This past weekend we won the championship for the Central Mountain Middle School Basketball League! What a day for The Summit Tigers!! For any coach this is the feeling of a lifetime, the feeling that you have done your job to coach the "x's and o's" but to also make the season more than just about sport but also about life.
Dad, you got me started as a coach, you encouraged me to reach new heights in my own life through a different approach to sport, as a coach rather than an athlete. (Looking back never really was much of one) You were absolutely right when you asked me to help with Safe at Home. Dad you saw a possibility for me as a coach and now I am able to say that I am Championship Coach.
Dad, you have taught me how to be a human being and now I am hope that I can have half the effect on the boys I coach as you have had on me. You have always been a guide for me, a "north-star" if you will, and my hope is to help spread what you have shown me amongst the young men of Summit County.
Dad, this year I have won a championship in baseball, one of the top ranked teams in Colorado, as well as basketball and now can call myself an Offensive Coordinator. This year U have taken some risks in my coaching career and have been able to see some reward and benefit. You gave me the confidence to do so!
Thanks for everything Dad!!
Thursday, December 16, 2010
Wednesday, December 8, 2010
Most Improved Player
As a coach, I think my favorite award at the end of the season is Most Improved Player. The award to me symbolizes a player who has embraced the season, taken some risk to get better and to stretch their personal boundaries as well as allowed them self to be coached. As a coach, I show them the way but the players have to go down the path. I may give them the tools to help them get better but ultimately it is up to them to get out of it what they want.
For teenagers there is a lot going on in their lives and often times do not know what or how to deal with it, school is tougher, it is harder to make a team, bodies are maturing to name a few. Kids want to win and want to get better. I tell my players wanting it and doing it are two very different things. When a player takes on this challenge and starts to show greater improvement over the course of a season there are not many feelings that are greater then this.
Most Improved goes to the kid who over the course of a season has made the most of practice time as well as playing time to get better. Players who make this commitment to them self as well as their team to find that next level of sport is so much fun to coach, be around, joke with because they are able to understand the importance of hard work.
When we make decisions to do things in life we are investing our time into something and The Most Improved Player to me is the player who gets the most return on their investment to their sport. These players who find the will to get better are what make coming to practice and coaching games really really fun for the coaching staff!! Thank you for working so hard!!
For teenagers there is a lot going on in their lives and often times do not know what or how to deal with it, school is tougher, it is harder to make a team, bodies are maturing to name a few. Kids want to win and want to get better. I tell my players wanting it and doing it are two very different things. When a player takes on this challenge and starts to show greater improvement over the course of a season there are not many feelings that are greater then this.
Most Improved goes to the kid who over the course of a season has made the most of practice time as well as playing time to get better. Players who make this commitment to them self as well as their team to find that next level of sport is so much fun to coach, be around, joke with because they are able to understand the importance of hard work.
When we make decisions to do things in life we are investing our time into something and The Most Improved Player to me is the player who gets the most return on their investment to their sport. These players who find the will to get better are what make coming to practice and coaching games really really fun for the coaching staff!! Thank you for working so hard!!
Wednesday, November 3, 2010
Smiles, smiles and more smiles
My basketball team in our first tournament finished 3-2, took 4th place. My goal as the coach was to finish .500 or better. I wanted the boys to play hard and play with intensity on the defensive end. Both teams last night played with great tenacity.
What made me the happiest as the coach was that many of these players increased their personal confidence a great deal. Kids where going for balls that they usually do not go for, taking greater risks on the floor and succeeding. Running down the floor, coming in at a timeout, U have never seen 16 kids with bigger smiles than I did last night. As their coach I am so proud of how much they were willing to take risks and hard they played.
All through tryouts and the first two weeks of practice, we talked about two things we can control; our attitude and our effort. Many kids are afraid to give their all because they are afraid to make a mistake. I assured them if they make a physical mistake we can work through and improve from it. Mental mistakes kill us because that is a lack of focus.
At this level, confidence is crucial because of the rapidly approaching jump from the middle school to the high school. I am always trying to coach the boys in a way that creates confidence. Kids that can get the confidence now will make that transition much smoother.
Confident player plays hard, sweats and knows that basketball or any sport is fun. There are so many things that can help a player be successful but they all come back to confidence. Smiling faces show confidence better than anything else. A smiling face tells such an incredible story of what that player or the entire team may be experiencing!
What made me the happiest as the coach was that many of these players increased their personal confidence a great deal. Kids where going for balls that they usually do not go for, taking greater risks on the floor and succeeding. Running down the floor, coming in at a timeout, U have never seen 16 kids with bigger smiles than I did last night. As their coach I am so proud of how much they were willing to take risks and hard they played.
All through tryouts and the first two weeks of practice, we talked about two things we can control; our attitude and our effort. Many kids are afraid to give their all because they are afraid to make a mistake. I assured them if they make a physical mistake we can work through and improve from it. Mental mistakes kill us because that is a lack of focus.
