If you have a youth athlete who is actually a great athlete, then you can do wonders with your team. One of those athletes can carry your team to the finals in your league. But, what you might not realize is at that level your youth athlete can make an impact on your team and [...]
Today’s technology has really changed our civilization. A lot of times for the better, but sometimes not so much (think kid watching movies on phone in bedroom on a nice sunny day). Nevertheless, as coaches we have to take the opportunity to embrace the technology. How can we utilize it to get your athletes better? [...]
An athlete messes up in a game. Maybe you see it, maybe you don’t. You then hear the coach say, “I’ve explained this to you a hundred times.” Heck, even as parents you’ve probably said that to your kids…a lot. So what does that tell you? The athlete has a learning disability and is not [...]
I’ve worked with athletes in the past who along with their parents will hang on every word that I say. They have bought in and drank the Kool-Aid that I have given them. Then it is safe to say that some athletes and their parents absolutely did not buy into anything that came out of [...]
Speed is a skill. Speed is a skill that can be taught. Throwing the football is also a skill. That is why you have quarterback coaches out there making crazy money because they are teaching you the finer points of throwing the football. Speed is a skill that can be taught IF you have someone [...]
“Less than 5% of high school football players go through all of their off-season workouts. Less than 5% of high school football players play at the collegiate level.” I saw that quote somewhere and wondered if someone actually knew that stat or just made it up. But, it sounded pretty legit to me. All of [...]
I was talking to a buddy about his kid who plays on the school baseball team and he was railing on the coach. Being a coach, I like to cut them some slack, but when there are bad ones there are bad ones. But, is this a bad coach? First off, my buddy was a [...]
Athletes can be their own worst enemies sometimes. And it is not their fault. If you have watched enough sports, you will hear how tough you have to be when you are injured. So-and-so played with a broken leg, so why can’t you. Or while playing in little league, you might have heard a coach [...]
The spring season is upon us. Teams are going through all their preseason work. One of the rituals, unless it already has happened, is the picking of the captains. Who among the group of kids is going to show the traits that you look for in a leader? As a coach, what are these traits [...]
Recently, I had inquired about why a certain athlete was not making the workouts. I asked two teammates and they said basically that it boiled down to this person being lazy. And to be honest, I already had figured that out. It got me thinking that young athletes can make the same assumptions about their [...]