Via the Youth Sports Parents Blog comes the following:

Gretzky on youth hockey
from Youth Sports Parents by Mark Hyman

This is a terrific piece from last Friday's Toronto Globe and Mail in which Wayne Gretzky speaks out about the overheated state of youth hockey. Basically, he advises parents to back off. Let kids enjoy the game. Encourage them to experiment with several sports. Gretzky says this is the approach he has taken with his five kids. And it was the way he grew up in sports.

"I know, for myself, when the hockey season was over, I couldn't wait to play baseball. I had no interest in playing ice hockey until September," he tells the Globe and Mail.
We need to hear this message from more pro athletes.

Thanks to Doug Abrams for tipping us to this article

I've heard this so often from so many people, well connected, talented athletes and coaches, it just boggles my brain how often this simple advice isn't followed. I was in Minneapolis last fall and had an opportunity to have lunch with Doug Woog, he's legend in Minnesota and works for Learfield.  We spent a good bit of lunch talking about youth sports and the impact that ultra competitive sports has on kids, both physically and mentally.

For many families, it starts early, 8, 9 10 years old.  The dreams of college scholarships and a shot at the big leagues quickly replaces all rational thought.  Kids who should be outside playing with their friends are instead either sent to the gym or to the trainer.  And parents spend thousands, tens of thousands of dollars training and carting the family all over the country. 

To date, I have yet to see any data that shows all this investment at such a young age actually translates into any measurable results.  To the contrary, there's quite a bit of data that suggests many kids burn out along the way, typically by the age of 13. And from Coach Woog's perspective, this behavior often damages a child's "sense of team" and "place".

Parents, do yourself a favor.  Encourage your young athlete, nurture their desire, but maintain perspective.  And above all make sure they're having fun. Remember, it's supposed to be fun, not a job!

One of the techniques I've used over the years to help a child build self confidence is the highlight reel. Most any child who has watched ESPN or any televised sport for that matter, is familiar with highlight footage. In fact they often look forward to it, whether at the end of the game or the end of a season, it's definitely entertaining and always inspiring.

I contend every athlete should develop a highlight reel of their own. And as a coach you can help your athletes develop their own mental highlight reel by pointing out their great plays. By reminding them to add it to their highlight reel. And by helping them recall their great plays when things aren't going so well.

We've all had bad days, days where we don't live up to our own expectations.  On those days, it's helpful to recall some of these mental highlights to counteract our negative thoughts. When negative thoughts take root in athletes, its often hard to counter them and the child risks falling into a slump that's hard to dig out of.  Personally, I think one of the most powerful weapons in a coaches arsenal, provided you've laid the ground work, is to use an athletes own highlights to remind them of the successful athlete they are.

And thanks to the advancement of technology, the use of camcorders and simple computer video editing capabilities. It's not that difficult to create an actual highlight DVD for your athletes.  Most every team has a parent who knows how to do this --why not ask them to assist your team by putting together highlights for the team?  I'll be a great tool and wonderful keepsake to boot.

Over the years and just recently in fact, I've written about the importance of perspective when it comes to youth sports. Despite our desires, one must recognize just how unlikely it is, that any one of us is raising a professional athlete.  Don't get me wrong, the last thing I want is to shoot down anyone's dream --this is about understanding reality and the difficult journey that lies ahead. I suspect this is one reason having fun tops the list of advice to youngsters from both collegiate and professional athletes alike.

The NCAA publishes some statistics that speaks to this:2/16/2007

Estimated Probability of Competing in Athletics Beyond the High School Interscholastic Level

Men's Basketball

• Less than one in 35, or approximately 3.0 percent, of high school senior boys playing interscholastic basketball will go on to play men's basketball at a NCAA member institution.
• Less than one in 75, or approximately 1.2 percent, of NCAA male senior basketball players will get drafted by a National Basketball Association (NBA) team.
• Approximately three in 10,000, or approximately 0.03 percent of high school senior boys playing interscholastic basketball will eventually be drafted by an NBA team.