At this level, confidence is crucial because of the rapidly approaching jump from the middle school to the high school. I am always trying to coach the boys in a way that creates confidence. Kids that can get the confidence now will make that transition much smoother.
Confident player plays hard, sweats and knows that basketball or any sport is fun. There are so many things that can help a player be successful but they all come back to confidence. Smiling faces show confidence better than anything else. A smiling face tells such an incredible story of what that player or the entire team may be experiencing!
Thursday, October 7, 2010
Fall Ball, much more than baseball
This fall I have been coaching a group of young aspiring baseball players in a wood-bat instructional league. As a group of eighth graders and high school freshman I wanted to give this team a sense of how big the jump to high school sports is from youth sports. There are many lessons and experiences for aspiring players to experience as they make this transition.
The biggest lesson I wanted my players to understand is that it will take greater levels of focus, dedication and discipline to experience success. With greater success and greater reward comes greater adversity though so how do we as players and young teenagers take adversity and learn from it so we can continue to experience positive growth.
The other lesson I wanted to drive home with these guys is to put things in perspective. Too many people get caught up in wins and losses but there is so much more than that. There are personal goals like mastering another pitch, or being able to paint the corners, hit the curve ball to name a few. Perspective is important because it helps players be able to move on with things and not get hung up on single episodes, positive or negative.
Positive episodes allow kids to develop confidence. Negative events give teens the motivation to make adjustments or work harder to reach goals. The last weekend of the regular season we experienced as a group a monumental collapse and lost the game big. The following practice we put ourselves back together and used that experience to motivate us to be better as we move into the tournament weekend.
As the coach of this team I knew our focus level and ability to deal with adversity would dictate how we finish this season. I knew this would be a challenge so as a coach I said that is a challenge I wanted because I have a great foundation in how to help young teens deal with these experiences as well it will help me to grow as a coach as well as adult.
The biggest lesson I wanted my players to understand is that it will take greater levels of focus, dedication and discipline to experience success. With greater success and greater reward comes greater adversity though so how do we as players and young teenagers take adversity and learn from it so we can continue to experience positive growth.
The other lesson I wanted to drive home with these guys is to put things in perspective. Too many people get caught up in wins and losses but there is so much more than that. There are personal goals like mastering another pitch, or being able to paint the corners, hit the curve ball to name a few. Perspective is important because it helps players be able to move on with things and not get hung up on single episodes, positive or negative.
Positive episodes allow kids to develop confidence. Negative events give teens the motivation to make adjustments or work harder to reach goals. The last weekend of the regular season we experienced as a group a monumental collapse and lost the game big. The following practice we put ourselves back together and used that experience to motivate us to be better as we move into the tournament weekend.
As the coach of this team I knew our focus level and ability to deal with adversity would dictate how we finish this season. I knew this would be a challenge so as a coach I said that is a challenge I wanted because I have a great foundation in how to help young teens deal with these experiences as well it will help me to grow as a coach as well as adult.
Monday, August 2, 2010
Is there such a thing as too much?
Many people get caught up in the notion of "if some is good more is better." I agree with this, however to an extent. It is easy to get caught up in the excitement of learning a new sport or reaching a new level that all one wants to do is play that sport. The unfortunate thing is that when people get caught in this, they often loose sight of the big picture.
What is the big picture you ask? The big picture is the fact that there are many aspects that go into the development of children into athletes. Aspects include the environment around the child in games and practices provided by coaches. Parents need to be realistic in their expectations, sports need to be quality vs. quantity and kids need to be able to still be kids. There are many different things that parents, coaches, administrators need to be aware of and these are just a few.
The environment needs to be a positive one where kids feel confident to do their best and be able to perform in a way where they learn by doing and guess what, if they make a mistake, let them see what the mistake was and ho to fix it in the future. This way they learn by experiences and see how to turn mistakes into positives. I personally do not get on kids for trying, if a player or athlete makes a mental error that irks me as a coach more than a physical error.
Parents can be your greatest ally and your greatest enemy. Let me preface this by saying that parents have the toughest job as a parent and I respect parents for giving their kids a chance to play sports as a child. With that many parents want to see their kid succeed, can you blame them? Where we see parents stub their toe is what is their motivation for for signing their kid up for sports? Are they wanting their seven year old to be the next Bode Miller or Lindsey Vonn? Do they think their kid will be the next Steven Strausburg? Parents who are able to keep things in perspective, allow their child to learn at their own pace will have more positive experiences when their athlete grows. Again I appreciate parents taking the time to give their child a memorable experience as young athlete.
The idea of quality vs. quantity is probably the greatest one and could be an entire blog post on its own. When children come to the field for practice or games or load the lift on a bitter cold morning they are expecting it to be fun. When teams or athletes struggle, it is typically because there is a break down in the system. Too many times we see a team or an athlete failing, not meetings their full potential, and parents and coaches think more more more. Yes I agree that kids may need more but I would think to look at what is causing the failure and change that. In other words give practice, games or races a more quality touch. It may mean that as a coach one needs to see how to improve.
