Indiana Pacers coaching search gets crowded! Top 10 tips for youth sports parents to keep sanity!
June 16, 2021
Category Archives: Youth Basketball
Bad sports parents – 10 sure fire signs you might be one!
December 23, 2020
December 23, 2020
These identifiers of crazy sports parenting are not meant to mock, but help those who might have a tough time with self-appraisal. I’ve known great sports parents and terrible sports parents. I’ve displayed some of the traits below, so there is no judging here. All I want is for sports parents to evolve toward being […]
Paul Corsaro named UIndy head coach; another Indiana HS class of 2007 kid makes good
April 24, 2020
April 24, 2020
The Class of 2007 was a special incubator of talent – on the basketball court and off. Watching my son Ryan compete with and against the best of that class from the time he was nine was a gift and privilege. It seemed like every kid had special talent, and not only was every game […]
Best part of youth basketball comes when a team is all grown up
September 23, 2019
September 23, 2019
Youth basketball is not broken. It’s alive, well and thriving. Team USA finished seventh in the World Cup earlier this month, and coaches and fans point to youth basketball as one of the primary reasons for that failure. Oh sure, the point of kids playing basketball is to win championships. Tens of thousands of boys […]
Focusing entirely on basketball has costs, but is necessary – and the rewards are great
July 16, 2019
July 16, 2019
ESPN.com posted an interesting two-part series last week focusing on the harm caused by young athletes focusing entirely on basketball. It was well-researched, interesting, and probably scared the hell out of a lot of parents whose kids dream of playing college basketball and maybe even the NBA. One thing it failed to mention is that […]
Bad sports parents getting worse – screwing up a very good thing
June 28, 2019
June 28, 2019
When I was a kid playing any sport with a ball and scoreboard, parents used games and practices as a babysitter. They napped, partied, played golf, relaxed, or whatever the hell else they felt like doing when kids weren’t bouncing off the walls in their homes and neighborhoods. At my high school soccer games, most […]
Colorado youth baseball brawl latest example of sports parenting run amok
June 20, 2019
A 13 year-old volunteers to umpire a little league game being played by seven year-olds. It’s a recipe for disaster in Lakewood, Colorado. Parents are idiots. This has somehow become our society. It’s not that all games end in brawls, but at virtually every rec or travel league baseball game this summer across America, at […]
Coaching youth baseball demands you prioritize fun for players
May 18, 2019
May 18, 2019
When I asked my old boss how I should grade myself as a youth baseball coach, he said, “That’s easy. How many kid play next year? If they all play, you were great. If none play, you were terrible.” Best answer ever. The way to get kids to play the following season is to make […]
Top 10 great tips for sports parents who want their kids to earn scholarships
July 15, 2016
July 15, 2016
Okay, the headline is a bit of a lie. If your child is going to be coveted by coaches for his or her athletic ability, you will have virtually nothing to do with making that happen. Coaches know what they want, and they recognize it quickly. The most helpful thing a parent does for a […]
