20 Ways to Prepare Young Athletes for Success in Sports and in Life
Written on February 27, 2013 at 2:41 pm, by Eric Cressey
It’s a challenging time to be a parent. Our twin daughters are seven, and our third daughter is three - and I can already appreciate this fact.
You see, at the end of my own personal youth athletics career, I went directly to a career in coaching young athletes – and I’ve been there for close to two decades now. To give you a little idea of how times have changed since I was a high school athlete:
a. I’d never heard of AAU soccer (or elite travel teams) when I was playing as a teenager (or 8-year-old, for that matter). I think about three kids in my state were selected to the Olympic Development Program when I was a senior because they were pretty good, but the rest of us didn’t get a trophy for trying – and I don’t recall anyone complaining about this lack of hardware on the mantle.
b. I didn’t send an email or use Instant Messenger until I was a freshman in college (1999). Somehow, I miraculously still managed to have normal social interactions with other human beings. I didn’t get a cell phone until I was 23 and in graduate school. And, I’m pretty sure that the gerbil that ran around inside it to keep the power going wasn’t up for working overtime so that I could Snapchat (and the thing couldn’t take pictures, anyway).
c. The guy (Kevin Colleran) who lived next door to me my freshman year in college turned out to be one of Facebook’s first ten employees. So, you could say I had a Facebook friend before Facebook even existed.
By reading this long, meandering introduction, I hope you’ll realize (not that you didn’t already) that kids “these days” are different. They respond to a different style of coaching, and that surely means that parenting styles must be different, too.
One thing I’ve found quite interesting over the past decade or so is that the number of overzealous, pushy, high-pressure parents has increased exponentially. As we all know (and not surprisingly), burnout rates in teen athletes has gone sky-high in this same time period. However, on a more anecdotal level, I know I can speak for myself and many other qualified coaches when I say that the "typical" kid who walks through my door on Day 1 just isn’t as athletic as he used to be. Asymmetries are more profound, injury histories are more extensive, basic movement skill acquisition has been skipped over, and – perhaps more significantly – the athletes are a bit “desensitized” to the overall training process.
They view everything as just another game/practice, so the value of each training exposure is a bit less. This was something that just didn’t happen when I was younger and free play was so heavily emphasized; we got tremendously excited for each opportunity to get better, whether it was a summer soccer camp or a new drill or training approach that our coaches introduced.
Now, make no mistake about it: we aren’t going to end the Technology Era, and I don’t expect travel teams and showcases to go away, either. However, we can change our attitudes toward them and behavior surrounding them – and, most importantly, how we interact with our kids with respect to their athletic careers. To that end, I thought I’d throw out some examples of suggestions on strategies I’ve seen employed by parents who have young athletes who are well-mannered and successful while enjoying sports – from little league to the Big Leagues.
Note: while the overwhelming majority of these lessons apply to both males and females, I’ll be using the “he” pronoun for the sake of brevity. No gender bias here!
1. Never overreact - or underreact.
Sports are games, and games are supposed to be fun. If a kid works his butt off, but the outcome isn’t what he’d hoped for, you should talk about the value in the process rather than dwelling on the target destination he didn’t reach. Crack jokes to lighten the mood, and then try to find a learning experience in losing, as opposed to just reaming a kid out and then sitting in silence for the rest of the ride home. In my experience, parents and coaches who overreact and take the fun out of the game are the single most common reason kids give up a sport.
Underreacting can be equally problematic. The process is definitely more important than the destination, but if a kid doesn’t take the process seriously, he should hear about it – just like if he ignores his homework or refuses to take out the trash. If he is rude to a coach or umpire, doesn’t hustle, shows up late to practice, or poorly handles something that is 100% within his control, he should be disciplined for it. Blindly siding with your kid when he misbehaves or is lazy sets a very dangerous precedent, but it also puts a coach in a very uncomfortable situation of having to discipline your kid because you haven’t.
2. Watch competition, but not practice.
When kids play while parents are watching, they are much less outgoing. However, take the parents away, and they’ll let their guards down, make new friends, and try things they otherwise wouldn’t attempt. This is a big part of both physical and social development. When parents stick around to watch practice/training – even if it’s with wildly supportive intentions – kids won’t come out of their shell. Sports are a great way to teach kids to “roll” with different social circles, and it’s important for them to get this experience without helicopter parents interfering.
By all means, go to game and cheer kids on, but don’t stick around to watch practice. As an added bonus, you avoid the possibility of a coach looking over his shoulder the whole time as he wonders whether you’re second-guessing him. Every coach dreads the parent who wants to live vicariously through his kid, so the more space you give your child, the less likely you are to be perceived like that.
