Jiro Dreams of Sushi

Great documentary on Netflix called "Jiro Dreams of Sushi." 

Lots of lessons for sports parents on what it takes to achieve success.  Jiro runs a simple 10-seat sushi shop in a Tokyo subway station and all he serves...is sushi.  Nothing else. 

A 3-star Michelin rated restaurant, with a global waiting list running months out in advance for a seat,  85-year old Jiro is still learning and perfecting his craft.   

http://www.magpictures.com/jirodreamsofsushi/

Post-Game Growth in Youth Football

Post-Game:  Create space between a bad performance and post-game life lessons.  Let the sting wear off before offering constructive ideas for improvement. 

Too many times I see parents replaying their son’s mistakes after a game before they even get to the car.  Give it 24 hours before having that conversation – the player will be less defensive and more receptive.  Ask open-ended questions in areas the player has control over and can improve upon like effort, attitude, intensity, concentration, and being a good teammate. 

You’ll notice that these conversations have nothing to do with a sports-parent’s expertise on blocking and tackling – remember that coaches coach and parents support.  Be the emotional backstop that creates confidence in the student-athlete to overcome adversity.  Adversity will show up again and again in sports and later on in careers and personal lives.  Shape the ability to say, “Hey, we knew this bad outcome was a possibility.  It happened.  So what.  We’re moving forward.” 

Having these pre and post (season, tryout, game) routines is an effective way for sports-parents to support student-athletes.  Get  present; focus on process-oriented goals, and control the controllables.

More football parenting tips @ http://www.amazon.com/Zero-Offseason-Divorce-Sports-Insanely-ebook/dp/B00PLY51RW/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1418994275&sr=8-1&keywords=zero+offseason

Pre-Game Prep in Youth Football

Pre-Game: An effective pre-game routine is to discuss specific “worst case scenarios” with your student-athlete and talk about how they will respond.  They have a choice.  Bad stuff will happen regardless of preparation and effort.  Working through possible worst case scenarios beforehand and accepting that mistakes will happen helps reduce game-day pressure and anxiety. 

For example, as a wide receiver one of the most difficult catches to make is the one thrown…slow…and perfectly…while wide open in the end zone with the crowd watching.  That’s just too much time to get up in your head and think “what if this, what if that…”  So work through those kinds of situations.

Help shape the student athlete’s ability to shake off a mistake so they can focus on the next play.

Benefits of Division III Football

Why Div III

Don’t rule out Div III.

Unlike Div I and II football, there are no athletic scholarships available at the Div III level.  And sure, the facilities may be a…slight downgrade from a University of Oregon, and no, D3 athletes do not get playbooks on IPads and they don’t fly first class…they don’t roll like that.  Chances are good they’ll be loaded on a crowded bus to this game, the next game, and probably the game after that.

So why Div III football?

Be a big fish in a small pond:

Attending a D III school may allow an athlete a better chance to actually play for four years instead of sitting on the bench.

True college athlete-student experience:

Div III programs provide shorter practices schedules and seasons, and there are limited offseason requirements.  This frees up time to pursue internships, network with other classmates, make career contacts, and be a college “student.”  Playing football at a D III program is not a 24/7 commitment.  And in the long-game that is a good thing.  When only 1.6% of NCAA football players make the pros, it’s good to have a plan in place for after graduation.

Grants, Work-Study and Academic Scholarships:

Div III programs offer a lot of assistance to student-athletes to help pay for school.  It probably won’t cover everything but considering D III provides a chance to play, and chance to be a college student, D III should be a strong consideration for many student-athletes looking for a well-rounded college experience.

More football parenting advice @ http://www.amazon.com/Zero-Offseason-Divorce-Sports-Insanely-ebook/dp/B00PLY51RW/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1418653814&sr=8-1&keywords=zero+offseason

NCAA Guide for Student Athletes (free guide)

NCAA Guide for College-Bound Student Athletes.  Download the free PDF from the NCAA's publication site.  Very useful, easy to read info for both sports parents and students.

https://www.ncaapublications.com/p-4354-2014-15-ncaa-guide-for-the-college-bound-student-athlete-sold-as-a-package-of-25.aspx

NCAA Football Recruiting & Boosters....the "Buddy Garrity's"

Boosters:  Inducements are illegal. Money, cars, gifts, family housing, hell, a free taco lunch to talk about your son’s athletic future is off the table when it comes to boosters and the recruiting of prospective student-athletes.  And pretty much every program has a “Buddy Garrity” somewhere close by.

Under NCAA bylaws, boosters are prohibited from recruiting high school athletes both before and after a National Letter of Intent is signed.  And any recruiting violation by a booster is attributed to the school.

And the NCAA bylaws are unforgiving - under § 13.02.14.1, once an individual or entity is classified as a university’s “representative of athletic interests,” aka “booster,” they are considered a booster for life!  There is no coming back from Boosterville.  Beware Boosterville.

