com</a></div>Jeffrey Rhoads [Inside Youth Sports]http://www.blogger.com/profile/14755096518688222702noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7418180976901891245.post-90260071369626555182014-05-31T07:58:00.001-04:002014-05-31T08:09:45.978-04:00On Evaluating Talent<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/jterrasi/363158413/" target="_blank" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwc0TtxavrnfYzRyccSeNCU9GWq8CosYwn6qu3D6qwPS9uSHPeosk7FCVvkc9hCfJbxiGOwZEm4_ijFc2pNTZrtdqLPK8ZLg8ebgpGxqusmcbYDl5MdJOtvopVKwuTWcPSq9zUnut5uyHA/s320/basketball_large_boy.jpg" /></a></div><!-- Adjust Player/Coach/Parent Label Here --><div style="float:left;padding-right:0px;"><span style="font-size:60%;font-weight:bold;background-color:Lavender;color:#588EBC;padding-top:1px;padding-bottom:0px;padding-left:3px;padding-right:3px;text-align:center;vertical-align:1px;border-color:#D4D4E4;border-width:1px;border-style:solid;">COACH</span></div> <!-- Lead-in goes here --> Anyone can recognize the abundant talent of a star player, but can you also recognize a talent that isn't as obvious? What about the player who has the skills to succeed now, but does so in a non-athletic, awkward, or quiet way? Can you watch a beginner play and recognize the potential for that child to find success and enjoy the game?<br />
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<h3>Look Beyond a Player's Athleticism</h3>One of the attractions of sports, especially team sports, is that there are a variety of ways to succeed. Although certain team positions seem to require a given body type and skill set, it’s not always that simple. Sometimes, an extremely strong skill may offset an obvious weakness. Other times, “intangible” behaviors and attributes are the defining quality that enables a player to succeed. Couple these factors with a child’s potential to change and grow (in mind, body, and skill level), and you are often faced with a significant challenge when evaluating a player’s abilities.<br />
<span class="fullpost"> <!-- Remainder of post goes here--><br />
<h3>One Boy's Path to Success</h3>A number of years ago, I coached a middle school basketball team that included a seemingly non-athletic eighth grade boy who moved awkwardly, without much speed or quickness. He lacked ball skills and the ability to consistently convert any shot other than a layup. In evaluating John, my first take was that I would need to find certain limited roles for him. Although having only average height and jumping ability, the forward position was the one best suited to his physical stature and abilities. <br />
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In our first practices and games, I became aware that John was always around the ball, running the floor, constantly positioning himself to receive passes and rebound the ball. He innately understood how to leverage his body and gain an advantage against his opponent. His ability to judge time and space relationships, anticipate ball and player movements, and position himself to gain an advantage was uncanny. As his shot improved through the season, and he learned more individual skills and team concepts, he became one of our team’s most valuable players and helped lead us to a victory in our league’s championship game. As a senior in high school, and still lacking height, jumping ability, and any outstanding ball skills, John started on the varsity basketball team.<br />
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<h3>The Evaluation Process</h3>When evaluating a player, begin with the obvious physical characteristics and demonstrated skills. Then watch closely how the player reacts in actual scrimmages against different opponents. Note the unexpected and watch for the subtle attributes that enable a player to win matchups against apparently more skilled or physically gifted players. Does the player understand and anticipate movements on the field of play, and react accordingly? Look ahead, and see how your coaching might unleash some barely visible trait or talent. Imagine how that player’s strengths and weaknesses will complement those of your other players, possibly adding exceptional value to your team. Consider the child’s personality and how it relates to the child’s performance and possible roles. Is he or she hungry to score, tenacious on defense, concerned about minimizing mistakes, or willing to compete by playing team-oriented roles? Observe the player’s actions both close to the ball and away from the ball. <br />
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Consider all of the above factors as you evaluate a young player and determine the role that they can best play on your team.<br />
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<!-- Footer goes here --> <p style="text-align:center; font-size:70%;">Copyright © 2014 Jeffrey S. Rhoads. All Rights Reserved</p><style>img.MyImage {-moz-box-shadow: 0px 0px 0px #000000; -webkit-box-shadow: 0px 0px 0px #000000; -goog-ms-box-shadow: 0px 0px 0px #000000; box-shadow: 0px 0px 0px #000000;border-width:0}
</style><div style='float:left; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 8pt; line-height:1.3em; border-collapse: collapse;align:center;' width='220'><div style='float:left; width:92px; height:130px;'><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0984211322/ref=as_li_ss_il?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0984211322&linkCode=as2&tag=avaplay-20" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="http://ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=0984211322&Format=_SL110_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=avaplay-20" ></a><img src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=avaplay-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0984211322" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt="" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important;" /> </div><div style='font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 8pt;display:inline;float:left; width:166px; height:130px;padding-top:7px'>If you enjoyed this article, you may like my book: <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0984211322/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0984211322&linkCode=as2&tag=avaplay-20" style='color: #473624; text-decoration: underline; font-style: italic;font-weight:normal;'target="_blank">The Young Athlete's Guide to Playing Sports: <i>What Every Athlete Needs to Know to Play, Win, and Have Fun</i></a> <br />
<br />
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($8.95; <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002JVX6KO/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B002JVX6KO&linkCode=as2&tag=avaplay-20" target="_blank">Kindle:</a> $2.99)<img src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=avaplay-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B002JVX6KO" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt="" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important;" /> </div></div></span><div class="blogger-post-footer"><br/><hr />
Originally posted at <a href="http://insideyouthsports.blogspot.com">www.insideyouthsports.blogspot.com</a></div>Jeffrey Rhoads [Inside Youth Sports]http://www.blogger.com/profile/14755096518688222702noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7418180976901891245.post-80349385578592227022014-05-09T11:39:00.000-04:002014-05-09T11:39:14.361-04:00What's Wrong with Organized Sports (Part 2)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://flic.kr/p/eePHqe" target="_blank" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-FSRqgGNz4OSBLZ_3zo9iXRQ1mbnzm_VC-G5WULeHBQ9yoSkgGdVErZRasVlX91UUprXEs9dhlqwI5IhcEe-IMQ1oMp22VVJPYF98VbbsixpmqHI8sbn6giTIVO2_RKHuynMbGueYxNXH/s320/baseball_player_first_base2b.jpg" /></a></div><!-- Adjust Player/Coach/Parent Label Here --><div style="float:left;padding-right:0px;"><span style="font-size:60%;font-weight:bold;background-color:Lavender;color:#588EBC;padding-top:1px;padding-bottom:0px;padding-left:3px;padding-right:3px;text-align:center;vertical-align:1px;border-color:#D4D4E4;border-width:1px;border-style:solid;">PARENT</span></div> <!-- Lead-in goes here --><i>Here's the conclusion to <a href="http://www.insideyouthsports.org/2014/05/whats-wrong-with-organized-sports-part-1.html">last week's article</a>, including a few suggestions from this parent on how to improve the overall youth sports experience. </i> <br />
<br />
<b><i>"There is no way you can convince me that this is good youth development. No way."</i></b><br />
<br />
How are these boys going to gain the creativity needed to play when Johnny’s coach yells at them for trying to backhand a ball? For swinging at a bad pitch? For trying to throw a runner out but missing that cutoff man – at age 9? It’s absurd.<br />
<span class="fullpost"> <!-- Remainder of post goes here--><br />
I’m not sure my son has ever picked a team. He’s never had to shoot free throws to decide who’s next. Lord knows he’s never made his own out call.<br />
<br />
We aren't playing All Stars this year. Two reasons:<br />
<ol><li>My boy doesn't want to. He says the tournaments are boring. Who am I to argue? He’s right.</li>
<li>As someone who knows a little about athletic development and what it takes to be good I would rather pitch 2 sessions a week, hit BP with another couple of kids, and hit infield a couple of nights a week. I figure we can work the equivalent of 6 innings, 40 at bats, and 60 chances in the field.</li>
</ol>Now you tell me. Who will get the most of their talent?<br />
<br />
Another thing. I played basketball with a guy growing up named <b>Mark Strickland</b>. Good player in high school but certainly not great. Mark was lucky as well. He also grew up playing at the park. He just played, and played, and played. He played enough to get offered a scholarship to Temple to play for the great <b>John Cheney</b>. <br />
<br />
He could jump out of the gym. That’s it. His only skill. He was a gangly kid who frankly could be pushed around. Not the most coordinated.<br />
<br />
Mark was barely an all section player in high school and at age 11 probably was not very good at all. I’m glad he didn’t play baseball and have some dude tell him he wasn't good enough and end up quitting because he finally got it and ended up playing 9 seasons in the NBA. That’s the NBA – the most competitive athletic league in the world.<br />
<br />
Should we really be in the business of deciding the haves and have-nots at age 9 or 10? Of course not.<br />
<br />
I believe America needs a collective “Come to Jesus” meeting with regards to youth baseball (or any other sport for that matter). Here are some alternatives:<br />
<ol><li>No travel ball/all star teams until age 11. Competitive baseball can be played locally through age 10.</li>
<li>Achieve this by running “Open Diamond” programs during the summer to encourage kids to just play. After all it’s the actual playing part that matters right?</li>
<li>Allow young athletes to “control their own experience” more. This is something that happened 40 years ago in America and now only seems to happen on basketball courts. Tell the parents to go away for a while.</li>
</ol>I honestly believe we are doing it all wrong. I also believe that it will take some brave folks to change it. <br />
<br />
I hope my luck holds out…<br />
<br />
<br />
<!-- Footer goes here --> <p style="text-align:center; font-size:70%;">Copyright © 2014 Jeffrey S. Rhoads. All Rights Reserved</p><style>img.MyImage {-moz-box-shadow: 0px 0px 0px #000000; -webkit-box-shadow: 0px 0px 0px #000000; -goog-ms-box-shadow: 0px 0px 0px #000000; box-shadow: 0px 0px 0px #000000;border-width:0}
</style><div style='float:left; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 8pt; line-height:1.3em; border-collapse: collapse;align:center;' width='220'><div style='float:left; width:92px; height:130px;'><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0984211322/ref=as_li_ss_il?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0984211322&linkCode=as2&tag=avaplay-20" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="http://ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=0984211322&Format=_SL110_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=avaplay-20" ></a><img src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=avaplay-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0984211322" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt="" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important;" /> </div><div style='font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 8pt;display:inline;float:left; width:166px; height:130px;padding-top:7px'>If you enjoyed this article, you may like my book: <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0984211322/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0984211322&linkCode=as2&tag=avaplay-20" style='color: #473624; text-decoration: underline; font-style: italic;font-weight:normal;'target="_blank">The Young Athlete's Guide to Playing Sports: <i>What Every Athlete Needs to Know to Play, Win, and Have Fun</i></a> <br />
