Celebrating the Life of a True Coaching Mentor
Tuesday, 11 January 2022
Teenage girls. If you have ever coached a group of teenage girls, you know how incredibly wonderful they can be. Happy, fun, so much love and bonding, matching headbands, energy and passion. You also know that they are coming into their own as young women. They start to form cliques. Jealousy may arise if one
- Published in Adversity, Coaching, mentorship
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#251 “It’s Not D1 or Bust!” A Conversation with Nick Buonocore, Founder of the Reformed Sports Project
Friday, 17 December 2021
Listen on the web, iTunes, Spotify, Amazon, and Stitcher Nick Buonocore started The Reformed Sports Project to provide a platform for coaches and athletes from the highest levels to share their perspective and experiences with parents and kids. What started as a a few interviews and some social media posts with quotes from these athletes and parents has turned into
Reimagining Youth Sports in a Post-COVID-19 World
Tuesday, 14 April 2020
“When do you think we will play again, coach?” “Will we finish our season, coach?” “I sure miss practice, even the fitness!” “What about tryouts?” If you are part of a school or youth sports club, these are the questions you have been fielding on a daily basis. Since the state of Oregon closed down
- Published in club sports, COVID-19, Youth Sports
The “Power of Moments” in Youth Sports
Tuesday, 17 October 2017
The Magic Castle Hotel is one of the top three rated hotels in Los Angeles. Of its nearly 3000 reviews, 93% rate it very good or excellent, putting it above properties such as The Four Seasons and the Ritz Carlton. Yet, as you flip through the photos online, you don’t see much that makes you
It’s Time to End the Sideline Sportsanity
Monday, 10 April 2017
As soon as I stepped out of my car in the parking lot, I could hear it. It was a beautiful Saturday afternoon of travel soccer, but there it was. You know what I’m talking about: that sometimes beautiful, often times excruciating cacophony of sounds that we have come to know as “cheering for our
- Published in Problems in Youth Sports, Sports Parenting
Life Lessons from my “Old School” Sports Dad
Tuesday, 14 June 2016
I remember the conversation like it was yesterday. I was a sophomore in high school, and I was mad. I was offended. I was aggrieved… I had been benched. When I got home from school, I wanted someone to tell me how I was right, and the coach was wrong. I wanted someone to tell
- Published in Parenting
Why Sports Matter
Wednesday, 02 March 2016
In February 2016 I was speaking at an all day workshop in Montrose CO, and as I was finishing my morning setup the participants began arriving. It was the usual collection of coaches, parents, city recreation administrators, city officials and some younger kids decked out in the gear of their respective sports team. Then another
- Published in Coaches Across Continents, Family Values
Does Youth Sports Get the Math All Wrong?
Monday, 14 December 2015
“I did not know there would be math on this test,” is something I say (jokingly) when I get a difficult question at my speaking engagements. Recently, I received an email from a frantic mom, and it got me thinking about math. Yes, math. When it comes to our current sporting environment, I think we often
- Published in Problems in Youth Sports, Specialization, Talent Development
A Letter to My Son’s Coach
Monday, 09 November 2015
(This article by Mary Ann Ware first appeared here on her amazing blog and is reprinted with permission) To My Son’s Soccer Coach: Last weekend, after the final game of the season, you posed with my son and his seven teammates in front of the goal for some team pictures. There you were, one man
- Published in Coaching, Sports Parenting
Redefining Success: 8 Tips for Being a Great Sports Parent
Wednesday, 28 October 2015
By James Leath “When did parenting get to be so stressful?” began a recent post on the Changing the Game Project Facebook page. “I worry that if I don’t provide them with the best equipment, or get them on the best team, or take them to every camp or tournament, then I am letting my
- Published in Article
I Never Thought it Would End THIS Way
Friday, 23 October 2015
By Karrick Dyer (this originally appeared on www.KarrickDyer.com and is reprinted with permission of @KarrickD) For anyone who has ever coached youth sports of any kind, from pee-wee to middle school, and even high school sports in some cases………I have a deep question that has been floating in my mind in recent days. Just give
- Published in Family Values, Sports Parenting
The Great Trophy Debate: Do We Need Participation Awards?
Wednesday, 09 September 2015
“Daddy, do we get trophies for playing lacrosse this spring?” my son asked me a few months back. “No, you get to go out and run around and have lots of fun while learning lacrosse,” I said. “OK!” Then he turned and ran out on the field for the start of his first practice. According
- Published in Family Values, Participation Awards, Problems in Youth Sports
Is Social Media Ruining Your Youth Sports Experience?
