Part I: It’s All In Your Point of View – An athlete’s perspective can make all the difference

I was on my way home from a tennis match with a friend of mine (we both play for our club team here in Naperville Illinois), and we struck up a conversation regarding our own personal experiences and perspectives on college athletic participation. We were both college athletes, he was a ball player at SIU and I a gymnast at NIU. What I found most interesting about our conversation was that both of us had the same viewpoint on how we saw our collegiate athletic experience. Basically, neither of us could even imagine going through college without sports; that we truly enjoyed the experience, felt we gained a tremendous amount from it, and would most certainly do it all over again if given the opportunity. Two athletes, two different times, two different sports, but with the exact same perspective. Interesting, especially since I hear so much of the opposite from other parents who have kids playing sports at that level. This is in addition to the good number of athletes themselves who are currently involved (or were involved) in college athletics and who echo these same opposing sentiments. I, as did my friend Jim, find this to be a little sad and a little disconcerting to say the least.

Justified Behavior, Unsportsmanlike Behavior or Assault: You Decide

Below is a link to a videotaped recent incident of a coach pushing an 11-year-old out of a handshake line after a youth football game. It is obvious that the coach was very aggressive toward the youth; however, it does not show anything that might have caused such an inappropriate response. Take a look:

Inspirational Quote of the Month

“Putting forth the effort to accomplish something others believe to be impossible brings with it intrinsic rewards not usually found on the 'easier path'. Facing this type of adversity with determination and will on your side creates the opportunity for achievement not easily seen by doubters. In the end, however, it will not be the achievement of your goal that will hold the most value but the willingness to travel such an arduous path toward a goal which only you see as within your grasp.”

No-Cut Polices: Absolute or Independent Practice? / Realistic or Idealistic?

The concept of giving opportunity to all interested athletes wanting to participate in competitive sports, up through high school, is certainly an initiative worth looking at. I wholeheartedly agree, in principle, with the idea that the positive learning experiences, intrinsic values, and life lessons taught through participation in youth sports behooves us to examine the possibility of “no-cut” policies across the board. However, as the title of this blog implies (and as with most absolutes), the practicality of such a proposal raises many questions which significantly impact its realities. Below is a list of just a few of these realities that will need to be addressed, and tackled with feasible solutions, in order for broad-based, no-cut policies to be safely implemented.

Performance Enhancement: Where Do We Draw the Line? Part II – The Guidelines

Developing guidelines to address issues apparent in Part I of Performance Enhancement: Where Do We Draw the Line is certainly easier said than done; the complexities are obvious. What I would like to do is create a starting place, a beginning, from which we (and athletes) can more easily determine the point of performance enhancement that must never be crossed. The hope is to allow athletes the ability to continue striving toward their full athletic potential without risking their character and integrity or their physical/mental/emotional wellbeing. Below is my list, with explanations, of what these guidelines might look like:

Performance Enhancement: Where Do We Draw the Line? Part I – The Problem

We could make this simple and just say that using any performance enhancement deemed illegal is where:

> proper athletic training ends and cheating begins

> the attitude of “winning at all costs” exhibits major control

> the eroding of character/integrity establishes a strong foothold

It is a clear and definite line most anyone can understand, but is it clear enough? Does it truly define and clarify the underlining and intrinsic factors leading up to a choice such as PED’s (performance enhancing drugs)? Does that simplified definition give us the needed depth and breadth to rectify a problem that certainly has a gray area sitting between two extremes?

The Olympics Are Upon Us: And what a “Games” it will be!!!!

Another four years has come and gone since the summer games of 2004 in Athens. My enthusiasm has certainly waned a little from what it was in my younger days, due in large part to the influx of professional athletes. (There was just something to be said for overcoming the adversity our amateur athletes faced in the old days.) However, there are several individuals/events/sports that have truly sparked my interest and motivation. I am looking forward to seeing how all the stories unfold. Here are my own picks for the games and why:

Texas Rangers Josh Hamilton: Great Comeback Story????

A conversation between myself and my daughter’s fiancé regarding character (or lack thereof) and sports, possible endorsees for my forthcoming book Becoming a True Champion – which certainly has a focus on character and integrity as a foundational principle, and the state of affairs with many elite and professional athletes today, prompted several questions. If an athlete, or any person for that matter, makes a poor character choice, a mistake (i.e. cheating, illicit drug use, etc.) are they destined to live out the rest of their life as an individual known for being short on character and integrity? Is it possible to rebuild the trust lost through a change in direction? If so, does this become a solid and respectable example for others, especially kids, earning back that previous loss of character? Basically, is there any redemption for such an individual?

Excellence in Sports: Five Questions You, The Athlete, Should Ask Yourself

What is it that truly separates the average athlete from the good or the good athlete from the great? If you answered that question with the word “talent,” I would say that that is only a small part of the equation. Muhammad Ali once said, “Champions aren't made in gyms. Champions are made from something they have deep inside them: A desire, a dream, a vision. They have to have last-minute stamina, they have to be a little faster, they have to have the skill and the will. But the will must be stronger than the skill.” Yes, skill (or development thereof) does have some basis in talent; however, the real message in that quote goes way beyond sheer talent, and even the skills of a sport (which can be learned and improved on). The key is in that last sentence, “the will must be stronger than the skill.” The power in that quote is exemplified in those last eight words.

A Deeper Meaning Behind Youth Sports Participation

Principles of Greatness: A Visual Demonstration by Profiles International

To aspire to be something more, whether in sports, music, art, school, the workplace, or life in general, is a goal that few could argue with. The difficulty comes when contemplating the depth and breadth of what this actually means.