<br />
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Originally posted at <a href="http://insideyouthsports.blogspot.com">www.insideyouthsports.blogspot.com</a></div>Jeffrey Rhoads [Inside Youth Sports]http://www.blogger.com/profile/14755096518688222702noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7418180976901891245.post-73685367934124998972014-05-01T12:37:00.000-04:002014-05-01T13:03:59.495-04:00What's Wrong with Organized Sports (Part 1)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://flic.kr/p/eePHqe" target="_blank" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjB7OsKTAm98wnxjX9wuKs0f7lAcs8hWdMXaRmR3yT-Nh-usfDtkgfu4T-ixpaMeufsJ7G_LpclM0tkCLP5nQeiGD7Y0LbAtJNxi703M5W6MBZW2EK1QXEewEH4clqoRI_bGE7G0U6CNlOd/s320/baseball_player_first_base2.jpg" /></a></div><!-- Adjust Player/Coach/Parent Label Here --><div style="float:left;padding-right:0px;"><span style="font-size:60%;font-weight:bold;background-color:Lavender;color:#588EBC;padding-top:1px;padding-bottom:0px;padding-left:3px;padding-right:3px;text-align:center;vertical-align:1px;border-color:#D4D4E4;border-width:1px;border-style:solid;">PARENT</span></div> <!-- Lead-in goes here --><i>Here's a guest post from a friend who is both an ex-athlete and father of a young boy participating in organized youth sports. It's an entertaining read with some interesting thoughts on the value of organized sports versus self-directed play. Since it's a long article, I decided to break it into two parts, the second of which I'll post next week.</i> <br />
<br />
I’m a lucky man. No really. As I start to experience things through a father’s eyes I realize how lucky I was and am.<br />
<span class="fullpost"> <!-- Remainder of post goes here--><br />
Athletics has largely defined who I am for most of my life. Certainly my youth. I was fortunate enough to have been offered athletic scholarships to several Division I schools to play football as well as eventually signing with a small Division I school to play basketball (my love) to play collegiately.<br />
<br />
I also have done a little coaching at both the college level as well as high school. I can’t tell you how much of a joke college guys think of AAU ball (I mean who needs travel basketball at age 11?). But I digress.<br />
<br />
When I was little I was always pretty good but I don’t think I was ever the best player in my league. In fact, since I went to a large inner city public high school I was never even the best player on my high school team (rare for a D-1 player). I do know that I was known as a kid with a large capacity to work and that I always got better every year.<br />
<br />
This is not to say I was without talent. I could play.<br />
<br />
One of the byproducts of playing at that level is that you get to know real quick how many truly great players there are and where you fit into the pecking order. <br />
<br />
I never played much organized ball growing up beyond the 7 or 8 games you play at the local YMCA in Winter. I do remember one thing though. I remember the exact day I fell in love with basketball…<br />
<br />
Sometime in early spring 1983 my father took me to the Omni in Atlanta to see the McDonald’s All America Basketball Game. The player of the year was Reggie Williams (who played on one of the great teams of all time at Dunbar Baltimore) as well as future greats Kenny Smith, Dallas Comegys, and Tommy Amaker, but the guy who changed my life was Pearl Washington.<br />
<br />
I won’t bore you with it but the day I saw this guy from Brooklyn play it literally changed the way I lived and breathed for many many years.<br />
<br />
He was a New York City guard in every sense of the word.<br />
<br />
I was 12 and literally walked out of there with my Dad and knew what I wanted to be. I don’t think that has ever happened to me since. <br />
<br />
It’s funny - my Father was a tough as nails southerner who had played pro baseball and worked as a scout for the Reds and I can’t remember him ever encouraging me to play ball. Never. He grew up in a cotton mill town of the depression era south and even though athletics got him out of the mill he was never a guy who hounded me about sports. Helpful – yes. Pushy – never.<br />
<br />
Anyway, after seeing Pearl play I lived at the park. You see, the best thing about basketball was that you didn’t need to be on a team to play. You could simply go down to the park at Piedmont, Ralph McGill, Grant, etc… and get a game. Day, night, really late night - didn’t matter. I could go somewhere and get a game. My time was actually spent playing the sport that I loved. And FYI, this still goes on in every community in America. I currently live in perhaps the most white bread place on earth and I can still go to the local YMCA and play ball. All day if I want.<br />
<br />
Let me repeat. I was able to succeed because I played. My time was spent dribbling, shooting, passing, competing (and if you don’t think that matters – try losing a game in the August Atlanta sun with 30 guys waiting to play. I promise – one plays to win).<br />
<br />
I know that was a long prologue but I wanted to set a stage. You see I have a 9 year old son who plays baseball. – America’s pastime. Apple pie, Chevy, and the rest of that BS.<br />
<br />
He’s pretty good too. He has enough ability to probably be a decent high school player. I’m not sure that he’s as gifted athletically as I but I think he’s good enough to have a good experience playing team sports.<br />
<br />
Which brings us finally to the theme of this rant…<br />
<br />
He’s also good enough to play travel ball…<br />
<br />
Here’s my problem (and you can apply it to pretty much any youth sport these days – including basketball):<br />
<br />
<b><i>I think that youth baseball travel ball only gives the illusion of playing baseball.</i></b><br />
<br />
Bear with me.<br />
<br />
Johnny gets picked for the travel squad and mommy and daddy say, “Oh, great! Johnny will get so much better because he will be playing so much more baseball!” <br />
<br />
Here’s how it really works: Johnny and his folks leave the house at noon on a Sunday to drive 30 minutes (if your lucky) to a field by 12:30 for a 1:30 game. The game takes 1 ½ hours and Johnny gets 4 at bats, 2 chances in the field, and pitches 2 innings. 20 minutes is spent gathering stuff/post game meeting with a 30 minute drive home to eat dinner. <br />
<br />
Meanwhile some kid in Santo Domingo did that before he ate breakfast. And he did it with some socks in his back yard.<br />
<br />
Think about it. You just spent 4 hours for Johnny to get 4 at bats, catch 2 balls, and throw 35 pitches! All the while some idiot who most likely never played a meaningful inning in his life acts like Leo Durocher or Bobby Cox.<br />
<br />
<b>There is no way you can convince me that this is good youth development. No way.</b><br />
<br />
<div style="font-family: Arial; background-color: #F2F2F2; width:300px; height:auto; border: thin lightgray solid; margin-left:auto; margin-right:auto;
border-radius:6px;
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><i>Check back next week with <b>Inside Youth Sports</b> to read the conclusion of this article. Find out what this parent believes is a better approach to more fully develop a young athlete's potential!</i></div><br />
<!-- Footer goes here --> <p style="text-align:center; font-size:70%;">Copyright © 2014 Jeffrey S. Rhoads. All Rights Reserved</p><style>img.MyImage {-moz-box-shadow: 0px 0px 0px #000000; -webkit-box-shadow: 0px 0px 0px #000000; -goog-ms-box-shadow: 0px 0px 0px #000000; box-shadow: 0px 0px 0px #000000;border-width:0}
</style><div style='float:left; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 8pt; line-height:1.3em; border-collapse: collapse;align:center;' width='220'><div style='float:left; width:92px; height:130px;'><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0984211322/ref=as_li_ss_il?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0984211322&linkCode=as2&tag=avaplay-20" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="http://ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=0984211322&Format=_SL110_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=avaplay-20" ></a><img src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=avaplay-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0984211322" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt="" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important;" /> </div><div style='font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 8pt;display:inline;float:left; width:166px; height:130px;padding-top:7px'>If you enjoyed this article, you may like my book: <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0984211322/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0984211322&linkCode=as2&tag=avaplay-20" style='color: #473624; text-decoration: underline; font-style: italic;font-weight:normal;'target="_blank">The Young Athlete's Guide to Playing Sports: <i>What Every Athlete Needs to Know to Play, Win, and Have Fun</i></a> <br />
<br />
($16.95; <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00ETCKJPG/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B00ETCKJPG&linkCode=as2&tag=avaplay-20"></a><img src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=avaplay-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B00ETCKJPG" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt="" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important;"/><a style=" margin-left:-8px;" href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00ETCKJPG/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B00ETCKJPG&linkCode=as2&tag=avaplay-20" target="_blank">Kindle:</a> $7.99)<img src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=avaplay-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B00ETCKJPG" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt="" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important;"/></div></div><div style="float:left; width:15px; height:130px;"> </div><div style='float:left; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 8pt; line-height:1.3em; border-collapse: collapse;align:center;' width='220'; margin-left:10px;><div style='float:left; width:92px; height:130px;'><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0984211306/ref=as_li_ss_il?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0984211306&linkCode=as2&tag=avaplay-20" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="http://ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=0984211306&Format=_SL110_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=avaplay-20" ></a><img src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=avaplay-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0984211306" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt="" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important;" /></div><div style='font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 8pt;display:inline;float:left; width:156px; height:130px;padding-top:7px'>If you enjoyed this article, you may like my book: <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0984211306/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0984211306&linkCode=as2&tag=avaplay-20" target="_blank" style="color: #473624; text-decoration: underline; font-style: italic;font-weight:normal;">The Joy of Youth Sports: Creating the Best Youth Sports Experience for Your Child</a><img src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=avaplay-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0984211306" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt="" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important;" /> <br />