Wednesday, 24 September 2014
Do you turn get on Facebook, or Pinterest, or Instagram, and ever think to yourself “Everyone’s kid has a trophy, won their big game, and is having great success, but mine is not?” Does it drive you nuts when everyone else’s kids seem to be achieving something remarkable, or looking so happy, and you are
- Published in Problems in Youth Sports, Sports Parenting, Talent Development
Starting Your Athletes the Right Way
Thursday, 29 May 2014
(A child’s first contact and first impression of a sport goes a long way to determining whether or not he will fall in love with the game. As basketball great Steve Nash says, upon receiving his first ball and playing in his first organized league at age 13, “I felt like I had a new
- Published in Coaching, Motivation, Sports Parenting
The Ride Home
Thursday, 01 May 2014
One of the saddest things I had to do as a Director of Coaching for numerous soccer clubs was conduct exit interviews, meetings with players whom had decided to leave the club. Children quit sports for a litany of reasons, and my job was always to see what we could learn, so we could improve
- Published in Confidence, Problems in Youth Sports, Sports Parenting
What About the Single Sport Athlete? Specialization Part II
Monday, 27 January 2014
My article on sport specialization, “Is it Wise to Specialize,” prompted quite a bit of discussion, commentary, and controversy, with people chiming in from all across the globe. Certainly the dynamics of single v multiple sport participation, and its effect upon performance, injury, and burnout, is not a settled issue, and arouses many emotions. It
- Published in Problems in Youth Sports, Specialization, Sports Parenting
The Armpit of American Youth Sports: “Friday Night Tykes”
Tuesday, 21 January 2014
The armpit is the part of the body that is dark, stinky, and unattractive. Everyone has one, but no one wants to see it or acknowledge it, and would rather cover it up and move on. The armpit of American youth sports is the culture of win-at-all-costs, uneducated, over the top coaches and parents who
- Published in Coaching, Football, Injuries, Leadership, Problems in Youth Sports
Is it Wise to Specialize?
Monday, 13 January 2014
The greatest difference between our children’s sporting experience and our own is the rise of year round, sport specific organizations that ask – even require – season after season of participation in order to stay in the player development pipeline. The pressure to have your child specialize in a single sport at a young age
- Published in Problems in Youth Sports, Specialization, Sports Parenting
To Cheat or Not to Cheat…Is that Even a Question?
Tuesday, 07 January 2014
“Young players play with a great deal of fairness and sportsmanship. Once they learn how important the game is to adults, they will learn how to cheat.” – Dr. Ron Quinn, Professor of Sports Ethics at Xavier University. My friend Ann Dewitt is a family therapist and parenting expert, as well as the host of
- Published in Coaching, Leadership, Problems in Youth Sports, Sports Parenting
5 Thoughts That Will Change Your Youth Sports Experience for the Better
Wednesday, 01 January 2014
“Imagine life as a game in which you are juggling some five balls in the air. You name them – work, family, health, friends and spirit – and you’re keeping all of these in the air. You will soon understand that work is a rubber ball. If you drop it, it will bounce back. But
- Published in Coaching, Family Values, Sports Parenting
Coaches, a Little Common Sense Please!
Tuesday, 29 October 2013
“My 8 year old had 6 days of soccer last week!” “My 11 year old’s coach said he could not play on any other soccer teams except his. No futsal with his friends, no indoor, nothing but this team.” “My 13 year old was told that if he did not commit to play Fall baseball,
- Published in Coaching, Leadership
Are Your Kids Mentally Weak?
Friday, 04 October 2013
Are your kids mentally tough? Can they be pushed to achieve great things, or do they need to be coddled? Do they deal well with disappointment and failure, or do they fear it, and thus avoid challenging situations? Do they fear strict, demanding coaches, or do they thrive on them? As parents we know our
- Published in Confidence, Mental Toughness
Mental Toughness Week
Tuesday, 01 October 2013
Why are we so afraid to challenge kids these days, or to let our kids be challenged? We all know that our greatest accomplishments, the things we are most proud of in our lives, be they building a business, or our family, or athletic achievements, all came with struggle! Nothing great comes easy. This week
- Published in Confidence, Mental Toughness
Trust Your Gut When It Comes To Youth Sports
Sunday, 25 August 2013
Every time I speak, I am always approached by parents who tell me that all the pressure and emphasis on winning for their young athlete, all the pressure to commit year round to a sport prior to puberty, just feels wrong. In their heart, they know that their children want to play multiple sports, and
- Published in Family Values, Problems in Youth Sports, Sports Parenting
“You Might Need New Friends!” Part II of Three Things Great Coaches and Leaders Do
Monday, 05 August 2013
In Part II of our 3 part series, I relate a simple business adage to sports. In business, it is said that if you take the five people who are your primary business advisers, add up what they make and divide by 5, that is probably what you are making. Coaching and leadership are similar.
- Published in Coaching, Leadership, Sports Parenting, State
What Do You Value Most, and Are Youth Sports Delivering For You?
Thursday, 25 July 2013
All too often, I see many adults who are involved in youth sports, either as a parent, administrator or a coach, adhere to one set of core values when it comes to family, education, and relationships, and an entirely different set of values when it comes to sports. We value things like hard work, commitment,
- Published in Article