Daily Barks

Lack of prior preparation in practice cannot be hidden from even an average athlete. Poor preparation becomes evident during competition at any level. Value practices more than games..

Athletes… We hope every one of you gets to experience playing for a coach of significance but if you don’t have one right now, here are some things you can do. This is not going to be easy but you can do it!
1) Protect yourself and maintain your love of the sport, don’t allow anyone to kill your passion no matter what…
2) Look at a negative coach as an opportunity to thicken your skin and toughen yourself
3) Hear what is being said, not how it is said – hear the message and block out the negativity
4) No matter how negative the correction or words, look them in the eye and say “thank you” – it is disarming

Before you complain, make sure you are contributing and pulling your own weight

Have a teachable spirit… Learning from your own experience is good but combining that with learning from other people’s experiences is better. Learn to take correction as a compliment and watch your skills improve.

When an athlete is really struggling, coaches and parents need to practice a combination of reality, tough love, confidence building and gentleness. The goal is not just to restore them but teach them to restore themselves.

Your child’s success or lack of success in sports does not indicate what kind of parent you are. But having an athlete that is coachable, respectful, a great teammate, mentally tough, resilient, and tries their best is a direct reflection of your parenting.

Fighting for playing time? Prepare so hard this summer that the question isn’t who is going to “let you” but who can stop you………