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Originally posted at <a href="http://insideyouthsports.blogspot.com">www.insideyouthsports.blogspot.com</a></div>Jeffrey Rhoads [Inside Youth Sports]http://www.blogger.com/profile/14755096518688222702noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7418180976901891245.post-73492963555406976642014-04-24T13:53:00.000-04:002014-04-24T13:53:45.121-04:00Focus on What You Control<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/flic_pics/3422301345" target="_blank" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMpPgZvG1gxudcxYWId8_ervovFesASD5MjDc6vJf_N3W7xPlWnn9wfLyakflGvrSyoFq7Wv-eXkvDJFtLqx7LDiDV1aTo6hyphenhyphenUYh9UoFlLRuSr95XSzrutcelFmXhQa1owRXA_XBWpDBzs/s320/Baseball_Hustle.jpg" /></a></div><!-- Adjust Player/Coach/Parent Label Here --><div style="float:left;padding-right:0px;"><span style="font-size:60%;font-weight:bold;background-color:Lavender;color:#588EBC;padding-top:1px;padding-bottom:0px;padding-left:3px;padding-right:3px;text-align:center;vertical-align:1px;border-color:#D4D4E4;border-width:1px;border-style:solid;">PLAYER</span></div> <!-- Lead-in goes here -->I often run into youth players I’ve coached who have grown up and are of high school age. I usually ask them how they are doing and whether they’re still playing. If I know they are on a high school team, I’ll ask whether they’re enjoying the experience. I’m always a little disappointed when I hear a young athlete I’ve coached tell me: “I don’t get along with the coach.” <br />
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Unfortunately, these words are the usual outward sign of a boy or girl who is starting to lose ground to other players or otherwise feels frustrated with their playing situation. Blaming the coach is an easier way for many struggling players to deflect personal shortcomings or failure. <br />
<span class="fullpost"> <!-- Remainder of post goes here--><br />
<h3>Before you throw in the towel…</h3>If I know that a player has good skills, or sense that the player still wants to succeed despite their frustration, I tell these young athletes to refocus their energies on actions and behaviors that <i>every </i>coach likes—behaviors that the player controls. As discussed elsewhere in this blog, there are opportunities in most sports to succeed based in large part on a player’s desire, attention to detail, and willingness to sacrifice personal goals for those of the team.<br />
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<div style="font-family: Arial; background-color: lavender; float:right; width:160px; height:auto; border-style: solid; border-top-width: 1px; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-color: black; margin-top: 8px; margin-right: 10px; margin-left:10px; margin-bottom: 10px; padding: 8px"><img style="height:1.0em; width:auto; background: none !important;
-moz-box-shadow: 0px 0px 0px transparent !important;
-webkit-box-shadow: 0px 0px 0px transparent !important;
box-shadow: 0px 0px 0px transparent !important border-style:none; padding:0px !important; border:0px !important;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIcf_avVihLsc3XRUXHTEh5OBVZWiXCU1W97m3n9DAqbM2gqy489gt7V-78tHEoiXWFqV1GlVI2ZU034Ytsy-kdrjRQ4eLYHAfJPzuhyS9s4EJLabcYIi3H-rs6tDG9tCakwtty2zM_v8E/s1600/Sidebar-Arrow.gif" />Let your practice and play demonstrate, in no uncertain terms, why the coach must play you more. Regardless of other factors (personality, parents and politics), almost all coaches will play their best players.</div>Consider how you can apply the above traits to your sport. In basketball, you might first look to focus on your defense, raising your intensity level. Hustle. Hit the floor. Use practice as an opportunity to shut down the player you’re covering, preferably one with whom you are competing. Every team needs a star defender. For other parts of your game, concentrate on the little things such as making the pass to the open man, reducing mistakes and turnovers, and consistently boxing out your opponent to improve you’re rebounding. Make the coach ask himself, “How does he get so many rebounds for a player his size?” You want the coach to recognize your “intangibles”—the less obvious characteristics that make you a winner. Most team sports contain the same or similar situations and opportunities to succeed. <br />
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Coaches always appreciate players who embody these types of qualities. When faced with selecting between two players of equal physical ability, a coach will choose the one that demonstrates these characteristics. Don’t be the other person!<br />
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<!-- Footer goes here --> <p style="text-align:center; font-size:70%;">Copyright © 2014 Jeffrey S. Rhoads. All Rights Reserved</p><style>img.MyImage {-moz-box-shadow: 0px 0px 0px #000000; -webkit-box-shadow: 0px 0px 0px #000000; -goog-ms-box-shadow: 0px 0px 0px #000000; box-shadow: 0px 0px 0px #000000;border-width:0}
</style><div style='float:left; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 8pt; line-height:1.3em; border-collapse: collapse;align:center;' width='220'><div style='float:left; width:92px; height:130px;'><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0984211322/ref=as_li_ss_il?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0984211322&linkCode=as2&tag=avaplay-20" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="http://ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=0984211322&Format=_SL110_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=avaplay-20" ></a><img src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=avaplay-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0984211322" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt="" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important;" /> </div><div style='font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 8pt;display:inline;float:left; width:166px; height:130px;padding-top:7px'>If you enjoyed this article, you may like my book: <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0984211322/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0984211322&linkCode=as2&tag=avaplay-20" style='color: #473624; text-decoration: underline; font-style: italic;font-weight:normal;'target="_blank">The Young Athlete's Guide to Playing Sports: <i>What Every Athlete Needs to Know to Play, Win, and Have Fun</i></a> <br />
<br />
($16.95; <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00ETCKJPG/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B00ETCKJPG&linkCode=as2&tag=avaplay-20"></a><img src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=avaplay-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B00ETCKJPG" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt="" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important;"/><a style=" margin-left:-8px;" href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00ETCKJPG/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B00ETCKJPG&linkCode=as2&tag=avaplay-20" target="_blank">Kindle:</a> $7.99)<img src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=avaplay-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B00ETCKJPG" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt="" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important;"/></div></div><div style="float:left; width:15px; height:130px;"> </div><div style='float:left; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 8pt; line-height:1.3em; border-collapse: collapse;align:center;' width='220'; margin-left:10px;><div style='float:left; width:92px; height:130px;'><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0984211306/ref=as_li_ss_il?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0984211306&linkCode=as2&tag=avaplay-20" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="http://ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=0984211306&Format=_SL110_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=avaplay-20" ></a><img src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=avaplay-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0984211306" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt="" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important;" /></div><div style='font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 8pt;display:inline;float:left; width:156px; height:130px;padding-top:7px'>If you enjoyed this article, you may like my book: <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0984211306/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0984211306&linkCode=as2&tag=avaplay-20" target="_blank" style="color: #473624; text-decoration: underline; font-style: italic;font-weight:normal;">The Joy of Youth Sports: Creating the Best Youth Sports Experience for Your Child</a><img src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=avaplay-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0984211306" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt="" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important;" /> <br />
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($8.95; <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002JVX6KO/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B002JVX6KO&linkCode=as2&tag=avaplay-20" target="_blank">Kindle:</a> $2.99)<img src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=avaplay-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B002JVX6KO" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt="" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important;" /> </div></div></span><div class="blogger-post-footer"><br/><hr />
Originally posted at <a href="http://insideyouthsports.blogspot.com">www.insideyouthsports.blogspot.com</a></div>Jeffrey Rhoads [Inside Youth Sports]http://www.blogger.com/profile/14755096518688222702noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7418180976901891245.post-33516067905198422022014-03-05T17:19:00.000-05:002014-03-05T17:33:55.550-05:00Know When Your Players Need to Run<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/cavalier92/2391773075/" target="_blank" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgagcOC7p9ZXYVfWlKYc22zfIfoxOeSB0-1lj1M_dJmh7oMAf0bOCRbSfZl8kh5VCmgUTHQua6Qz3THN2kLDm2a2PG-RqFsRY9wokDY037w9wuYcxLNCl8mhypq9uOlrbmGjuwSxEwmwhPE/s320/Baseball_Kids_Running.jpg" /></a></div><!-- Adjust Player/Coach/Parent Label Here --><div style="float:left;padding-right:0px;"><span style="font-size:60%;font-weight:bold;background-color:Lavender;color:#588EBC;padding-top:1px;padding-bottom:0px;padding-left:3px;padding-right:3px;text-align:center;vertical-align:1px;border-color:#D4D4E4;border-width:1px;border-style:solid;">COACH</span></div> <!-- Lead-in goes here -->At the youth level, the success of your practices depends on the emotional energy you display, the activities and drills you plan and execute, and the order in which your practice activities unfold. You are the conductor of your orchestra and in charge of the music’s rhythm and tempo. <br />
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Although you need structure within your practices, you also must recognize when you need to let your players run for fun and to release energy. The quality of your practices often depends on you managing this energy and not letting it go in a direction that disrupts your instruction and practice goals. <br />
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Here are a few tips for youth coaches on recognizing those moments and how to handle related disruptive behavior. <br />
<span class="fullpost"> <!-- Remainder of post goes here--><br />
<h3>Age-appropriate Practices</h3>The age of your players of course affects the nature of your practices. Younger boys and girls have more difficulty focusing their attention for extended periods. They require more physical activity relative to instruction time. You need to do more showing than telling. For younger kids, make sure that you move them quickly from one developmental drill to another. For all ages, scrimmaging is a fun activity, and an opportunity for you to "coach kids up" during the play. Use scrimmages as a reward, and in the proper measure. Your players will look forward to this part of practice. <br />
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<h3>Dealing with a Lack of Focus</h3>Every youth coach encounters those practices where his or her players are hyper-active, non-attentive, or both. You probably know the signs: Players staring across the court or field at something or someone else. Side conversations continuing during your instruction or too many irrelevant questions. Play where rules are ignored, accompanied by laughing and giggling. And it's not just the youngest—even older kids regularly lose focus. <br />
