Why Her Son Pitched the Game of His Life and Never Pitched Again

If you’re a coach for a youth program and you don’t think you can make a difference, you need to read this parents story.

A son, all the talent and drive in the world, abruptly decides to walk away from the game he loved. Why?  What happened?  What caused  him to decide he no longer wanted to play the game any longer?

Read this disturbing account posted by the Positive Coaching  Alliance A Change in My Son

Share your comments and thoughts.

LeBron James Is Confused

LeBron James is confused about the meaning of “competitor.”

After the Orlando Magic eliminated James’ Cleveland Cavaliers from the NBA Playoffs Saturday and James refused to shake hands with his opponents, The New York Times quoted James: “It’s hard for me to congratulate somebody after you just lose to them. I’m a winner. It’s not being a poor sport or anything like that. If somebody beats you up, you’re not going to congratulate them. That doesn’t make sense to me. I’m a competitor.”

No. The ultimate competitor is the Triple-Impact Competitor who makes self, teammates and the game better. James is superb on levels 1 and 2. On Level 3, he fell down, badly.

James, admirable in so many ways, is sending a bad message to youth athletes: a competitor is too upset by losing to Honor the Game.

Former NFL coach Herm Edwards nailed it. “The game is sacred….When you are out on the field, you must remember your legacy and what you are representing.”

Triple-Impact Competitors are strong enough to make the game better by overcoming their disappointment to congratulate their opponents at the toughest time–right after they’ve beaten you.

– Jim Thompson, PCA Founder and Executive Director

What do you think?  Share your comments.

Grown-Ups Get a Little Lesson In Sportsmanship

The Positive Coaching Alliance was featured in an article by Amy Gardner of The Washington Post, who attended a PCA workshop for sports parents at Burke Athletic Club and “caught them doing things right.”

Letting parents and coaches know the main word to remember is  “FUN” sets the stage for a great clinic.

Read the article and then pass it along.  Leave  your comments and then go out with your kids and enjoy some great youth sporting events.

Recommended Reading – Get Your Game Face On by Kathy Toon

Single Dad Life is recommending a limited-time opportunity to download  free a new book, Get Your Game Face On, by Kathy Toon, a long-time Positive Coaching Alliance Trainer and former PCA Product Development Manager. Get Your Game Face On incorporates many Positive Coaching Alliance techniques, such as using a Mistake Ritual to help athletes bounce back from mistakes.

In true PCA fashion, Game Face knits together life lessons and sports. For example, while the book prescribes specific mental steps to take during competition, it also explores how daily life away from sports contributes to athletic performance.

For your sneak peek at Get Your Game Face On, only through May 31, click here.

Should My Child Specialize in One Sport?

Positive Coaching Alliance  National Conversation on Good Coaching

“The Specialist”

Situation – As practice is winding down, Coach Hastings motions you over for

a private conversation about your child, who shows enough raw

athletic ability to excel. Coach tells you your child has great potential

but should specialize as soon as possible, eschewing other

sports and training year-round, especially if you hope for a college

scholarship for your child. Coach Hastings is a technically skilled

coach who has had a number of athletes earn college scholarships.

Query

• How do you respond?

• What considerations inform your decision?

• How, if at all, do you discuss this with your child?

• Would your response vary depending on the age of your child?

• Is there a certain age at which specialization makes the most sense?

Response by PCA Founder Jim Thompson Read more

Is Winning An Excuse For Yelling?

Here is an interesting case study from The Positive Coaching Alliance. What are your thoughts?

Coach Coates is a yeller. He yells constantly during practices and games. He yells at his players and criticizes them when they do things wrong.

He even yells when they seem to be doing things right. His teams consistently have winning records, and as far as you can tell, the players seem to handle the yelling without getting down on themselves or each other.

• Is Coach Coates a good coach? Why or why not?

• Would you want your child to play for this coach?

• Does his winning record excuse his yelling?

• Would your answer change depending on the age of the athletes?

What is the Positive Coaching Alliance

Founded as a non-profit within the Stanford University Athletic Department in 1998, Positive Coaching Alliance (PCA) has the mission of “transforming youth sports so sports can transform youth.” To that end, PCA has conducted roughly 6,000 live group workshops nationwide for more than 300,000 youth and high school sports leaders, coaches, parents and athletes. Workshop attendees have helped create a positive, character-building youth sports environment for more than 3 million youth athletes.

PCA has the support of elite coaches and athletes on a National Advisory Board, including National Spokesperson, Los Angeles Lakers Coach Phil Jackson; NBA and NCAA Champion Coach Larry Brown; Former University of North Carolina Basketball Head Coach Dean Smith; Kansas City Chiefs Head Coach Herm Edwards; Former Senator Bill Bradley; NBA Player ShaneBattier; NFL Hall of Famers Ronnie Lott and Tony Dorsett; and Olympic Gold Medalists Jennifer Azzi, Ruthie Bolton, Nadia Comaneci, Bart Conner, Joy Fawcett, Dot Richardson, Summer Sanders and Kerri Strug.

As a proud PCA Champion, SingleDadLife.com  and it’s founder hope you invite us into your league or district for training on how to become a Certified PCA Partner. For more information about how to schedule a Training for your Coaches and Parents, visit www.positivecoach.org

Winning and Positive Sports Parenting Actually Go Together

Interview with Jim Thompson, author of Positive Parenting & Founder & Executive Director of The Positive Coaching Alliance