3. Have your kid play multiple sports.
We’ve been telling folks for years now that early sports specialization doesn’t work as well as people think. Kids are more likely to get injured, and they miss out on a well-rounded sports experience that fosters better athleticism and social interactions over the long haul. However, to supplement this assertion, I’d encourage you to check out this fantastic post from Elsbeth Vaino: Does Early Specialization Help? Elsbeth found that 82% of the top athletes from the four major sports in the U.S. actually played multiple sports. Yes, you read that right – and it is verified by my experience with hundreds of professional athletes each year. Here's a great interview with Blake Griffin that Elsbeth posted:
4. Encourage play, not always practice/competition.
Even when the sport in question remains constant, play is different than practice, as it is far less regimented, and there is far more quality movement because there are fewer stoppages for teaching. It also presents a far richer proprioceptive environment and greater opportunity for social development. Kids need to play more – and in a variety of disciplines. Adolescent athletes need practice. Kids don’t need more competition, though; our modern athletic society already plenty of that.
5. Don’t allow kids to get desensitized to losing.
With more and more tournaments being round robin and double elimination formats, I think we have a generation of kids who has been desensitized to losing. It’s even worse when you have kids who play on multiple teams, as losing for Team A doesn’t matter because Team B has a game less than 24 hours later.
Losing is part of life, but that doesn’t mean that we should be satisfied with it. It should motivate us to work harder so that it doesn’t happen again. This doesn’t just apply to sports, either; it applies to life. As a business owner, I don’t ever plan to hire someone who is comfortable with sucking.
As a little example, my sophomore year of high school, I lost a tennis match in the state singles qualifier to a kid I should have beaten 100% of the time. It was an all-day event with several rounds on a hot day in May, and I cramped up badly in the third set of the match because I hadn’t hydrated well. That loss stung for months – but you can bet that I never forget to bring enough fluids to matches ever again. I beat the guy easily in straight sets the following year, too. Losing sucks, but it teaches you lessons.
6. Make kids do manual labor.
One of my best childhood friends grew up on a farm. He bailed hay, fed the pigs, shaved the sheep, dug holes, you name it. He was also a physical specimen who won a state championship in wrestling and would run through a wall in practices if you had asked him to do so.
Beyond the obvious physical benefits of manual labor, I think that it teaches you that a job isn’t over until the project is completed. You don’t just go out and shovel snow for 15 minutes; you shovel snow until you’ve shoveled all the snow that needs to be shoveled. This is true of almost all manual labor one would do around the house; it doesn’t have to be an official job.
I love seeing kids who are task oriented and not time oriented.
7. Get kids involved in charity work.
If you’re reading this, your kid is spoiled. What do I mean?
You can actually afford to have the internet. A lot of parents and kids don’t have that luxury – or any of a number of other ones that we take for granted.
This past fall, one of our pro guys was telling me about a mission trip he took to the Dominican Republic. While there, he was volunteering to do baseball clinics for local kids – and he said that they came out in droves for the opportunity to be coached by anybody, and certainly a recognizable professional player.
His exact words: “It completely changed my life. I had no idea what my Latin teammates in pro ball had gone through.” And, this came from a guy who was already one of the most humble players I’ve ever coached.
Whether your kid winds up successful in baseball or not, I feel strongly that it’s important to embrace the concept of giving back – both in one’s own community and beyond. Perspective like this is also important because it makes you realize that making an error in the ninth inning isn’t the end of the world – when you have a roof over your head and food on the table.
8. Make kids get up 10-15 minutes earlier to make and eat breakfast.
It drives me bonkers when I hear a kid say that he can’t find time for breakfast. Don’t find time; make time!
My most productive time of day is 5:30AM-9AM. I didn’t realize this until I was in my mid-20s. I only wish that I’d learned much sooner that good things happen when you get up a little earlier:
a. When you get up earlier, you learn to go to bed earlier. Look at research on shift workers’ long term health, and you’ll quickly realize that sleeping more hours before midnight is great for your health.
b. The morning world is a more enlightened world. As an example, look at TV shows at night versus in the morning. In the evening, you get sitcoms, comedy, violence, and infomercials. In the morning, you get the news.
c. Intermittent fasting discussions aside, the research pretty much supports that people – and particularly kids – who eat breakfast are less likely to be overweight. Whether it’s because it leads to eating less later in the day, or because people are more likely to eat quality food at home remains to be determined.
d. The world is a lot quieter in the morning, and silence almost always equates to increased focus and productivity.
9. Set an example.
Overweight parents are more likely to have overweight kids. This is just one way in which kids model parents’ behaviors. Work ethic, attention to detail, punctuality, and a host of other factors follow suit. I love it when parents come in to train at the same time as their kids at our facility - and the kids do, too (contrary to what parents usually assume).
10. Don’t contest grades in school.
Teachers don’t give grades; kids earn grades. If you start contesting grades, where do you stop? Do you call college admissions counselors when kids aren’t accepted to the school of their choice? Do you call potential employers because they won’t hire little Johnny – who is now 23 years old and still has Mommy doing his laundry and cooking him mac ‘n cheese?
If you don’t respect a teacher or coach’s authority and appreciate their good intentions, then your kid won’t, either.
11. Don’t brag about your kid.
A while back, my buddy Bill Hartman said something along the following lines: “No matter how strong you think you are, there is still a 120-pound woman warming up with your max somewhere.” He was spot on.
If you are proud of your kid, tell him so. And, feel free to tell your family members. However, it should stop there. There is absolutely, positively nothing that is a bigger turn-off to a coach or scout – or even another parent – than a parent that brags about his kid. Why?