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When you see this behavior spreading among your players, it's time to get physical. By “tiring” your team, you help your players settle down, making them more likely to listen to your instruction. Select a high-energy drill or have your players scrimmage for a short period of time. After your players have expended some energy, you will usually regain their attention. Then move quickly into a period of instruction. With younger players, you may realistically only have five to ten minutes of quality teaching time before you must once again engage them in physical activity.<br />
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If your players are listless and the energy level of your practice seems low, also consider running the team in one form or another. Sometimes your players need a kick to get going.<br />
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<h3>A Mild Reprimand</h3>Finally, when your players don’t respond to your instructions, are talking while you talk, causing disruptions, or are otherwise disrespectful, you need to reign in this behavior. Even if it's only a few players, engage the whole team in a physically demanding activity. For example, send your players to the end line for some <a href="http://www.insideyouthsports.org/2012/06/framing-your-childs-sports-play.html">“suicides”</a> or sprints. Besides releasing the excess energy that possibly drove the behavior, this mild reprimand will remind all of your players what you consider unacceptable behavior. For most players, these races are actually fun—but they still send a message.<br />
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You have your practice schedule and goals. But sometimes you need to flow and react to the mood of your players. Try to recognize the signs of when your players need to run and then inject the appropriate activity into your practice. <br />
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<!-- Footer goes here --> <p style="text-align:center; font-size:70%;">Copyright © 2014 Jeffrey S. Rhoads. All Rights Reserved</p><style>img.MyImage {-moz-box-shadow: 0px 0px 0px #000000; -webkit-box-shadow: 0px 0px 0px #000000; -goog-ms-box-shadow: 0px 0px 0px #000000; box-shadow: 0px 0px 0px #000000;border-width:0}
</style><div style='float:left; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 8pt; line-height:1.3em; border-collapse: collapse;align:center;' width='220'><div style='float:left; width:92px; height:130px;'><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0984211322/ref=as_li_ss_il?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0984211322&linkCode=as2&tag=avaplay-20" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="http://ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=0984211322&Format=_SL110_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=avaplay-20" ></a><img src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=avaplay-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0984211322" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt="" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important;" /> </div><div style='font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 8pt;display:inline;float:left; width:166px; height:130px;padding-top:7px'>If you enjoyed this article, you may like my book: <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0984211322/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0984211322&linkCode=as2&tag=avaplay-20" style='color: #473624; text-decoration: underline; font-style: italic;font-weight:normal;'target="_blank">The Young Athlete's Guide to Playing Sports: <i>What Every Athlete Needs to Know to Play, Win, and Have Fun</i></a> <br />
<br />
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<br />
($8.95; <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002JVX6KO/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B002JVX6KO&linkCode=as2&tag=avaplay-20" target="_blank">Kindle:</a> $2.99)<img src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=avaplay-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B002JVX6KO" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt="" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important;" /> </div></div></span><div class="blogger-post-footer"><br/><hr />
Originally posted at <a href="http://insideyouthsports.blogspot.com">www.insideyouthsports.blogspot.com</a></div>Jeffrey Rhoads [Inside Youth Sports]http://www.blogger.com/profile/14755096518688222702noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7418180976901891245.post-52226299277267056242014-02-06T16:03:00.000-05:002014-03-05T17:34:19.394-05:00What Leads to a Great Experience Playing Sports<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0984211322/ref=as_li_tf_il?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0984211322&linkCode=as2&tag=avaplay-20" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnZ-DxYaohBDbQHb8pGBK_rEP5bjqUxnMCgha4-O37WP81LT_2gqMaPmhAUMd22zf9wLJ9zrS3-ptoLZPeKGJfegIEDWciVaZewV2mhnJI6QWNjfISlXjVakPT-hF4_y4AIvBiBEdktnpO/s320/YAG-FrontCover-FunCompetitionCommunity.jpg" /></a></div><!-- Adjust Player/Coach/Parent Label Here --><div style="float:left;padding-right:0px;"><span style="font-size:60%;font-weight:bold;background-color:Lavender;color:#588EBC;padding-top:1px;padding-bottom:0px;padding-left:3px;padding-right:3px;text-align:center;vertical-align:1px;border-color:#D4D4E4;border-width:1px;border-style:solid;">EVERYONE</span></div> <!-- Lead-in goes here --><i>Here's an excerpt from chapter 9 (Fun, Competition, and Community) of my new book, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0984211322/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0984211322&linkCode=as2&tag=avaplay-20" target="_blank">The Young Athlete's Guide to Playing Sports</a>. This chapter's lead topic discusses the reasons why we play sports, and how you can enjoy the benefits of participation throughout your life. </i> <br />
<div style=""> </div><!-- Lead-in goes here -->Your personal journey in sports will wind its way through ups and downs, exhilaration and frustration, and success and failure. You will enjoy moments of elation when you brush perfection. Heartache will sometimes fill your soul when the prize remains out of reach. You will enjoy the camaraderie of playing sports with others, and sometimes face rejection.<br />
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Sports, especially in competitive settings, are oppositional in nature. They pit you against an opponent—whether it’s a person, a standard of excellence, or your own expectations. This competitive quality can drive our participation.<br />
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But besides the thrill of competing, there are a variety of other reasons (positive and negative) why we play sports. <br />
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Central to a positive experience in sports are a set of fundamental elements. These include fun, skill development, heroic moments, increased self-esteem and self-reliance, community, and winning.<br />
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<h3>Fun</h3>Playing sports provides many rewards—some that are generated internally and others that come from external sources. The most important <div style="font-family: Arial; background-color: lavender; float:right; width:160px; height:auto; border-style: solid; border-top-width: 1px; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-color: black; margin-top: 8px; margin-right: 10px; margin-left:10px; margin-bottom: 10px; padding: 8px"><img style="height:1.0em; width:auto; background: none !important;
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box-shadow: 0px 0px 0px transparent !important border-style:none; padding:0px !important; border:0px !important;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIcf_avVihLsc3XRUXHTEh5OBVZWiXCU1W97m3n9DAqbM2gqy489gt7V-78tHEoiXWFqV1GlVI2ZU034Ytsy-kdrjRQ4eLYHAfJPzuhyS9s4EJLabcYIi3H-rs6tDG9tCakwtty2zM_v8E/s1600/Sidebar-Arrow.gif" />Understand that the feeling of “fun” comes in different forms—from the simple joy of running around to more complex variations that embody team play and competition. Depending on your unique personality, choose the sports and competitive level that creates the type of fun you find most rewarding!</div>internal reward for a younger child participating in sports is FUN. It’s also important for older, more competitive athletes. As Rafael Nadal, French Open tennis champion once said, “I play because I have fun. If I don’t have fun on the court, there is some-thing wrong. I am just a 19-year-old boy that likes to do what he likes, nothing else.”<br />
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Besides the immediate gratification of engaging in an enjoyable activity, fun is also <i>an essential ingredient for long term participation</i>. Although you may have talent and compete well, the absence of fun will likely lead you to quit when other external rewards (praise, recognition, etc.) are no longer present.<br />
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<h3>Skill development</h3>Learning and mastering new skills is essential for you to have the necessary tools to participate, contribute, and compete. Although running around and casually playing a sport with your friends may be fun, more rewards and opportunity to play exist when you have mastered fundamental sport skills. One such reward is the self-confidence that is gained from an understanding of how to play a game and do it well. <br />
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<h3>Heroic moments (and glorious defeats)</h3>Sports are attractive partly because of the various feelings they evoke. Besides fun, there is also the “thrill of victory” and the “agony of defeat.” Heroic moments and glorious defeats are an essential part of the sports experience. They come together as a package deal—you can’t have one without the other. They impart upon you the potentially lifelong satisfaction of rising up to meet a challenge, and sometimes the heartfelt disappointment of a failed opportunity. Either way, these emotions add depth to your life experience.<br />
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<h3>Self-esteem and self-reliance</h3>As you learn new skills, gain experience, and progress toward a clearer understanding of how to play a sport, your confidence will naturally grow. This, in turn, leads to an increased sense of self-esteem (satisfaction in oneself). You become more self-reliant, understanding that you individually command tools that can affect the outcome of a game. Your self-reliance also increases as you begin to organize and manage your <i>own</i> pickup games (a skill not cultivated within the adult-run games typical of youth leagues).<br />
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<h3>Community</h3>When you play a sport, you share with other participants the game and its values. This is most evident in team sports, where success is dependent upon the contributions of each team member. But individual sports also provide a sense of community. Shared values are present in all sports.<br />
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Community is also present in the bond that ties together athletes of all ages and generations. You and other young athletes feel the same joy and appreciation for sports that your parents, grandparents, and coaches experienced when they were young. You can also play certain sports (golf, tennis, etc.) with family and friends throughout your life.<br />
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<h3>Winning</h3>And finally, winning is part of a successful sports experience. Viewed with proper perspective, winning is an essential and required reward for continued participation. Everyone likes to experience their fair share of games where the final score favors them. At the most competitive levels, winning on the scoreboard plays a far greater role in defining “success.” <br />
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<div style="font-family: Arial; background-color: lavender; float:right; width:160px; height:auto; border-style: solid; border-top-width: 1px; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-color: black; margin-top: 8px; margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 10px; padding: 8px"><img style="height:1.2em; width:auto; background: none !important;
