Issues & Advice

Be a smart consumer. Make sure what you’re being taught, no matter who is teaching it, matches up with what great players do. Every week I receive an email that links to pieces of instructional videos for fastpitch softball. And almost every week I end up shaking my head at what I see in them […]

We talk about being loyal not just to your team but to your family, your coach, the game and about being loyal in the school and classroom. Sure, they teach kids the bones of baseball: how to swing a bat, secure a pop fly, steal third. But Little League coaches do so much more than explain the […]

Importantly, if coaches and parents can agree on the destination being Inspired Players then they can start to collaborate when the player is not thriving. Christian Lavers, president of the ECNL used the term: “Collaboration is a force multiplier” recently on a 3four3 podcast interview. While Christian was referencing the collaborative efforts amongst coaches in the […]

All of us experience periods of slow or seemingly non-existent improvement from time to time. It is a normal part of getting better. At times you may feel like you are the worst swimmer on your team. You think that there must be something wrong with you. You are putting in the work just like they […]

As my swimmer says, when you reach that point, swimming is a part of you in a deeper way than when you are simply a part of swimming. They make the sport fun, exhilarating and an amazing adventure. About five to six years ago, my daughter started to practice more and more at 4:45 in […]

It was great to clear a little more space in my already cluttered garage, so it was a win before I even left my house. The air is crisp, school’s back in session and the days are getting shorter … this can only mean one thing, IT’S SOCCER SEASON! For most families, that also means […]

The key with any drill at the start of the season is to address at least two of the major goals. The Team Take Off, which includes a focus on conditioning, makes a great drill for the start of the season. One of the most difficult things to do is find a balance at the […]

We want our kids to associate moving their bodies with joy. If there is something you can do with them that they like, i.e., hiking, swimming, biking, skateboarding, skiing, etc., even better! “I have a 5-year-old daughter and a 6-year-old son. We don’t know what sports they will end up playing, but what things can […]

It can be difficult to watch as a parent, but patience and bags of encouragement and understanding is really important no matter how frustrated you may be feeling. “What are they doing?” “They look like Bambi on ice.” “I don’t understand, they could do that a few weeks ago.” “Why are we bothering, it looks […]