They have always seen someone better. And, to take it a step further, I’d say that most folks “in the know” actually realize that there is an inverse relationship between how much a parent brags and how talented a kid really is. Anecdotally, the best players with whom I’ve worked all have tremendously humble parents who have worked hard to keep them grounded even if others always told them how good they were.
Bragging is entirely different than giving valuable feedback, though. If a parent has thoughts or suggestions that can benefit me in training a young athlete, I am absolutely all ears. Don’t by shy; just use discretion.
12. Never send college recruiting emails on behalf of your kid.
I have a ton of friends who are college coaches who deal with recruits every single day of the week. I have zero friends who are college coaches who prefer to deal with parents over kids during this recruiting process.
Candidly, when you send an email on behalf of your kid, you’re saying, “I want you to give my son a scholarship to play XYZ sport even though I don’t think he’s qualified to put together a 4-5 sentence email for himself. Also, I wipe his butt for him, and he still wets the bed.”
Coaches love kids that show initiative and aren’t shy about asking questions. And, I can guarantee kids who are more heavily involved in their own college selection process are far less likely to transfer in the years that follow. They get the information they need, not what you need.
At the end of the day, this is about educating kids on how to be proactive and decisive. These two traits go a long way in sports and beyond.
13. Don’t tell coaches to “kick his ass.”
If your kid isn’t tough by his teenage years, it’s not because a coach hasn’t pushed him; it’s likely because parents have let him get away with murder early on and not held him accountable. Me simply kicking a kid's ass increases his risk of injury and the likelihood that he’ll hate exercise and develop a sedentary lifestyle when his athletic career ends. I will, however, challenge him, educate him, and hold him accountable for his actions in my presence.
14. Don’t allow limp handshakes or conversations without eye contact.
This point shouldn’t warrant any explanation, but I would just add that coaches and scouts really do pay attention to things like this. Sprinting out to your position on the field, picking up equipment after a game, and cheering on teammates are all little things you can do to show that you really care. If you approach one part of your life apathetically, who is to say that it won’t carry over to everything else that you do?
15. Surround kids with unconditionally positive people.
Check out this awesome article about the positive response Colorado Rockies players had to the hiring of Dante Bichette as hitting coach a few years ago. I’ve gotten to know Dante pretty well, and he’s one of the most down-to-Earth and optimistic guys you’ll ever meet. In this article, they quoted Carlos Gonzalez – one of the top players in Major League Baseball – as saying, "Just being honest, I don't want a guy who's always being negative. He's been really good for me already." Guys in the big leagues are conditioned more than anyone else to learn to deal with failure; after all, the best hitters on the planet still fail 60-70% of the time! Yet, they STILL generally respond more favorably to people who are positive. Don’t you think that kids who are less prepared would need that unconditionally positive influence even more?
The secret is to find unconditionally positive people who know their stuff and then put your trust in them. You wouldn’t tell your accountant how to do your taxes, and you wouldn’t tell your lawyer how to write up your contracts. So, don’t tell coaches how to do their jobs after you’ve already recognized that they are experts and mentors in their area.
16. Make kids write thank you notes.
A note of appreciation goes a long way, particularly if it is written or typed with proper grammar, spelling, and punctuation.
17. Educate kids on how to read a situation as casual or formal.
Remember back in high school when you had to dress up on game days? Usually, 90% of the team did it the right way – and there were 1-2 schmucks who stubbornly resisted. They didn’t tie their ties tight enough, wore sneakers with dress pants, or continued to let their khakis hang way too far down on their butts. They’re also the people who have to be forced to write the aforementioned thank you notes, and it usually begins with “thx 4 ur gift.” We’ve even had kids submit internship application essays that consisted of one long paragraph with no capitalization at the beginning of sentences. I’m not making this up.
They live in the texting and tweeting world and have no idea when it’s appropriate to be casual versus formal. I’d wager that most of those guys are still living in their parents’ basement, too. Even more now than in previous decades, it’s important to hammer home that kids need to be more formal in writing, conversation, and dress.
18. Educate kids on the dangers of technology.
This was not something that most of us encountered during our younger years, as Twitter and Facebook weren't around until just recently. Kids have said stupid things since the beginning of time, but not until now was it easy for something dumb on the internet to "go viral" so quickly. Every week, we hear stories of professional and collegiate athletes getting into trouble for what they post as status updates on social networks. Athletes have been fined, released, and not signed in the first place because of stupid things they've said online. While college and professional teams are doing their best to include social networking training in their education of players, it should start well in advance with some common sense talks with parents. Otherwise, it's possible to undo a lot of good with one bad post.
19. Don’t give participation trophies.
My good friend Alwyn Cosgrove has written in the past about how there are always "overcorrections" in the fitness industry, as the pendulum goes too far in one direction after a long period at the other end of the spectrum. He cites the public's perception on aerobic exercise, carbohydrate intake, and static stretching as good examples. We want them all to be bad or good; there is no middle ground.
