Silo Parents: No Community in Youth Sports
People desire connection to something bigger. In pursuit of those connections, people too often kill any chance they might have had at the authentic community they crave.
When the Final Whistle Blows
There are no happy endings. Endings are the saddest part, So just give me a happy middle And a very happy start. -Shel Silverstein “He’s done,” the distraught […]
My Kid’s Not Playing, Why Go to the Game?
I was coaching an away game for a college team one Saturday afternoon when a fanbase showed up to root for our team’s manager. Yes, the manager. Eight people huddled on the aluminum bleacher bench cheering her on. They had a sign and chanted cheers like “Sally, […]
Parents of Senior Athletes: Embrace It All
So far, the most emotionally intense time of my life revolved around senior year for our firstborn. Given that I had experienced a few overwhelming moments in my life up to that point, it does say something that our kid’s senior year affected me as much as it did. (I’m […]
Why Coaches Lose Sleep
It was 2:00 am last night, or technically this morning, when my latest round of sleeplessness hit. I had fallen asleep hard, probably because standing in ninety minutes of relentless 50-degree rain for an emotional conference loss had worn me out. For whatever reason, I went from soundly […]
There is Never a “Waste of a Season”
I overheard a couple parents chatting on the sideline of a soccer game the other day. One of the parents was lamenting a situation for her older daughter who is “stuck” playing volleyball for what the mom felt was a “waste of a season.” “She’s one of the […]
Sports Abuse: Not All Pain Leads to Gain
I’ve been working on this sports book project for over seven years. I have tried to identify the personal places I need to grow and some of what I’ve worked through has been tough to process. I have avoided thinking or writing about this one…until now. I am […]
SPORTS PARENTS: Check Your Feelings at the Door
No, seriously, check your feelings before you walk out the door. Decide which emotions are useful, to you and to your sporting child, and leave the rest at home. Intentional presence will positively enhance every part of your day, and has potential to be a game changer for […]
COACHES: How to Disarm Pitchfork Parents
Fight? Flight? Neither. There is a better way. I’ll get to the strategies for disarming disgruntled parents in a minute, but I want to first lay a backdrop for where pitchfork parents are born. Do you know what age groups seem to have the craziest sports parents? Well, […]
“I Never Thought I’d Be That Crazy Hockey Parent”
A friend of mine sent me an email last week with the subject header: “I Never Thought I’d Be That Crazy Hockey Parent”. I took a second glance at who wrote it, because I know a lot of hockey parents, and the running list I keep of people […]
For the Team 