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box-shadow: 0px 0px 0px transparent !important border-style:none; padding:0px !important; border:0px !important;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirXDKKWTP7PilcmCy46IL_8xPlRgkmIM2XOl8dub4kREnashE66cCH9aCYpRu739gVBaeYamfzS6TYNzuRJdBOPvPZX0h7WBdTPBfbhm0dI8zPKVc9aRx4XUQZxiIt5vub5URtruM2untQ/s1600/bomb5b.gif" />Vince Lombardi, a hall of fame NFL coach, once said, “Winning isn’t everything. It’s the only thing.” Although this may be true at the most competitive level of sports, it’s <i><b>not</b></i> true in youth and scholastic sports.</div>But there <i>are</i> different ways to define “winning”—especially when you’re younger. Consider again the benefits described above. Those glorious defeats, where an individual or team competes courageously against a vastly superior team, do mean something. Improving one’s individual performance, regardless of others’ performance, is a “win.” Learning how to master new skills and successfully interact with others rewards you with the valuable prizes of self-reliance and confidence. And when it comes to winning the battle of lifelong participation and fitness, these other types of victories are often the ones that matter.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8fleFlNUlE3ysFQMCUCiR2oS9TEnbrwYVBv-bE-MxAqOgzgq1IuJpujQt_vUZUcP71LDhIpOcmSDpFTfRdDqOhqLVvBVIkI1yZe49o-uSngpQ8Rif_GZg84Wof3Zv6IedFn5JuN7xH3j2/s1600/Ch9-GreatSportsExperience.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8fleFlNUlE3ysFQMCUCiR2oS9TEnbrwYVBv-bE-MxAqOgzgq1IuJpujQt_vUZUcP71LDhIpOcmSDpFTfRdDqOhqLVvBVIkI1yZe49o-uSngpQ8Rif_GZg84Wof3Zv6IedFn5JuN7xH3j2/s400/Ch9-GreatSportsExperience.gif" /></a></div><br />
<!-- Footer goes here --> <p style="text-align:center; font-size:70%;">Copyright © 2014 Jeffrey S. Rhoads. All Rights Reserved</p><style>img.MyImage {-moz-box-shadow: 0px 0px 0px #000000; -webkit-box-shadow: 0px 0px 0px #000000; -goog-ms-box-shadow: 0px 0px 0px #000000; box-shadow: 0px 0px 0px #000000;border-width:0}
</style><div style='float:left; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 8pt; line-height:1.3em; border-collapse: collapse;align:center;' width='220'><div style='float:left; width:92px; height:130px;'><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0984211322/ref=as_li_ss_il?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0984211322&linkCode=as2&tag=avaplay-20" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="http://ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=0984211322&Format=_SL110_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=avaplay-20" ></a><img src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=avaplay-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0984211322" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt="" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important;" /> </div><div style='font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 8pt;display:inline;float:left; width:166px; height:130px;padding-top:7px'>If you enjoyed this article, you may like my book: <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0984211322/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0984211322&linkCode=as2&tag=avaplay-20" style='color: #473624; text-decoration: underline; font-style: italic;font-weight:normal;'target="_blank">The Young Athlete's Guide to Playing Sports: <i>What Every Athlete Needs to Know to Play, Win, and Have Fun</i></a> <br />
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($16.95; <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00ETCKJPG/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B00ETCKJPG&linkCode=as2&tag=avaplay-20"></a><img src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=avaplay-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B00ETCKJPG" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt="" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important;"/><a style=" margin-left:-8px;" href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00ETCKJPG/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B00ETCKJPG&linkCode=as2&tag=avaplay-20" target="_blank">Kindle:</a> $7.99)<img src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=avaplay-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B00ETCKJPG" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt="" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important;"/></div></div><div style="float:left; width:15px; height:130px;"> </div><div style='float:left; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 8pt; line-height:1.3em; border-collapse: collapse;align:center;' width='220'; margin-left:10px;><div style='float:left; width:92px; height:130px;'><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0984211306/ref=as_li_ss_il?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0984211306&linkCode=as2&tag=avaplay-20" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="http://ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=0984211306&Format=_SL110_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=avaplay-20" ></a><img src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=avaplay-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0984211306" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt="" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important;" /></div><div style='font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 8pt;display:inline;float:left; width:156px; height:130px;padding-top:7px'>If you enjoyed this article, you may like my book: <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0984211306/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0984211306&linkCode=as2&tag=avaplay-20" target="_blank" style="color: #473624; text-decoration: underline; font-style: italic;font-weight:normal;">The Joy of Youth Sports: Creating the Best Youth Sports Experience for Your Child</a><img src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=avaplay-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0984211306" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt="" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important;" /> <br />
<br />
($8.95; <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002JVX6KO/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B002JVX6KO&linkCode=as2&tag=avaplay-20" target="_blank">Kindle:</a> $2.99)<img src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=avaplay-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B002JVX6KO" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt="" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important;" /> </div></div></span><div class="blogger-post-footer"><br/><hr />
Originally posted at <a href="http://insideyouthsports.blogspot.com">www.insideyouthsports.blogspot.com</a></div>Jeffrey Rhoads [Inside Youth Sports]http://www.blogger.com/profile/14755096518688222702noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7418180976901891245.post-90393091304153510152014-01-10T14:13:00.000-05:002014-03-05T17:34:36.367-05:00Your Parents' Safety Concerns<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0984211322/ref=as_li_tf_il?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0984211322&linkCode=as2&tag=avaplay-20" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmvhj-o-7MH7zfQAAnN6Pa1k9rO8yO4z9lR21eyeujuwyTryd07NRVKwMEBuvos0GihCS8sMX-Ug2pTrFJEhofR3GQzCZ7f67y-hEwfUCBul8m1ghSQ4ExClZQMrYRVvZX31UX2njSFabX/s320/YAG-FrontCover-WhatYourParentsWant.jpg" /></a></div><!-- Adjust Player/Coach/Parent Label Here --><div style="float:left;padding-right:0px;"><span style="font-size:60%;font-weight:bold;background-color:Lavender;color:#588EBC;padding-top:1px;padding-bottom:0px;padding-left:3px;padding-right:3px;text-align:center;vertical-align:1px;border-color:#D4D4E4;border-width:1px;border-style:solid;">PLAYER</span></div> <!-- Lead-in goes here -->One of your parents’ most important concerns, as it relates to your well-being, is your physical safety. There’s no getting around this—especially in our wired world where each tragedy involving a child is broadcast 24/7 to every corner of our nation.<br />
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Today’s parents are sensitized to all of the misfortunes that can possibly befall their child. It doesn't matter whether the risk is statistically real.<br />
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Where you live and play affects the potential risks you face. A tough city neighborhood is more dangerous than a gated, suburban community. You need to respect these hazards and your parents’ warnings.<br />
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There are also real risks associated with playing certain sports. Years ago, parents might worry about their son playing “tackle” football because he could break his leg. Parents now also worry about their child suffering a head injury that results in a concussion.<br />
<span class="fullpost"> <!-- Remainder of post goes here--><br />
Since your parents control your opportunity to play sports, you need to recognize their concerns. And if you independently want to play sports, you will need to come up with ways to dispel your parents’ fears.<br />
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<div style="font-family: Arial; background-color: lavender; float:right; width:160px; height:auto; border-style: solid; border-top-width: 1px; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-color: black; margin-top: 8px; margin-right: 10px; margin-left:10px; margin-bottom: 10px; padding: 8px"><img style="height:1.0em; width:auto; background: none !important;
-moz-box-shadow: 0px 0px 0px transparent !important;
-webkit-box-shadow: 0px 0px 0px transparent !important;
box-shadow: 0px 0px 0px transparent !important border-style:none; padding:0px !important; border:0px !important;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIcf_avVihLsc3XRUXHTEh5OBVZWiXCU1W97m3n9DAqbM2gqy489gt7V-78tHEoiXWFqV1GlVI2ZU034Ytsy-kdrjRQ4eLYHAfJPzuhyS9s4EJLabcYIi3H-rs6tDG9tCakwtty2zM_v8E/s1600/Sidebar-Arrow.gif" />Anytime you step out of your door, there is an increased risk that something can happen to you. Many fun and educational activities include the possibility of personal harm. Mature individuals (including most parents) recognize and manage risks every day. Show your parents that you appreciate their concerns, and tell them the ways in which you are protecting yourself. Be responsible to gain more freedom</div>Listen to your parents’ warnings about dealing with strangers and any other potential risks that they believe you may encounter. Respect the boundaries they establish.<br />
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As you get older, and your judgment matures, your parents will likely listen to your ideas on managing the risks that concern them. Be proactive about finding win-win solutions. For instance, your local YMCA, community center, or similar facility provides a semi-supervised setting where you and your friends can play. If your parents are reluctant to let you play unsupervised, they may find these facilities an acceptable alternative.<br />
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Also consider how you can use technology to alleviate your parents’ safety concerns. You have an incredible array of tools available for you to communicate with your parents. Cell phones and smartphones with GPS location-based services provide your parents with a means to stay in touch with you and know where you are. Discuss with your parents how you can possibly use these tools to help satisfy both of your needs.<br />
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<!-- Footer goes here --> <p style="text-align:center; font-size:70%;">Copyright © 2014 Jeffrey S. Rhoads. All Rights Reserved</p><style>img.MyImage {-moz-box-shadow: 0px 0px 0px #000000; -webkit-box-shadow: 0px 0px 0px #000000; -goog-ms-box-shadow: 0px 0px 0px #000000; box-shadow: 0px 0px 0px #000000;border-width:0}