Participation trophies are the "yin" to the "yang" of the overbearing parent or crazy little league coach. Rather than bring the pendulum back to center by educating kids that the true reward is the satisfaction that comes from knowing they did the best they could do, we've given every kid a trophy to make him feel special - even though all the kids get the same trophy. Yes, the kid who shows up late to practice and swears at the coach gets the same trophy as everyone else.
A trophy is something a kid should look back on years later as a reminder of fond memories of hard work, teamwork, and a job well done. It shouldn't be something that gets thrown in a box with a few dozen other participation trophies that have absolutely no sentimental or educational value.
My biggest concern with participation trophies, however, is that they a) diminish the value of exceptional performance/service and b) condition kids to think that things will always work out okay in the end. Sorry, but the sooner we make kids realize they don't deserve a party every time they accomplish anything, the better off we'll be.
20. Give kids opportunities to demonstrate responsibility – and monitor performance.
I can only imagine how tough it is as a parent to walk the fine line between doing something for your child and just telling him to figure it out for himself. From my vantage point, though, there needs to be a lot more of the latter. Maybe I just see it through this lens because I am often going out of my way to encourage parents to force kids to be proactive during the college recruiting process. And, I like it when kids schedule their sessions with us, rather than the parents sending the email or making the phone call for them.
That said, I love it when I hear about parents giving kids challenges for them to demonstrate responsibility. Whether there are chores with checklists, or they have to take care of pets, I think it's awesome for kids to be faced with new challenges with monitored performance. Are all the boxes checked? Is there dog poop on the floor or a dead guppy in the fish bowl? Candidly, I can't remember the last time that I hear of a kid earning an allowance; does that even happen anymore? Fostering accountability at a young age is a powerful thing.
Closing Thoughts
It's taken me over 3,800 words to spit out all my random thoughts on this front, but I wanted to finish with one last thought that isn't so random: I think there is a lot that is right about youth sports these days. More girls are playing sports than ever before. There are loads of wildly passionate coaches out there who are trying to do the right thing. Information on training and coaching is more readily available than ever before. Sports medicine has improved dramatically to help kids with injuries more quickly and effectively. I could go on and on.
We have to remember that at the end of the day, less than 1% of the kids who participate in youth sports will become professional athletes. However, sports are still an outstanding medium through which to instill a variety of favorable qualities beyond just athleticism. To that end, I hope that some of the suggestions here will help to make kids not only better athletes, but better people, too.
great article Eric maybe you can help me it relates to #13. I had a parent call me to tell about a coach who is in charge of strength and conditioning who started the session yesterday with saying his goal is to make the kids throw up by the time they were done lifting,he accomplished it.What would your advice be when talking to the parents or other people who have to deal with these kind of coaches who are put in charge to work with our kids.The kids tolerate this because as they tell me you have to be a good solider with the lifting or you wont get to play.
This is a fantastic post; I specifically can’t agree with #19 more. The participation trophy thing seems like it started around when I was 10-12 years old; I remember getting them and just throwing them out. Even then I used to say how they were basically worthless – at least the water bottles or towels or sweatshirts all the kids on a team got as gifts had some other utility, those trophies were just worthless.
(I was a bit meaner about it ten years ago, though. “Even the kids that suck get those things, I don’t care!”)
GREAT article! As a former president of a youth baseball league, I agree wholeheartedly with everything written here. I would add item #21 as Don’t cherry pick your kids team so he is with all of his friends. The most rewarding teams I have ever coached have been the ones where I knew few if any of the kids (and they didn’t know each other) prior to the first practice. Those teams seemed to mesh much better and have more fun.
What an awesome post Eric. Has the father of 2 boys 7 and 8 i can take this advice and apply it right away. Think enjoying ‘play’ when to come to sport/activity is the key. Fun is in.
You mentioned breakfast,I’d add the importance of avoiding junk food/drink. Optimum nutrition during childhood and teen years has a massive effect on the physique.
And get plenty of sleep, particularly teenagers. Not too much though! Keep late nights to a minimum. And late lie-in’s to a minimum too. You touched on that in your comment about early morning being such productive hours.
Written like a guy without kids haha. Joking aside, you have really hit most things on the head. I am a relatively new parent of two boys and am also a baseball academy/gym owner for 10 years now so I am getting to see it from both sides. I have been able to see the good and not so good sides of parenting from my clientele, and now just beginning to see the natural pulls to do the wrong things with parenting…and that is just beginning (hoping to stay on track).
If I have to judge a favorite, though, I’d have to vote for #13. When we get that request my first response is to say “Me? Why didn’t you?” which leads to “What exactly do you want to accomplish by us kicking his ass?” which inevitably leads to some education on safety, not all training involves puking, matching training attention with intention, and of course, toughness starts somewhere other than here, nudge nudge, wink wink, sir…ideally with the end result of everyone getting on the same page and understanding when, if ever, an ass kicking has its place.
Well done. I’m at least 20 years older than you, but still have fairly young children (14, 12, 11 and 9) and do a lot of youth coaching. I started as a high school coach over 30 years ago.
Anyway, I know that you put a lot of time and effort into this — but it was well worthwhile. I myself have been saying/communicating most of what you posted, and have written about some of these important issues as well.
