The Benefits of Backyard Play Gary Simmons, author of “Gymbag Wisdom,” and a sports performance specialist who concentrates on teens, has some interesting anecdotes to share about the athletes he works with in high school. The top players he deals with are not the ones who play on traveling teams. … Read Sport Psychology Tip
How to Handle Bully Coaches Parents, if your kids are being humiliated, harassed, intimidated or threatened by a coach, don’t hang around waiting for things to get better. It’s up to you to take action. We’ve found that too many parents tolerate unacceptable behavior from their sports kids’ coaches because … Read Sport Psychology Tip
Mental Game Resources Coach Tony Acosta came to us with a tough problem. His kids, 10- to 11-year-olds who play Australian rules football, didn’t believe they could beat a tough opponent in a championship game. “A few weeks ago a parent told me he had heard a boy say, ‘We … Read Sport Psychology Tip
Are You A Distraction? Brenda knows she makes mistakes as a sports parent. Not only is she willing to talk about her mental game no-nos. She’s eager to work on them and improve her sports parenting skills. Read on to learn about how she undermines her daughter’s skating and what … Read Sport Psychology Tip
Helping Sports Kids Take Risks Darren, a sports dad, has a classic question about kids who perform well in practice, but freeze up during games. “My child is a 10-year-old hockey player. He is very good and has a great work ethic. He is a great practice player but when … Read Sport Psychology Tip
Parents: Supporting Your Athletes’ Goals Barbara Hopewell, the sports mom to Summer Sanders–a swimmer who won four medals at the 1992 Olympic games–recently told us some of her sports parenting secrets. Hopewell, who was the subject of Sanders’ book, “Champions Are Raised, Not Born: How My Parents Made Me a … Read Sport Psychology Tip