Women's Basketball

• About 3.3 percent, or approximately three in 100, of high school senior girls interscholastic basketball players will go on to play women's basketball at a NCAA member institution.
• About one in 100, or approximately 1.0 percent, of NCAA female senior basketball players will get drafted by a Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) team.
• Approximately one in 5,000, or approximately 0.02 percent of high school senior girls playing interscholastic basketball will eventually be drafted by a WNBA team.

Football

• About 5.7 percent, or approximately one in 17, of all high school senior boys playing interscholastic football will go on to play football at a NCAA member institution.
• About 1.8 percent, or approximately one in 50, of NCAA senior football players will get drafted by a National Football League (NFL) team.
• Approximately eight in 10,000, or approximately 0.08 percent of high school senior boys playing interscholastic football will eventually be drafted by an NFL team.

Baseball

• Approximately three in 50, or about 6.1 percent, of high school senior boys interscholastic baseball players will go on to play men's baseball at a NCAA member institution.
• Less than ten in 100, or about 9.4 percent, of NCAA senior male baseball players will get drafted by a Major League Baseball (MLB) team.
• Approximately one in 200, or approximately 0.45 percent of high school senior boys playing interscholastic baseball will eventually be drafted by an MLB team.

Men's Ice Hockey

• Approximately 11 in 100, or about 11 percent, of high school senior boys interscholastic ice hockey players will go on to play men's ice hockey at a NCAA member institution.
• Less than 1 in 27, or about 3.7 percent, of NCAA senior male ice hockey players will get drafted by a National Hockey League (NHL) team.
• Less than one in 300, or approximately 0.32 percent of high school senior boys playing interscholastic ice hockey will eventually be drafted by an NHL team.

Men's Soccer

• Less than three in 50, or about 5.5 percent, of high school senior boys interscholastic soccer players will go on to play men's soccer at a NCAA member institution.
• Less than one in 50, or about 1.7 percent, of NCAA senior male soccer players will be drafted by a Major League Soccer (MLS) team.
• Approximately one in 1,250, or approximately 0.07 percent of high school senior boys playing interscholastic soccer will eventually be drafted by an MLS team.

Their mission:

Two-time National League Baseball MVP Dale Murphy launched this foundation with the intent to eliminate steroids and other illegal performance enhancing drugs from the world of sports.  Our mission is to bring together the best minds and most influential problem solvers to focus on practical, effective measures that can be taken to get all young people between 5th and 12th grade to make the pledge to not cheat in sports, in the classroom or in life.  As we have implemented this program around the country we have found that sports is the perfect ‘vehicle’ to teach these impressionable young people the timeless values of integrity, commitment, and healthy living.

What more can be said? I can think of no better message to teach impressionable children.  You can learn more about the I Won't Cheat Foundation here.

According to Jay Coakley, a sociology Professor who specializes in the sociology of sports and the National Alliance for Youth Sports, parents need to have realistic expectations when it comes to youth sports. Here are a few sobering points:

• Less than one percent of high school athletes are offered a division one scholarship or receive any money at all.
• Only one in about one hundred high school athletes play at the college level.
• Only one in about 100,000 high school athletes ever sign with a professional sports program.

While I can't attest to the accuracy of these statistics, I have no reason to doubt them, and they are similar to other statistics I've seen.

In this day an age, it's especially important that parents keep some perspective about the expectations they silently communicate with their children.  Kids these days are starting competitive sports earlier and earlier in hopes of their child playing a high school sport and further hopes of college scholarships. It's pretty easy to get caught up in the chase placing unrealized and substantial pressures on your child.

it's critical to remember that he or she a child, who happens to be an athlete and not an athlete that happens to be a child.  Let them develop slowly. Allow them the freedom to make mistakes.  Let them have fun and develop a joy for the sport of their choice and the rest will take care of itself.