You have established a great foundation for your life and business at your young age. And — you’ll make a wonderful father some day. I will enthusiastically continue to follow your posts.
It’s a tough call, as it really depends on how open the coach is to discussing things with you and other parents. If this is a concern that is shared by the majority of parents, he needs to be open to speaking to you about it. Honestly, though, if this guy has a boss, he should hear about it. That’s a sure-fire way to get things done. It is a lawsuit waiting to happen.
EC – Thanks again for a great post! I was so happy to see #11! Seems like i’m always the guy sitting listening to how wonderful some other kid is and how he’s “dominant” on the mound or how he “flat out rakes” After a while I questioned myself as I never talk about my son’s performance (good or bad with anyone. Primarily because they probably dont care, but also because it doesn’t really matter! To add another dimension to it, the parents who brag a lot are oftentimes the ones who get really disappointed with their kids when they fail to deliver what Dad has been promising. This results in the kid catching an earful for making Dad look bad…It was nice to see this positive reinforcement of my no bragging policy!
Eric, I spend a good deal of time reading your blog. I enjoy your material and delivery as well. Your knowledge and programming is awesome! I am a 58 year old PE teacher, coach and father of 2 boys and a girl who each play 3 sports in high school. I am going to make them read this post, thank you for writing it. I have been in this business for over 30 years. This post should be mandatory reading for everyone involved with kids and athletics. Great Job!!
What it shows me, as a dad of 2 boys, is that traditional or ‘old fashioned’ parenting still has it’s place. Showing respect, good manners and a good work ethic will always be valuable character traits and hopefully playing sport will aid in their development.
And I couldn’t agree more about participation trophies. I’m about as un-pc as you can get though…
Cannot agree more with letting them play multiple sports. Not only would that help the kids decide on what interests them most but also gain different sort of athletic skills rather than be limited to a few.
These are words to live by and should be read at every PTA, Little League, high school and amateur sports meeting where parents are in attendance.
Growing up in OK, I was one of those kids doing manual farm labor like hauling hay bales, digging postholes, feeding pigs, shoveling manure and grain, and hauling water in five gallon buckets.
I wonder how many less TJ surgeries there would be today if pitchers spent an off-season doing manual labor daily. They’d be so happy to be indoors doing a 2-3 hour training session.
We who also write about sports and coaching are suddenly not worthy. In your 3800 words you have raised so many of the negative issues yet done so in a positive, instructive way. I congratulate you.
Love it! Makes me want to print it off and give to the parents and players of all 3 of our HS teams and the 15 affiliate teams for our summer program I work with!
Great post Eric. Great perspective and perceptions!! Being just a little older I would add that there too many parents with kids in sports who expect their kids to do what they themselves could not and do not want reflections to show poorly. Too many have an unrealistic view of talent and it shows as expectations on the field and beyond. Fortunately there are a good numnber of parents who have balance in their approach to their kids in sports!
For most kids, interestingly the most important factor to determine a kids longevity in sports is how they handle themselves in school, with school work. It takes a great deal of maturiy and commitment to progress beyond Babe Ruth and high school sports!!
For the most part those that handle themselves well in school will do well with all of the extracurricualr stuff!! Sometimes one has to be patient enough to let the maturity show.
By the way if I display any of these behaviors I’ll expect you to bring it to my attention!
Great post! This had to take some serious time to write. I never would have thought of all these important points. Some of these hit home as a parent and coach. I’ve been a single parent for over 18 years and am a little guilty of a few of the points made. There are plenty of single parents out there and I think we get more protective of our kids especially if we did all the parenting ourselves. As a coach, I can name parents personally who have destroyed the athletic careers of their talented sons and daughters by interfering with the good intentions of their coaches who sacrifice countless hours of hard work. For not being a parent, you have great insight on the subject. Enjoyed the article and my 22 yr. old son will be reading it.
Great article Eric, hopefully more and more parents take this kind of advice.
Although I would quibble a tiny bit with your point #10. You talk about respecting coaches’ and teachers’ authority, but there are occasions where coaches and teachers need to have their authority questioned. If a coach was having the kids do a dangerous exercise, would you challenge them on that? These moments are rare, but they do happen. But I guess this is just an every rule has an exception kind of quibble.
And for anyone else looking for more good information in this are of raising or coaching talent (and not just athletic talent), I recommend Daniel Coyle’s blog, The Talent Code (http://thetalentcode.com/).
As an athletic trainer, I can tell which athlete’s parents have instilled most, if not all, of these points into their kids. They are the ones that are disciplined about coming in and getting treatments everyday, polite with me and other staff members, and are eager to do what they have to in a controlled and timely manner to get back out on the field. Also, it’s these same athletes that I don’t see much of in the training room because they are so well rounded; in sports and as human beings.
Eric,
Outstanding rationale and ideas that have great traction. Some people might call this “old school” but in my opinion it is the only school!
I am a long time baseball coach at many levels – from USA National team to T ball as well as a trainer fro the Positive Coaching Alliance. And I coach my grandson’s LLB team!