I like to think of that “something more” from the standpoint of what we have, or are able to develop, on the inside. Those positive intrinsic attributes which set a person apart from the group, that create the ability to achieve what others only think of, that govern our life choices and aid in building strong character.

Personal Ownership and Responsibility for Creating Athletic Success: Part 2

In an effort to further demonstrate this idea of Personal Ownership and Responsibility in Creating Athletic Success let me also relay to you a true event that occurred while watching my own kid play soccer on their high school team. It is customary for me to sit fairly quietly during games and just watch, giving only positive support when good shots, passes, or plays take place.

Personal Ownership and Responsibility for Creating Athletic Success: Part 1

In order to best explain what I mean by the individual athlete taking personal ownership and responsibility for creating athletic success, let me develop an analogy that might help demonstrate this concept and the choices/options that go along with it.

Let’s say that a female athlete wants to become a very good volleyball player. She loves playing the game and has a real passion for the sport, along with some good athletic talent. However, the coach and program at her high school is not on par with the level of play this athlete wants to achieve. In fact, very little time is spent at practice on drills and situational play that focus on improving the base fundamentals and individual skills of the game (something all athletes at all levels need to continually and consistently work and improve on). The majority of practice is spent scrimmaging and playing various team games. Fun, yes, important, yes (at times), but without the right balance of fundamental skill work throughout the season, not very developmental.

From The Athlete’s Perspective

Much of what I discuss in my blog and in my forthcoming book Becoming a True Champion, centers on the teenage athlete (up to any age) and the perspective they should take in order to gain what they could out of their athletic experiences. Through my years as high school teacher and coach, I have come to the conclusion that the more responsibility an athlete takes for the things they would like to achieve, the more control they have over the possibility of accomplishing what they want. It is this type of attitude that makes the seemingly impossible become possible.

Good Sportsmanship through Character – A MUST SEE!!!

Every once in a while I come across an excellent visual representation of what it means to express, without reservation, the true essence of doing the right thing just because it is the right thing to do or, in other words, Good Character. Inspirational in nature, it is most assuredly at the heart of many intrinsic components - one of which is Good Sportsmanship. Both demonstrate completely the idea above of “doing the right thing.” They are certainly two intrinsic components that we all hope young athletes either develop or reveal (or both) through their sports experiences, and are two aspects seemingly absent (or at least that is what the media leads us to believe) from our youth, high school, college, and elite level sports venues.

Striving for athletic perfection, Good or Bad?

There is some debate on whether perfection is a concept that athletes should strive for. If you Google striving for sports perfection, you will certainly find a variety of information detailing both sides of this issue. Much of this information centers on whether the attitude toward perfection is of the maladaptive or adaptive variety, the latter being preferred. After reading through several of these articles, and relating it to my own personal experience with this concept, I find that a person’s own belief system and how they themselves view the idea of striving for athletic perfection makes all the difference.

What We Truly Want to Teach and, in the End, Really Want “Them” to Learn

If you have visited my website Becoming a True Champion and/or this blog, and taken some time to read the information/material available, you have probably noticed my definite and deliberate focus on the value of the intrinsic rewards that can be gained through participation in competitive sports if the athlete holds the right attitudes and perspectives and puts forth his or her highest efforts. It is certainly a major focal point in my book Becoming a True Champion and a concept I refer to time and time again.

More on Youth Sport Specialization

It is common practice for me to routinely surf the internet for articles regarding youth sports issues. The title of this blog certainly supports that activity and diligence in this endeavor provides much food for thought as I contemplate what next to post. This week I came across two articles on two different websites that discuss their viewpoint on sports specialization, a topic I most assuredly have an interest in. The first, Should my child specialize? by Juliet Cassell, discusses several of the same concerns and/or risks I listed in my previous 3-part article on the same subject, Specialization in Youth Sports Good or Bad?. Ms. Cassell’s article has good references and support for the points listed and is most definitely worth the read.

Part 2: Preventing Youth Sport Injuries

Here again are the four areas of conditioning/training for injury prevention that I feel are often neglected by many youth sports programs.

Functional Sports-Specific Training

This type of training focuses on developing an athlete’s strength, endurance, speed, quickness, etc. in the specific muscle groups needed for the best performance in the sport participated in. Most importantly, it forces concentration on the actual functioning of the muscles and joints used, making sure that muscles on both (all) sides of a joint are equally trained and that joint movement is well executed. What this does is create a good balance between all muscle groups involved, thereby helping to protect the joint from injury in addition to enabling greater efficiency and effectiveness of movement.

Part 1: Preventing Youth Sport Injuries

In my article The Rise in Youth Sports Injuries, I discussed how prevalent youth sports injuries have become and listed several articles as reference. In this post, I would like to offer some basic principles of injury prevention by directing you toward articles that detail important pieces of this information. Additionally, in Part 2, I will take this a step further by encouraging conditioning/training in four other areas that are often neglected. The time spent will be well worth the effort.

Video Demonstration of a "True Champion"

My coauthor, Daveda Lamont, recently sent me the link to this youtube video depicting what she felt exemplifies many of the principles discussed in Becoming a True Champion. I wholeheartedly agree! Dustin Carter truly demonstrates an awe inspiring commitment to becoming the best he can be. The path he has chosen and, most importantly, the process he will go through to travel this path will be of tremendous intrinsic reward and value to him no matter what happens.