One of the principles taught by the Positive Coaching Alliance (PCA) for defining sportsmanship is the ROOTS principle.  A pretty good baseline for coaches to establish expectations of young athletes. 

R is for Rules
Rules keep the game fair. If we you play or win by ignoring the rules, what is the reali value of your victory?

O is for Opponents
Without an opponent, there would be no competition. You need to honor strong opponents because they challenge you to do your best. As an athletes you can be both fierce and friendly during the game; playing hard to score or make an out is compatiable with being friendly and helping an opponent up. Coaches showing respect for the opposing coaches and players sets the tone for the team and the game.

O is for Officials
Respecting officials, even when we disagree with their calls, is probably the hardest part. Officials aren't perfect just like coaches, athletes and parents, we all make mistakes.  As a coach it's important to think about how to best approach an official when you want to discuss a call. It's important to keep a level head and remember the young eyes watching you.

T is for Teammates
Athletes must understand that being part of a team requires thinking about and respecting one"s teammates. This respect should carry beyond the sport and into the classroom and social settings. Athletes should also realize that their effort in the game also reflects on their team. Respect is critical and reflects back on the team in all situations.

S is for Self
Athletes should live up to their own highest personal standard of Honoring the Game, even if their opponents do not. Athletes" respect for themselves and their own standards must come first.

You can read more about honoring the game at www.positivecoaching.org

I generally try to be a positive person, but sometimes I'm more successful than others... Anyway, while the majority of my baseball coaching days are behind me, my team building or life coaching are very much a part of what I do everyday.

It never ceases to amaze me just how applicable the lessons of sports are to everyday life. And teaching those lessons to young athletes is one of the goals behind the Positive Coaching Alliance (PCA), which PhilAtkinson.org is now certified and a member.

The PCA was founded at Stanford University within the Athletic department in 1998 and is made up of coaches, parents, professional athletes, various leaders, schools, etc., nationwide. And their Double-Goal Coaches Program is something I'm proud to be apart of.

Double-Goal Coaches, like it sounds, have two goals for their teams.

1) To Win! Pretty simple and obvious.
2) To teach life lessons through sports.

The concept involves a positive coaching philosophy in which you accept a greater success story is possible via a positive approach than a negative one. So much of sports is a head game and just like life, to be truly successful in either requires a positive mindset with supportive coaches and family infrastructures. I think all youth sports programs should require their coaches to be Double-Goal certified, without exception.

What exactly makes a champion? Certainly an interesting question to try and answer. Ask 10 different coaches and you're likely to get 10 different answers. That must have been the frustration of the US Olympic Committee when they commissioned a study to better understand the psychological characteristics of Olympic champions and how they could be developed.

If you have a talented young athlete in your family I think this is worth a read. Characteristics of Champions.

Champions Athletes we're found to share the following traits:
• The Ability to Focus
• Mental Toughness
• Hope/Goal Setting Ability
• Sport Intelligence
• Ability to Cope
• Competitiveness
• Confidence
• Coachability
• High Drive
• Intrinsic Motivation
• High Optimism
• Adaptive Perfectionism
• Automaticity: The Ability to Click into Automatic Performance
• Emotional Control: Ability to Relax and Activate

Role of Parents
• were very committed to their child
• modeled an active lifestyle
• exposed their child to different sports
• transported their child
• attended games and practices
• provided considerable encouragement and support

Role of Coaches:
• emphasizing certain things such as hard work and discipline or having fun
• having characteristics that facilitated athlete trust
• providing encouragement and support
• directly teaching or fostering mental skills and
• understanding these athletes

Additionally what caught my eye was the following description of required sports programs.

What is needed then are programs to expose large numbers of children to Olympic sports. These programs should emphasize fun and fundamentals, and once young athletes exhibit talent, parents should be educated as to the most productive ways to foster that talent. Parents and coaches should also understand the best ways to facilitate psychological development at each stage of the athlete’s career.