</style><div style='float:left; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 8pt; line-height:1.3em; border-collapse: collapse;align:center;' width='220'><div style='float:left; width:92px; height:130px;'><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0984211322/ref=as_li_ss_il?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0984211322&linkCode=as2&tag=avaplay-20" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="http://ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=0984211322&Format=_SL110_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=avaplay-20" ></a><img src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=avaplay-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0984211322" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt="" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important;" /> </div><div style='font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 8pt;display:inline;float:left; width:166px; height:130px;padding-top:7px'>If you enjoyed this article, you may like my book: <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0984211322/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0984211322&linkCode=as2&tag=avaplay-20" style='color: #473624; text-decoration: underline; font-style: italic;font-weight:normal;'target="_blank">The Young Athlete's Guide to Playing Sports: <i>What Every Athlete Needs to Know to Play, Win, and Have Fun</i></a> <br />
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($16.95; <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00ETCKJPG/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B00ETCKJPG&linkCode=as2&tag=avaplay-20"></a><img src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=avaplay-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B00ETCKJPG" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt="" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important;"/><a style=" margin-left:-8px;" href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00ETCKJPG/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B00ETCKJPG&linkCode=as2&tag=avaplay-20" target="_blank">Kindle:</a> $7.99)<img src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=avaplay-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B00ETCKJPG" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt="" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important;"/></div></div><div style="float:left; width:15px; height:130px;"> </div><div style='float:left; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 8pt; line-height:1.3em; border-collapse: collapse;align:center;' width='220'; margin-left:10px;><div style='float:left; width:92px; height:130px;'><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0984211306/ref=as_li_ss_il?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0984211306&linkCode=as2&tag=avaplay-20" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="http://ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=0984211306&Format=_SL110_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=avaplay-20" ></a><img src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=avaplay-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0984211306" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt="" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important;" /></div><div style='font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 8pt;display:inline;float:left; width:156px; height:130px;padding-top:7px'>If you enjoyed this article, you may like my book: <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0984211306/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0984211306&linkCode=as2&tag=avaplay-20" target="_blank" style="color: #473624; text-decoration: underline; font-style: italic;font-weight:normal;">The Joy of Youth Sports: Creating the Best Youth Sports Experience for Your Child</a><img src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=avaplay-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0984211306" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt="" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important;" /> <br />
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($8.95; <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002JVX6KO/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B002JVX6KO&linkCode=as2&tag=avaplay-20" target="_blank">Kindle:</a> $2.99)<img src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=avaplay-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B002JVX6KO" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt="" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important;" /> </div></div></span><div class="blogger-post-footer"><br/><hr />
Originally posted at <a href="http://insideyouthsports.blogspot.com">www.insideyouthsports.blogspot.com</a></div>Jeffrey Rhoads [Inside Youth Sports]http://www.blogger.com/profile/14755096518688222702noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7418180976901891245.post-21558999093334698392013-12-19T12:19:00.000-05:002013-12-19T12:21:20.645-05:00Paths to Success<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjp-HMfFV0tDl2T-xYSjdm5sSXYmu1a2oN6iZH4kLDQJAvIa7RXDsU9cqib3Fx8t7BuxhIeSyryKLN8Jf8YsTH_WkbQhNiv1BenvIXQqjjXK10m4mXwl4H50pvR-bcwIUCpW7ycGsZNEuub/s1600/YAG-FrontCover-Mirror.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjp-HMfFV0tDl2T-xYSjdm5sSXYmu1a2oN6iZH4kLDQJAvIa7RXDsU9cqib3Fx8t7BuxhIeSyryKLN8Jf8YsTH_WkbQhNiv1BenvIXQqjjXK10m4mXwl4H50pvR-bcwIUCpW7ycGsZNEuub/s320/YAG-FrontCover-Mirror.jpg" /></a></div><!-- Adjust Player/Coach/Parent Label Here --><div style="float:left;padding-right:0px;"><span style="font-size:60%;font-weight:bold;background-color:Lavender;color:#588EBC;padding-top:1px;padding-bottom:0px;padding-left:3px;padding-right:3px;text-align:center;vertical-align:1px;border-color:#D4D4E4;border-width:1px;border-style:solid;">EVERYONE</span></div> <!-- Lead-in goes here --><i>Here's an excerpt from chapter 7 (Take a Look at Yourself in the Mirror) of my new book, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0984211322/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0984211322&linkCode=as2&tag=avaplay-20" target="_blank">The Young Athlete's Guide to Playing Sports</a>. This chapter's lead topic presents helpful information on the different ways to succeed in sports, and how you can find your own best path.</i> <br />
<div style=""> </div><h3>Paths to Success</h3>Success in sports comes in different forms. The most obvious one is derived from your ability to play a sport well. You win. Your team wins. Everyone wants to play with you.<br />
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How do you become one of these players?<br />
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The best athletes are usually gifted with “natural” athletic talent. They typically have physical attributes (size, strength, speed) that set them apart from others. They may also have exceptional motor skills (hand-eye coordination).<br />
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But here’s an essential truth you need to understand: <i>natural talent alone does not determine success in sports</i>. Although it often accompanies success, it’s only one ingredient in the mix of qualities that define a winning, competitive athlete. As previously discussed, hard work (practice and preparation) is also necessary to shape one’s talent into effective play. Likewise, good coaching and instruction help transform raw talent into a more refined product. Other more intangible qualities also play an important role. The “will-to-win,” ability to learn, and tactical intelligence, all help define an athlete’s prospects for success.<br />
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<h3>Talent is Relative</h3>You should also appreciate that <i>talent isn't absolute</i>—it grows or shrinks relative to circumstance. In youth, it’s often relative to one’s physical development. You may physically mature earlier or later than others your age. “Stars” at the youth level may dominate because they are bigger, taller, or stronger. But like runners who charge to the front at the start of a long race, only to quickly fall back into the pack, their advantage is frequently short-lived. No longer tall or strong for their age as they and others mature, their talent (in this case a physical advantage) disappears.<br />
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<div style="font-family: Arial; background-color: lavender; float:right; width:160px; height:auto; border-style: solid; border-top-width: 1px; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-color: black; margin-top: 8px; margin-right: 10px; margin-left:10px; margin-bottom: 10px; padding: 8px"><img style="height:1.0em; width:auto; background: none !important;
-moz-box-shadow: 0px 0px 0px transparent !important;
-webkit-box-shadow: 0px 0px 0px transparent !important;
box-shadow: 0px 0px 0px transparent !important border-style:none; padding:0px !important; border:0px !important;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIcf_avVihLsc3XRUXHTEh5OBVZWiXCU1W97m3n9DAqbM2gqy489gt7V-78tHEoiXWFqV1GlVI2ZU034Ytsy-kdrjRQ4eLYHAfJPzuhyS9s4EJLabcYIi3H-rs6tDG9tCakwtty2zM_v8E/s1600/Sidebar-Arrow.gif" />Although natural talent helps one excel at playing sports, it’s not a prerequisite for success. There are other ways for an athlete with less talent to succeed—ones that an athlete can learn and control.</div>The measure of one’s talent is also <i>relative to the level of competition</i>. Middle school stars who possess outstanding skills may find that this talent alone isn't the path to success when they graduate to high school. Many others may now have similar abilities—ones that were regarded as exceptional at lower levels. <br />
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Consider professional athletes. At lower levels, most were exceptionally gifted athletes. But at the elite professional level, many are now viewed as having limited athleticism. Their talent is less remarkable. <br />
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<h3>Successful Athletes Adapt</h3>Yet despite their diminished relative ability, many of these professional players still enjoy great success. For example, from 2006 through 2008, a decidedly non-athletic Jason Kapono found success in the NBA because of his ability to make 3-point shots. Tom Brady did not become one of the best quarterbacks of all time because he is a physically great athlete. (His NFL combine results, including a 5.28 40 yard time, were some of the worst ever recorded for a quarterback.) Instead, he adapted his play at the professional level to counter the quicker, faster, and stronger NFL defenders. He learned how to more quickly process patterns of play and make the right decisions.<br />
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These players all find other ways to play their sport well; their path to success changes. They may excel in one area of play—possibly one that is crucial to the success of their team. They build upon their experience and countless practice repetitions; their minds have a fuller grasp of how to play the game, enabling them to more quickly take advantage of opportunities that present themselves during a contest. They may also have greater mental discipline to both prepare and persevere. They’re better conditioned. They work and play harder. Their will to win is strong.<br />
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If you’re a young athlete who wants to play competitive sports, your path to success will likely resemble the one just described. Few athletes consistently win throughout their career by relying on their athletic talent alone. Instead, hard work and the other qualities described above come into play. And this is good news for you and every other young athlete. You <i>can </i>develop and control many of these other qualities! <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyZewcHaRDY8Z_g1EbGnc25f10AzSXmaJH37jFcv9wM85oLXLLwU9-AauEcKSaCJ4yT7ek2SAa73bncH4n-L7Bst_taNDXsfeHW3886qWpsflfRfzulKFtsPx_fXhAcnP2a6corPH7gA5Z/s1600/Ch7-SuccessfulAthlete.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyZewcHaRDY8Z_g1EbGnc25f10AzSXmaJH37jFcv9wM85oLXLLwU9-AauEcKSaCJ4yT7ek2SAa73bncH4n-L7Bst_taNDXsfeHW3886qWpsflfRfzulKFtsPx_fXhAcnP2a6corPH7gA5Z/s400/Ch7-SuccessfulAthlete.gif" /></a></div><br />
<!-- Footer goes here --> <p style="text-align:center; font-size:70%;">Copyright © 2013 Jeffrey S. Rhoads. All Rights Reserved</p><style>img.MyImage {-moz-box-shadow: 0px 0px 0px #000000; -webkit-box-shadow: 0px 0px 0px #000000; -goog-ms-box-shadow: 0px 0px 0px #000000; box-shadow: 0px 0px 0px #000000;border-width:0}
