Divorce & Sports Parenting - My Interview with Winning Youth Coaching

My interview with Winning Youth Coaching #35.  We covered concussion management and tips for coaching kids with divorced parents. 

http://www.winningyouthcoaching.com/

Malcolm Gladwell: Why David Beats Goliath

Article from Malcolm Gladwell in the New Yorker on why David beats Goliath.  Counterintuitive advice on strengths and weaknesses and changing the rules.

http://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2009/05/11/how-david-beats-goliath

Zero Offseason: Divorce & Sports Parenting

Zero Offseason: Divorce & Sports Parenting

Available now @ Amazon. 

Tips on developing youth athletes while dealing with the challenges of a split household, how to instill mental toughness, and a guide for effective communication with youth coaches.

...When you buy this sports parenting guide send me an email and I'll send you a free PDF version to share with other sports parents and youth coaches.  This offer is good thru Wednesday, April 8th.

Thanks for reading!

http://www.amazon.com/Zero-Offseason-Divorce-Sports-Parenting-ebook/dp/B00PLY51RW/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1428334085&sr=8-1&keywords=zero+offseason

Positive Coaches Alliance: Resource for Sports Parents

Lots of good free tips for youth coaches and sports parents.

https://www.positivecoach.org/

Sports Dad Sues High School Coach for $40M

“Sports-Dad Sues High School Track Coach for $40M.”

True story!  A track dad sued his son’s coach and school when the student-athlete was removed from the team for unexcused absences.  Track dad claimed this harmed his son’s chances at a college scholarship.  But what college coach wants to deal with that family for next four years?

…yaaaa, don’t be that guy.

i9 Sports

Link for i9 sports attached.  A great intro to youth sports done the right way.

https://www.i9sports.com/

You Sports, Burnout & Parental Conflict, Part II

Here’s two classic examples of youth sports burnout:

Former tennis star, Jennifer Capriotti, started training for 6 hours per day…at age four.  Capriotti turned pro at age 13, by age 14 she was a top ten player on tour competing against hyper-competitive players a decade older than her.  At age 17 Capriotti dropped out of tennis.  Biographies on the rise and fall of this tennis prodigy point to Capriotti’s parents’ divorce and the resulting turmoil as a contributing cause of her fall.    

Imagine being one of the best in world in a chosen sport, making unbelievable amounts of money to play a game, all the fame and recognition, endorsements, and you just…walk away.  Burnout stole a big chunk of Capriotti’s career.  She came back to the tour years and achieved more success but she lost several productive, peak years due to burnout and stressors off the court.  Capriotti lacked a solid foundation to build from and fall back on when the off court events showed up.

Next, there was Todd Marinovich, aka “Robo Quarterback.”  At age three Marinovich was working on football strategy with his dad, at age four he was scheduled for routine practice sessions.  All that singular focus paid off initially – he went on to star at QB for USC.  Marinovich’s success made him a first-round pick by the Oakland Raiders and he completed a promising rookie season. 

But burnout caught up with Marinovich.  A well-chronicled series of off-field substance abuse and legal troubles robbed Marinovich of a promising career in the NFL.  Like Capriotti, Marinovich lacked a solid foundation to build from and fall back on when the inevitable off field struggles showed up.