Fun... who'd of thought? It's something I often write about here. So many kids either "burn out" or "wear out" due to over zealous parents or coaches, whose competitive desire to win is put infront of developing a child's skills and sense of enjoyment for their sport. Don't confuse this to mean kids shouldn't have to work hard and be held accountable for their actions and skill development. Rather it means this is a journey, not necessarily a destination. And too much pressure leads to frustration, frustration leads to a lack of motivation and a lack of motivation leads to losing a talanted athlete. Sadly, some coaches and parents never notice the warning signs of "burn out" until it's too late. If you're a coach, do yourself a favor and pay attention to your athletes and take responsibility for their mental state --part of your job is to stay out of their heads. They should play the game, not play with a fear of the coach. Parents --that goes for you too!

One of our JCBI parents ran across this and shared it with our team. Nine Principles of Baseball and Life by Raymond Angelo Belliotti documents some pretty powerful words to live by, both on and off the field. I felt it's worth sharing with the rest of you.

Baseball is about parents taking their children to local fields and teaching them the sport. Baseball is about the bonding of parents and children in the context of 150 years of history and the excitement of the infinite possibilities of summer. Baseball is about preseason practices, with everyone playing a variety of positions, no one keeping score, everyone energized, yelling, and engaged. Baseball is passing down an American legacy, reinforcing family love, teaching values and a way of life, sharing joy and triumph, sorrow and defeat. Baseball can illustrate and enhance the meaning in our lives. Baseball is only a distant cousin to organized games, all star tournaments, or names appearing in the local sports pages.

My Sicilian parents taught me values about life that are applicable to playing baseball. My father made it clear: if I acted inappropriately on a baseball field, no umpire, no coach, no league official would have to intervene. He would run onto the field himself and physically drag me off. He was not in attendance to be embarrassed by a son who had not learned proper values. The most important rule: approach any task with great enthusiasm, a positive attitude, and with appreciation for the opportunity to participate. My 9 principles of baseball are more fundamentally 9 principles of living a rewarding life.

1. NO EXCUSES.
Do not blame teammates, umpires, coaches, fans, or the position of the moon for your performance. Take responsibility for what happens on the field. Stand up, make no excuses, refuse the excuses that others might offer you. Excuses get in the way of learning because mistakes are denied. Be accountable. Remember you are not expected to be a perfect performer. No one is. Baseball is not an easy game to play.

Continue reading Mr.Belliotti's Nine Principles. It's worth a read.

I ran across an article over the weekend while researching some baseball tips. And while I haven't read John Reed's book, I was struck by his list of don'ts. A couple of John's more philosophical points caught my attention.

Destroying player confidence by telling them all the things they are doing “wrong.” It takes ten seconds to destroy a kid’s confidence by telling him what’s “wrong” with his swing.

Hitting a baseball is one of the most difficult things in sports. Reaction time, reading the ball, adjustments before the swing, mid swing hand adjustments, etc., all conspire against a person. Hitting a baseball is a head game, and telling your young batter you don't believe in him (what's he's doing wrong, what adjustment he should make), just before he gets into the box is one of the stupidest things a coach can do. Boy have I been guilty in the past of this one...

Coaching as if you were preparing your players for the Major Leagues. 73% of kids quit youth sports by age 13. Only about one kid per youth team will ever play high-school baseball. You will coach one future Major Leaguer about every 641 seasons.

Now I'll be the first to admit in pushing the kids and expecting them to work hard. A coaches expectations and players fear of falling short, is a powerful motivator when used carefully. And while I don't know about John's stats, he's certainly on point. As with many of things I post regarding coaching, it's about keeping a positive attitude. At the end of the day, it's a game, it's supposed to be fun, and it's a coaches job to keep it that way. Push your team, make them work, make them better than they are, but don't turn it into a job. Doing so will only cost you talented players, especially when the football or track coach makes it more fun than you. Think about it, if you hated your job, how much effort would you be willing to put into it?

You can read John's full list.