Your message is strong, targeted in truth and value and meshes well with the PCA message. I plan to share this with his team and league officials
The more coaches, parents and athletes can hear this the “stickier” the message will be.
I am forwarding this to my lacrosse players and their parents. Great points Eric! I have been coaching sports at the high school level for 12 years and have had my share of losing seasons. But, I have always kept kindness, firmness and “fun” in my oaching. What’s hard at the high school level is watching other coaches yell, scream, demean their players, create poor sportsmanship, and YET STILL get to the post season. Bad behaviors affirmed? I often have to really reframe my competitive brain. It’s just high school… it’s just high school..
Thanks so much for a great post! Many of your points served as really good reminders for parents whose kids are athletes or not. My 2 daughters are involved in high school sports…they are not the best nor are they the worst…and we are good with that…as long as they are doing their best! To us it’s about learning to be part of a team, contributing your personal best, experiencing the euphoria of winning and the terrible feeling of losing, encouraging others (even when you are not having your best day), respecting your coach even when you don’t agree with their decisions, and so much more! Thanks again for the reminders!
Great article. On #20, though, in relation to earning an allowance — no one pays me to do my housework. Likewise, my kids make contributions to the family because they’re part of our family with all of the benefits of being in the family and so they are not paid to help out. One can have responsibility without paid allowance/chores — and it’s probably better prep for the real world because, I’m guessing, no one pays you to do your laundry, either? A lot of this article is really about the power of positive parenting — responsibility, accountability, hard work = better outcomes, and natural consequences. Thanks for putting a athletic perspective on it!
February 27th, 2013 at 2:55 pm
This is your best post yet! Keep up the great work!
February 27th, 2013 at 3:13 pm
Great stuff as always, Eric! sharing this with my guys.
February 27th, 2013 at 3:15 pm
great article Eric maybe you can help me it relates to #13. I had a parent call me to tell about a coach who is in charge of strength and conditioning who started the session yesterday with saying his goal is to make the kids throw up by the time they were done lifting,he accomplished it.What would your advice be when talking to the parents or other people who have to deal with these kind of coaches who are put in charge to work with our kids.The kids tolerate this because as they tell me you have to be a good solider with the lifting or you wont get to play.
Dave Minnig
February 27th, 2013 at 3:17 pm
This is a fantastic post; I specifically can’t agree with #19 more. The participation trophy thing seems like it started around when I was 10-12 years old; I remember getting them and just throwing them out. Even then I used to say how they were basically worthless – at least the water bottles or towels or sweatshirts all the kids on a team got as gifts had some other utility, those trophies were just worthless.
(I was a bit meaner about it ten years ago, though. “Even the kids that suck get those things, I don’t care!”)
February 27th, 2013 at 3:18 pm
GREAT article! As a former president of a youth baseball league, I agree wholeheartedly with everything written here. I would add item #21 as Don’t cherry pick your kids team so he is with all of his friends. The most rewarding teams I have ever coached have been the ones where I knew few if any of the kids (and they didn’t know each other) prior to the first practice. Those teams seemed to mesh much better and have more fun.
February 27th, 2013 at 3:30 pm
What an awesome post Eric. Has the father of 2 boys 7 and 8 i can take this advice and apply it right away. Think enjoying ‘play’ when to come to sport/activity is the key. Fun is in.
February 27th, 2013 at 3:30 pm
Awesome post Eric.
You mentioned breakfast,I’d add the importance of avoiding junk food/drink. Optimum nutrition during childhood and teen years has a massive effect on the physique.
And get plenty of sleep, particularly teenagers. Not too much though! Keep late nights to a minimum. And late lie-in’s to a minimum too. You touched on that in your comment about early morning being such productive hours.
You’re a great leader to follow, Eric.
February 27th, 2013 at 3:35 pm
Mr. Cressey, I’m a 24 year old Canadian. Will you adopt me??
Great article!
February 27th, 2013 at 3:56 pm
Ha! Thanks, Julian.
February 27th, 2013 at 3:56 pm
Written like a guy without kids haha. Joking aside, you have really hit most things on the head. I am a relatively new parent of two boys and am also a baseball academy/gym owner for 10 years now so I am getting to see it from both sides. I have been able to see the good and not so good sides of parenting from my clientele, and now just beginning to see the natural pulls to do the wrong things with parenting…and that is just beginning (hoping to stay on track).
If I have to judge a favorite, though, I’d have to vote for #13. When we get that request my first response is to say “Me? Why didn’t you?” which leads to “What exactly do you want to accomplish by us kicking his ass?” which inevitably leads to some education on safety, not all training involves puking, matching training attention with intention, and of course, toughness starts somewhere other than here, nudge nudge, wink wink, sir…ideally with the end result of everyone getting on the same page and understanding when, if ever, an ass kicking has its place.
Great post, thanks.
February 27th, 2013 at 3:57 pm
Great addition, Dom!
February 27th, 2013 at 3:57 pm
Eric:
Well done. I’m at least 20 years older than you, but still have fairly young children (14, 12, 11 and 9) and do a lot of youth coaching. I started as a high school coach over 30 years ago.