More high school football parenting tips @ http://www.amazon.com/Zero-Offseason-Divorce-Sports-Insanely-ebook/dp/B00PLY51RW/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1418392552&sr=8-1&keywords=zero+offseason

NCAA Football Recruiting: Verbals vs. Signed Letter of Intent

Verbal Commitment vs. Signed Letter of Intent:

 

   Verbal commitments from player to coach or coach to player/family are not binding.  It’s perfectly legal and compliant for a young athlete to “say” he intends to attend University A and then back out and sign with University B.  But it cuts both ways.  A coach can and will talk about how much he wants to sign your son only to “go in a different direction” on signing day.  It happens.  A lot. 

 

Only a (1) signed Letter of Intent with (2) an athletic financial aid package attached is binding on the athlete and the school.  This is why it is so important to think through all the pros and cons before signing.  Once that binding letter of intent is signed, the student-athlete is committed to the school for at least one full academic year (two semesters or three quarters).

More football parenting tips @ http://www.amazon.com/Zero-Offseason-Divorce-Sports-Insanely-ebook/dp/B00PLY51RW/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1418308785&sr=8-1&keywords=zero+offseason

Ban the Fade Route.

With a 36% chance of success, it's time to ban the Fade Route to the corner of the end zone.  Ban it.  Ban it now.



The fade route is overrated - Fantasy Index

Spergon Wynn or Tom Brady in the 6th Round???

Some examples of marginally successful late bloomers:

Jerry Rice: Rice didn’t go to USC, Notre Dame or University of Texas.  No.  The greatest wide receiver in history attended… Mississippi Valley State University. 

Aaron Rogers: Rogers, the Green Bay Packers QB and Super Bowl winner started his college career at Butte Community College because he didn’t get a single Division I athletic scholarship offer coming out of high school!

Tom Brady: The multi-super bowl champ and future hall of famer was a 6^th round draft.  A couple QB’s selected ahead of Tom Brady - Giovanni Carmazzi, Hofstra - Drafted by the San Francisco 49ers in Round 3, Pick 65; and Spergon Wynn, SW Texas State - Drafted by the Cleveland Browns in Round 6, Pick 183.

Michael Jordan:  And everyone knows the story of Jordan by now.   The fiercest, most competitive and gifted athletic talent ever was cut from his high school varsity basketball team as a sophomore.  But he stayed with it.  Imagine our loss had Jordan’s parents said, “Meh, maybe basketball is not for you, young Michael.  Let’s try baseball.”

Bottom line – avoid comparisons that may discourage a student-athlete to stick with a sport they love to play.

How Moms can Spot a Sports Concussion

Excerpt from my book, Zero Offseason: Divorce, Youth Sports & Tips for the Insanely Busy Sports Mom.

Book available @ Amazon. http://www.amazon.com/Zero-Offseason-Divorce-Sports-Insanely-ebook/dp/B00PLY51RW/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1418047261&sr=8-1&keywords=zero+offseason

...though we can’t eliminate the initial concussion, we can take steps to prevent a second concussion during the critical healing period; that is the “return to play” focus for athletes, parents, coaches and healthcare providers.  

According to the CDC, parents, coaches and staff should look for the follow symptoms after a forceful blow to a student-athlete’s head or body that results in rapid movement of the head:

·        Athlete appears dazed or stunned

·        Confusion about assignments or position

·        Moves clumsily

·        Loss of consciousness (even briefly)

·        Behavioral changes

·        Slurred speech

·        Can’t recall events prior to or after the fall or hit.

And student-athletes might self-report the following symptoms:

·        Headache or “pressure” in the head

·        Nausea or vomiting

·        Balance or dizziness problems

·        Double or blurry vision

·        Sensitivity to light or sound

·        Feeling sluggish

·        Concentration or memory problems.

3.9M Concussions?

3.9 million — that’s the estimated number of sports and recreational-related concussions every year in the United States, according to The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (“CDC”).  The problem, though, is that you can’t see a concussion.  

Briefly, a concussion is an injury that changes how the cells in the brain normally function and is caused by a blow to the head or body that causes the brain to move rapidly inside the skull.  The CDC reports that football and hockey have the highest number of concussions, followed by soccer, wrestling, basketball, field hockey, baseball, softball and volleyball. It’s estimated that U.S. high school athletes sustain 300,000 concussion per year; 67,000 from interscholastic football. The risk of concussions is highest in the 15-to 19-year-old age group among all age groups nationally.

The CDC offers some great free info on concussion management.  

More tips on sports parenting available @   http://www.amazon.com/Zero-Offseason-Divorce-Sports-Insanely-ebook/dp/B00PLY51RW/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1417895295&sr=8-1&keywords=zero+offseason

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