</style><div style='float:left; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 8pt; line-height:1.3em; border-collapse: collapse;align:center;' width='220'><div style='float:left; width:92px; height:130px;'><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0984211322/ref=as_li_ss_il?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0984211322&linkCode=as2&tag=avaplay-20" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="http://ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=0984211322&Format=_SL110_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=avaplay-20" ></a><img src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=avaplay-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0984211322" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt="" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important;" /> </div><div style='font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 8pt;display:inline;float:left; width:166px; height:130px;padding-top:7px'>If you enjoyed this article, you may like my book: <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0984211322/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0984211322&linkCode=as2&tag=avaplay-20" style='color: #473624; text-decoration: underline; font-style: italic;font-weight:normal;'target="_blank">The Young Athlete's Guide to Playing Sports: <i>What Every Athlete Needs to Know to Play, Win, and Have Fun</i></a> <br />
<br />
($16.95; <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00ETCKJPG/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B00ETCKJPG&linkCode=as2&tag=avaplay-20"></a><img src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=avaplay-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B00ETCKJPG" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt="" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important;"/><a style=" margin-left:-8px;" href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00ETCKJPG/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B00ETCKJPG&linkCode=as2&tag=avaplay-20" target="_blank">Kindle:</a> $7.99)<img src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=avaplay-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B00ETCKJPG" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt="" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important;"/></div></div><div style="float:left; width:15px; height:130px;"> </div><div style='float:left; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 8pt; line-height:1.3em; border-collapse: collapse;align:center;' width='220'; margin-left:10px;><div style='float:left; width:92px; height:130px;'><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0984211306/ref=as_li_ss_il?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0984211306&linkCode=as2&tag=avaplay-20" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="http://ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=0984211306&Format=_SL110_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=avaplay-20" ></a><img src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=avaplay-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0984211306" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt="" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important;" /></div><div style='font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 8pt;display:inline;float:left; width:156px; height:130px;padding-top:7px'>If you enjoyed this article, you may like my book: <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0984211306/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0984211306&linkCode=as2&tag=avaplay-20" target="_blank" style="color: #473624; text-decoration: underline; font-style: italic;font-weight:normal;">The Joy of Youth Sports: Creating the Best Youth Sports Experience for Your Child</a><img src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=avaplay-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0984211306" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt="" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important;" /> <br />
<br />
($8.95; <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002JVX6KO/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B002JVX6KO&linkCode=as2&tag=avaplay-20" target="_blank">Kindle:</a> $2.99)<img src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=avaplay-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B002JVX6KO" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt="" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important;" /> </div></div></span><div class="blogger-post-footer"><br/><hr />
Originally posted at <a href="http://insideyouthsports.blogspot.com">www.insideyouthsports.blogspot.com</a></div>Jeffrey Rhoads [Inside Youth Sports]http://www.blogger.com/profile/14755096518688222702noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7418180976901891245.post-90041295814273879102013-12-11T14:45:00.000-05:002013-12-11T17:54:28.287-05:00Coaches Have Different Perspectives<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8DYZtEAzTovtE9-p0yvvApOnzWe4K4K6tW0hd2O43hr7ziOFoOVX6y1zBguaImnmocGuIdjIEgHL2crW2IzOEQ7cphKRXwYfZgfG7t_gtczI2OflAabqgHIpxSJ31EVFBIjdmvcU_By_O/s1600/YAG-FrontCover-WhatYourCoachWants.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8DYZtEAzTovtE9-p0yvvApOnzWe4K4K6tW0hd2O43hr7ziOFoOVX6y1zBguaImnmocGuIdjIEgHL2crW2IzOEQ7cphKRXwYfZgfG7t_gtczI2OflAabqgHIpxSJ31EVFBIjdmvcU_By_O/s320/YAG-FrontCover-WhatYourCoachWants.jpg" /></a></div><!-- Adjust Player/Coach/Parent Label Here --><div style="float:left;padding-right:0px;"><span style="font-size:60%;font-weight:bold;background-color:Lavender;color:#588EBC;padding-top:1px;padding-bottom:0px;padding-left:3px;padding-right:3px;text-align:center;vertical-align:1px;border-color:#D4D4E4;border-width:1px;border-style:solid;">EVERYONE</span></div> <!-- Lead-in goes here --><i>Here's an excerpt from chapter 6 (What Your Coach Wants) of my new book, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0984211322/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0984211322&linkCode=as2&tag=avaplay-20" target="_blank">The Young Athlete's Guide to Playing Sports</a>. This topic discusses how coaches often hold different views on how a sport should be played and what you can do to accordingly improve your opportunity to play.</i> <br />
<div style=""> </div><h3>Unique Perspectives</h3>Coaches possess their own unique perspectives on how their sport should be played and the associated skills and values they need to teach. <br />
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One coach may prefer a man-to-man defense while another one is convinced that a zone defense is best. But besides different views on strategy and game tactics, your coaches may also hold entirely different philosophical views on what constitutes success and how to achieve it. You need to understand the type of coach you play for.<br />
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<h3>Defining Success</h3><div style="font-family: Arial; background-color: lavender; float:right; width:160px; height:auto; border-style: solid; border-top-width: 1px; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-color: black; margin-top: 8px; margin-right: 10px; margin-left:10px; margin-bottom: 10px; padding: 8px"><img style="height:1.0em; width:auto; background: none !important;
-moz-box-shadow: 0px 0px 0px transparent !important;
-webkit-box-shadow: 0px 0px 0px transparent !important;
box-shadow: 0px 0px 0px transparent !important border-style:none; padding:0px !important; border:0px !important;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIcf_avVihLsc3XRUXHTEh5OBVZWiXCU1W97m3n9DAqbM2gqy489gt7V-78tHEoiXWFqV1GlVI2ZU034Ytsy-kdrjRQ4eLYHAfJPzuhyS9s4EJLabcYIi3H-rs6tDG9tCakwtty2zM_v8E/s1600/Sidebar-Arrow.gif" />If you’re playing for a hard-nosed, demanding coach, you will have to put in the necessary extra time expected of you. If your coach is intense, display a similar attitude (as opposed to one that is more laid-back). Pay close attention to what parts of the game your coach emphasizes and concentrate on improving your play in those areas. </div>To one extreme, your coach may view success largely as a matter of winning versus losing. This type of coach will believe that players should dedicate themselves to the team, work hard, and sacrifice to reach the primary goal of winning as many games as possible. Your coach will likely invest a great amount of time into the program and expect you to do the same. You’re more likely to play for this type of coach as you climb the competitive ladder.<br />
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Toward the other end of the spectrum is the coach who believes that players should have fun, enjoy the game, while also learning skills and possibly life lessons. This coach may or may not invest a large amount of effort in his program. He or she is less concerned about you winning and more so about you playing to the best of your ability, and striving to improve. You are more likely to play for this type of coach in youth programs when you’re younger.<br />
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<div style="font-family: Arial; background-color: lavender; float:right; width:160px; height:auto; border-style: solid; border-top-width: 1px; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-color: black; margin-top: 8px; margin-right: 10px; margin-left:10px; margin-bottom: 10px; padding: 8px"><img style="height:1.0em; width:auto; background: none !important;
-moz-box-shadow: 0px 0px 0px transparent !important;
-webkit-box-shadow: 0px 0px 0px transparent !important;
box-shadow: 0px 0px 0px transparent !important border-style:none; padding:0px !important; border:0px !important;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIcf_avVihLsc3XRUXHTEh5OBVZWiXCU1W97m3n9DAqbM2gqy489gt7V-78tHEoiXWFqV1GlVI2ZU034Ytsy-kdrjRQ4eLYHAfJPzuhyS9s4EJLabcYIi3H-rs6tDG9tCakwtty2zM_v8E/s1600/Sidebar-Arrow.gif" />Focus on your coach’s perception of what’s important, not your own! </div>Typically you will have little control over who is your coach—especially if you’re an average athlete playing at the more competitive levels.<br />
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You may prefer a prior coach’s style or approach, but this is irrelevant to your current situation.<br />
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<h3>Adapt Your Play</h3><div style="font-family: Arial; background-color: lavender; float:right; width:210px; height:auto; border-style: solid; border-top-width: 1px; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-color: black; margin-top: 8px; margin-right: 10px; margin-left:10px; margin-bottom: 10px; padding: 8px"><img style="height:1.2em; width:auto; background: none !important;
-moz-box-shadow: 0px 0px 0px transparent !important;
-webkit-box-shadow: 0px 0px 0px transparent !important;
box-shadow: 0px 0px 0px transparent !important border-style:none; padding:0px !important; border:0px !important;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirXDKKWTP7PilcmCy46IL_8xPlRgkmIM2XOl8dub4kREnashE66cCH9aCYpRu739gVBaeYamfzS6TYNzuRJdBOPvPZX0h7WBdTPBfbhm0dI8zPKVc9aRx4XUQZxiIt5vub5URtruM2untQ/s1600/bomb5b.gif" />Coaches sometimes adapt their coaching style to better match a player‘s particular personality type and attitude—but you shouldn't expect this to happen. Unless you demonstrate some unique talent, it’s unlikely you will be chosen over someone who more closely fits your coach’s model player. </div>If you want to maximize your opportunity to play, you need to adapt your preparation and play to match your coach’s perspective and needs. His perception of you may be very different from your own. For example, you may think that you’re an asset to your team when the ball is in your hands and you’re aggressively trying to score. But your coach may instead see you as a liability—a selfish player who won’t pass the ball to an open teammate.<br />
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<br />
<!-- Footer goes here --> <p style="text-align:center; font-size:70%;">Copyright © 2013 Jeffrey S. Rhoads. All Rights Reserved</p><style>img.MyImage {-moz-box-shadow: 0px 0px 0px #000000; -webkit-box-shadow: 0px 0px 0px #000000; -goog-ms-box-shadow: 0px 0px 0px #000000; box-shadow: 0px 0px 0px #000000;border-width:0}