Anyway, I know that you put a lot of time and effort into this — but it was well worthwhile. I myself have been saying/communicating most of what you posted, and have written about some of these important issues as well.
You have established a great foundation for your life and business at your young age. And — you’ll make a wonderful father some day. I will enthusiastically continue to follow your posts.
Keep up the good work.
Sincerely, Dan Sherman
Valparaiso, IN
February 27th, 2013 at 4:00 pm
Dave,
It’s a tough call, as it really depends on how open the coach is to discussing things with you and other parents. If this is a concern that is shared by the majority of parents, he needs to be open to speaking to you about it. Honestly, though, if this guy has a boss, he should hear about it. That’s a sure-fire way to get things done. It is a lawsuit waiting to happen.
February 27th, 2013 at 4:41 pm
EC – Thanks again for a great post! I was so happy to see #11! Seems like i’m always the guy sitting listening to how wonderful some other kid is and how he’s “dominant” on the mound or how he “flat out rakes” After a while I questioned myself as I never talk about my son’s performance (good or bad with anyone. Primarily because they probably dont care, but also because it doesn’t really matter! To add another dimension to it, the parents who brag a lot are oftentimes the ones who get really disappointed with their kids when they fail to deliver what Dad has been promising. This results in the kid catching an earful for making Dad look bad…It was nice to see this positive reinforcement of my no bragging policy!
February 27th, 2013 at 5:03 pm
Eric, I spend a good deal of time reading your blog. I enjoy your material and delivery as well. Your knowledge and programming is awesome! I am a 58 year old PE teacher, coach and father of 2 boys and a girl who each play 3 sports in high school. I am going to make them read this post, thank you for writing it. I have been in this business for over 30 years. This post should be mandatory reading for everyone involved with kids and athletics. Great Job!!
February 27th, 2013 at 5:50 pm
Awesome stuff Eric! Spot on.
February 27th, 2013 at 5:58 pm
Great post Eric.
What it shows me, as a dad of 2 boys, is that traditional or ‘old fashioned’ parenting still has it’s place. Showing respect, good manners and a good work ethic will always be valuable character traits and hopefully playing sport will aid in their development.
And I couldn’t agree more about participation trophies. I’m about as un-pc as you can get though…
February 27th, 2013 at 6:15 pm
Cannot agree more with letting them play multiple sports. Not only would that help the kids decide on what interests them most but also gain different sort of athletic skills rather than be limited to a few.
February 27th, 2013 at 6:20 pm
These are words to live by and should be read at every PTA, Little League, high school and amateur sports meeting where parents are in attendance.
Growing up in OK, I was one of those kids doing manual farm labor like hauling hay bales, digging postholes, feeding pigs, shoveling manure and grain, and hauling water in five gallon buckets.
I wonder how many less TJ surgeries there would be today if pitchers spent an off-season doing manual labor daily. They’d be so happy to be indoors doing a 2-3 hour training session.
Great job, Eric.
February 27th, 2013 at 6:24 pm
We who also write about sports and coaching are suddenly not worthy. In your 3800 words you have raised so many of the negative issues yet done so in a positive, instructive way. I congratulate you.
February 27th, 2013 at 7:02 pm
Well said, Michael!
February 27th, 2013 at 7:03 pm
Thanks, Steve! It means a lot coming from a guy who has as much perspective as you do!
February 27th, 2013 at 7:03 pm
Thanks, Dan! Your boys are lucky to have you!
February 27th, 2013 at 7:04 pm
Agreed, Steve!
February 27th, 2013 at 8:33 pm
Love it! Makes me want to print it off and give to the parents and players of all 3 of our HS teams and the 15 affiliate teams for our summer program I work with!
February 27th, 2013 at 8:35 pm
This should be a mandatory read for any parent. Greatest post yet!
February 27th, 2013 at 9:04 pm
Great post Eric. Great perspective and perceptions!! Being just a little older I would add that there too many parents with kids in sports who expect their kids to do what they themselves could not and do not want reflections to show poorly. Too many have an unrealistic view of talent and it shows as expectations on the field and beyond. Fortunately there are a good numnber of parents who have balance in their approach to their kids in sports!
For most kids, interestingly the most important factor to determine a kids longevity in sports is how they handle themselves in school, with school work. It takes a great deal of maturiy and commitment to progress beyond Babe Ruth and high school sports!!
For the most part those that handle themselves well in school will do well with all of the extracurricualr stuff!! Sometimes one has to be patient enough to let the maturity show.
By the way if I display any of these behaviors I’ll expect you to bring it to my attention!
February 27th, 2013 at 9:53 pm
Great post! This had to take some serious time to write. I never would have thought of all these important points. Some of these hit home as a parent and coach. I’ve been a single parent for over 18 years and am a little guilty of a few of the points made. There are plenty of single parents out there and I think we get more protective of our kids especially if we did all the parenting ourselves. As a coach, I can name parents personally who have destroyed the athletic careers of their talented sons and daughters by interfering with the good intentions of their coaches who sacrifice countless hours of hard work. For not being a parent, you have great insight on the subject. Enjoyed the article and my 22 yr. old son will be reading it.
February 27th, 2013 at 10:02 pm
When EC typed away I actually entered his brain as a spirit and this was what I said, errrrr, I mean he said. ha ha
GREAT stuff, EC
110% agreed, homie!
February 27th, 2013 at 10:12 pm
Talk about being on the same page…
February 28th, 2013 at 4:01 am
Hey Eric. That is 100%. c allot of this ever wk. Would love to show this to all parents. Mic
February 28th, 2013 at 4:24 am
This may be my favorite post you have ever written EC. Great stuff.
February 28th, 2013 at 6:06 am
Well said, Bill! And, you’re one of the good ones; thanks for making my job fun! 🙂
February 28th, 2013 at 7:09 am
As a P.E. teacher and tennis coach this is great stuff. Thanks for all your work with kids!
February 28th, 2013 at 7:28 am
Great post. Here’s a like minded article to make us all think a bit more about what we are putting our kids through.
Tim Irvine
http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/stacy-irvine-dc-msc/sports-specialization_b_939516.html
February 28th, 2013 at 8:53 am
Great article Eric, hopefully more and more parents take this kind of advice.
Although I would quibble a tiny bit with your point #10. You talk about respecting coaches’ and teachers’ authority, but there are occasions where coaches and teachers need to have their authority questioned. If a coach was having the kids do a dangerous exercise, would you challenge them on that? These moments are rare, but they do happen. But I guess this is just an every rule has an exception kind of quibble.
And for anyone else looking for more good information in this are of raising or coaching talent (and not just athletic talent), I recommend Daniel Coyle’s blog, The Talent Code (http://thetalentcode.com/).
http://thetalentcode.com/
February 28th, 2013 at 9:00 am
This is a grand slam post … every point dead on. Thanks for your dedication to helping today’s youth both physically and mentally.
February 28th, 2013 at 9:50 am
I can’t agree with you more on every point.
As an athletic trainer, I can tell which athlete’s parents have instilled most, if not all, of these points into their kids. They are the ones that are disciplined about coming in and getting treatments everyday, polite with me and other staff members, and are eager to do what they have to in a controlled and timely manner to get back out on the field. Also, it’s these same athletes that I don’t see much of in the training room because they are so well rounded; in sports and as human beings.
February 28th, 2013 at 10:07 am
Eric,
Outstanding rationale and ideas that have great traction. Some people might call this “old school” but in my opinion it is the only school!
I am a long time baseball coach at many levels – from USA National team to T ball as well as a trainer fro the Positive Coaching Alliance. And I coach my grandson’s LLB team!
Your message is strong, targeted in truth and value and meshes well with the PCA message. I plan to share this with his team and league officials
The more coaches, parents and athletes can hear this the “stickier” the message will be.
Keep up the good work
February 28th, 2013 at 10:10 am
I am forwarding this to my lacrosse players and their parents. Great points Eric! I have been coaching sports at the high school level for 12 years and have had my share of losing seasons. But, I have always kept kindness, firmness and “fun” in my oaching. What’s hard at the high school level is watching other coaches yell, scream, demean their players, create poor sportsmanship, and YET STILL get to the post season. Bad behaviors affirmed? I often have to really reframe my competitive brain. It’s just high school… it’s just high school..
February 28th, 2013 at 10:12 am
Thanks so much for a great post! Many of your points served as really good reminders for parents whose kids are athletes or not. My 2 daughters are involved in high school sports…they are not the best nor are they the worst…and we are good with that…as long as they are doing their best! To us it’s about learning to be part of a team, contributing your personal best, experiencing the euphoria of winning and the terrible feeling of losing, encouraging others (even when you are not having your best day), respecting your coach even when you don’t agree with their decisions, and so much more! Thanks again for the reminders!
February 28th, 2013 at 11:39 am
Great post. Spot on.
February 28th, 2013 at 1:11 pm
Eric – great list. I used to tell the kids those participation trophies were “bein alive” trophies.
February 28th, 2013 at 1:51 pm
Great post, Eric. Coming from someone who is not a father, yousaid a lot of great things that parents (myself included) can take-away. Thanks
February 28th, 2013 at 2:21 pm
Outstanding stuff from top to bottom.
Well done, Eric!
February 28th, 2013 at 2:57 pm
Awesome article, I agree with every bit of it.
February 28th, 2013 at 3:29 pm
Great article. On #20, though, in relation to earning an allowance — no one pays me to do my housework. Likewise, my kids make contributions to the family because they’re part of our family with all of the benefits of being in the family and so they are not paid to help out. One can have responsibility without paid allowance/chores — and it’s probably better prep for the real world because, I’m guessing, no one pays you to do your laundry, either? A lot of this article is really about the power of positive parenting — responsibility, accountability, hard work = better outcomes, and natural consequences. Thanks for putting a athletic perspective on it!
February 28th, 2013 at 6:07 pm
The best information I have read in a long time! Great Post Eric, I am ready for the next sermon.
Preach On!!!!
February 28th, 2013 at 6:58 pm
Thanks, Kathy! Means a lot coming from you, as I know you have a great perspective as a mom and coach!
February 28th, 2013 at 6:59 pm
Well said, Shawn!