</style><div style='float:left; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 8pt; line-height:1.3em; border-collapse: collapse;align:center;' width='220'><div style='float:left; width:92px; height:130px;'><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0984211322/ref=as_li_ss_il?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0984211322&linkCode=as2&tag=avaplay-20" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="http://ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=0984211322&Format=_SL110_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=avaplay-20" ></a><img src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=avaplay-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0984211322" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt="" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important;" /> </div><div style='font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 8pt;display:inline;float:left; width:166px; height:130px;padding-top:7px'>If you enjoyed this article, you may like my book: <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0984211322/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0984211322&linkCode=as2&tag=avaplay-20" style='color: #473624; text-decoration: underline; font-style: italic;font-weight:normal;'target="_blank">The Young Athlete's Guide to Playing Sports: <i>What Every Athlete Needs to Know to Play, Win, and Have Fun</i></a> <br />
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($16.95; <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00ETCKJPG/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B00ETCKJPG&linkCode=as2&tag=avaplay-20"></a><img src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=avaplay-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B00ETCKJPG" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt="" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important;"/><a style=" margin-left:-8px;" href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00ETCKJPG/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B00ETCKJPG&linkCode=as2&tag=avaplay-20" target="_blank">Kindle:</a> $7.99)<img src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=avaplay-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B00ETCKJPG" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt="" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important;"/></div></div><div style="float:left; width:15px; height:130px;"> </div><div style='float:left; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 8pt; line-height:1.3em; border-collapse: collapse;align:center;' width='220'; margin-left:10px;><div style='float:left; width:92px; height:130px;'><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0984211306/ref=as_li_ss_il?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0984211306&linkCode=as2&tag=avaplay-20" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="http://ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=0984211306&Format=_SL110_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=avaplay-20" ></a><img src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=avaplay-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0984211306" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt="" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important;" /></div><div style='font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 8pt;display:inline;float:left; width:156px; height:130px;padding-top:7px'>If you enjoyed this article, you may like my book: <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0984211306/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0984211306&linkCode=as2&tag=avaplay-20" target="_blank" style="color: #473624; text-decoration: underline; font-style: italic;font-weight:normal;">The Joy of Youth Sports: Creating the Best Youth Sports Experience for Your Child</a><img src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=avaplay-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0984211306" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt="" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important;" /> <br />
<br />
($8.95; <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002JVX6KO/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B002JVX6KO&linkCode=as2&tag=avaplay-20" target="_blank">Kindle:</a> $2.99)<img src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=avaplay-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B002JVX6KO" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt="" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important;" /> </div></div></span><div class="blogger-post-footer"><br/><hr />
Originally posted at <a href="http://insideyouthsports.blogspot.com">www.insideyouthsports.blogspot.com</a></div>Jeffrey Rhoads [Inside Youth Sports]http://www.blogger.com/profile/14755096518688222702noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7418180976901891245.post-79316911880456271472013-11-22T12:20:00.000-05:002013-11-22T12:21:11.267-05:00Starting Tomorrow, The Joy of Youth Sports is on Sale for $.99.<div style="float: left; margin: 0px 10px 0px 20px;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0984211306?ie=UTF8&tag=avaplay-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0984211306" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipGsAVlViTYOS5qngIZhml7keoDsjn5YRpu1BrHKFXH4zij3EJfSJ8nov0YquNa_VSWJHtiYq0mnPYf9ufcxTyAY97DV9c9GsOOCA63BgStouJ6ptfKTqUjZaM6VT2qglQ-wDXMDWos88/s1600/51ICBNfKD0L._SL160_.jpg" /></a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=avaplay-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0984211306" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0px;" width="1" /></div><!-- Adjust Player/Coach/Parent Label Here --><div style="float:left;padding-right:0px;"><span style="font-size:60%;font-weight:bold;background-color:Lavender;color:#588EBC;padding-top:1px;padding-bottom:0px;padding-left:3px;padding-right:3px;text-align:center;vertical-align:1px;border-color:#D4D4E4;border-width:1px;border-style:solid;">EVERYONE</span></div> <!-- Lead-in goes here -->Here's your chance to get the Kindle version of <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002JVX6KO/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B002JVX6KO&linkCode=as2&tag=avaplay-20" target="_blank">The Joy of Youth Sports</a> for pennies! Starting tomorrow through November 29th, you can purchase the Kindle edition of the book for just $.99. <br />
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This short book provides parents with a concise overview of how to create a great youth sports experience for their child. It includes 5 steps that parents need to take to help their child both compete and have fun.<br />
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And if you're looking for a gift for your older athlete, check out <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0984211322/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0984211322&linkCode=as2&tag=avaplay-20" style='color: #473624; text-decoration: underline; font-style: italic;font-weight:normal;'target="_blank">The Young Athlete's Guide to Playing Sports: <i>What Every Athlete Needs to Know to Play, Win, and Have Fun</i></a>. Endorsed by leaders in the sports community, this book contains tips, techniques, and approaches that will help any player, in any sport, improve his or her game. It's also an excellent read for parents who want to provide guidance and instruction to their child. <br />
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<span class="fullpost"> <!-- Remainder of post goes here--> <!-- Footer goes here --> <p style="text-align:center; font-size:70%;">Copyright © 2013 Jeffrey S. Rhoads. All Rights Reserved</p><style>img.MyImage {-moz-box-shadow: 0px 0px 0px #000000; -webkit-box-shadow: 0px 0px 0px #000000; -goog-ms-box-shadow: 0px 0px 0px #000000; box-shadow: 0px 0px 0px #000000;border-width:0}
</style><div style='float:left; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 8pt; line-height:1.3em; border-collapse: collapse;align:center;' width='220'><div style='float:left; width:92px; height:130px;'><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0984211322/ref=as_li_ss_il?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0984211322&linkCode=as2&tag=avaplay-20" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="http://ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=0984211322&Format=_SL110_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=avaplay-20" ></a><img src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=avaplay-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0984211322" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt="" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important;" /> </div><div style='font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 8pt;display:inline;float:left; width:166px; height:130px;padding-top:7px'>If you enjoyed this article, you may like my book: <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0984211322/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0984211322&linkCode=as2&tag=avaplay-20" style='color: #473624; text-decoration: underline; font-style: italic;font-weight:normal;'target="_blank">The Young Athlete's Guide to Playing Sports: <i>What Every Athlete Needs to Know to Play, Win, and Have Fun</i></a> <br />
<br />
($16.95; <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00ETCKJPG/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B00ETCKJPG&linkCode=as2&tag=avaplay-20"></a><img src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=avaplay-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B00ETCKJPG" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt="" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important;"/><a style=" margin-left:-8px;" href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00ETCKJPG/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B00ETCKJPG&linkCode=as2&tag=avaplay-20" target="_blank">Kindle:</a> $7.99)<img src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=avaplay-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B00ETCKJPG" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt="" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important;"/></div></div><div style="float:left; width:15px; height:130px;"> </div><div style='float:left; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 8pt; line-height:1.3em; border-collapse: collapse;align:center;' width='220'; margin-left:10px;><div style='float:left; width:92px; height:130px;'><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0984211306/ref=as_li_ss_il?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0984211306&linkCode=as2&tag=avaplay-20" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="http://ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=0984211306&Format=_SL110_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=avaplay-20" ></a><img src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=avaplay-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0984211306" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt="" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important;" /></div><div style='font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 8pt;display:inline;float:left; width:156px; height:130px;padding-top:7px'>If you enjoyed this article, you may like my book: <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0984211306/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0984211306&linkCode=as2&tag=avaplay-20" target="_blank" style="color: #473624; text-decoration: underline; font-style: italic;font-weight:normal;">The Joy of Youth Sports: Creating the Best Youth Sports Experience for Your Child</a><img src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=avaplay-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0984211306" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt="" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important;" /> <br />
<br />
($8.95; <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002JVX6KO/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B002JVX6KO&linkCode=as2&tag=avaplay-20" target="_blank">Kindle:</a> $2.99)<img src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=avaplay-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B002JVX6KO" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt="" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important;" /> </div></div></span><div class="blogger-post-footer"><br/><hr />
Originally posted at <a href="http://insideyouthsports.blogspot.com">www.insideyouthsports.blogspot.com</a></div>Jeffrey Rhoads [Inside Youth Sports]http://www.blogger.com/profile/14755096518688222702noreply@blogger.com0