If kids get sports stuffed down their throats and do not get a chance to go free ski or go play wiffle ball or 500 then they can start to think sports are no longer fun and maybe are too competitive then they will look to other activities to fill their time. Give them more but give them quality experiences to improve! All of us as coaches, parents and administrators can all play a positive role in keeping kids in sports for a long long time!
What is the big picture you ask? The big picture is the fact that there are many aspects that go into the development of children into athletes. Aspects include the environment around the child in games and practices provided by coaches. Parents need to be realistic in their expectations, sports need to be quality vs. quantity and kids need to be able to still be kids. There are many different things that parents, coaches, administrators need to be aware of and these are just a few.
The environment needs to be a positive one where kids feel confident to do their best and be able to perform in a way where they learn by doing and guess what, if they make a mistake, let them see what the mistake was and ho to fix it in the future. This way they learn by experiences and see how to turn mistakes into positives. I personally do not get on kids for trying, if a player or athlete makes a mental error that irks me as a coach more than a physical error.
Parents can be your greatest ally and your greatest enemy. Let me preface this by saying that parents have the toughest job as a parent and I respect parents for giving their kids a chance to play sports as a child. With that many parents want to see their kid succeed, can you blame them? Where we see parents stub their toe is what is their motivation for for signing their kid up for sports? Are they wanting their seven year old to be the next Bode Miller or Lindsey Vonn? Do they think their kid will be the next Steven Strausburg? Parents who are able to keep things in perspective, allow their child to learn at their own pace will have more positive experiences when their athlete grows. Again I appreciate parents taking the time to give their child a memorable experience as young athlete.
The idea of quality vs. quantity is probably the greatest one and could be an entire blog post on its own. When children come to the field for practice or games or load the lift on a bitter cold morning they are expecting it to be fun. When teams or athletes struggle, it is typically because there is a break down in the system. Too many times we see a team or an athlete failing, not meetings their full potential, and parents and coaches think more more more. Yes I agree that kids may need more but I would think to look at what is causing the failure and change that. In other words give practice, games or races a more quality touch. It may mean that as a coach one needs to see how to improve.
If kids get sports stuffed down their throats and do not get a chance to go free ski or go play wiffle ball or 500 then they can start to think sports are no longer fun and maybe are too competitive then they will look to other activities to fill their time. Give them more but give them quality experiences to improve! All of us as coaches, parents and administrators can all play a positive role in keeping kids in sports for a long long time!
Saturday, July 31, 2010
Reflecting on summer ball
This summer was a lot of baseball, I helped coach three teams so yes at times I felt like myself as well as our staff was spread a little thin. You know though we were able to make it work and each team finished a pretty good season. We were able to make this happen because of our ability to put these kids in places on the field and in the lineup where they could succeed and experience success.
One way that Mike and I were able to succeed with this was when we look at making a lineup we think about where are the athletes do their best, rather than "where can we hide them." During the game it takes a little more coaching or guidance from the staff so the athletes are able to focus on what "needs to happen" and not "what might happen." When players start to over-think they will stress out and not perform there best. The boys need to know that coaches believe they can do well at that position and they will do well. Bottom line Mike and I made sure these kids we having fun playing the greatest game ever!
Teams that remember that playing baseball is fun tend to have better seasons. I am not necessarily talking about wins and losses. Many people get too stuck on record and often times weaker players fall through the cracks of focusing only on wins and losses. For us that was not the case we focused on making sure the kids had fun and even on the 90' diamond when things get competitive baseball can still be fun and is supposed to be fun! A better season meaning a better experience for everyone, coaches, players and parents as a whole will feel more positive about the season. This all comes from the simple thought of "a kid does not sign up for baseball to ride the bench."
I am excited for thee coming fall-ball season because now I can really take the time to see these kids get better. Fall ball is all about developing players skills. Areas like pitching and catching, hitting as well as learning new positions in the field. Fall ball is going to be AWESOME!!
Does coaching like this make me a genius? Do I know everything about coaching baseball? No, these are my experiences and hat seems to work right now. I want to give the kids the best experience possible and I have found that putting these kids in an environment where they can succeed is the best way to do that. I think that we take a Tampa Bay Rays approach to baseball where e take the players we have and we develop them into the best player they can be.
One way that Mike and I were able to succeed with this was when we look at making a lineup we think about where are the athletes do their best, rather than "where can we hide them." During the game it takes a little more coaching or guidance from the staff so the athletes are able to focus on what "needs to happen" and not "what might happen." When players start to over-think they will stress out and not perform there best. The boys need to know that coaches believe they can do well at that position and they will do well. Bottom line Mike and I made sure these kids we having fun playing the greatest game ever!
Teams that remember that playing baseball is fun tend to have better seasons. I am not necessarily talking about wins and losses. Many people get too stuck on record and often times weaker players fall through the cracks of focusing only on wins and losses. For us that was not the case we focused on making sure the kids had fun and even on the 90' diamond when things get competitive baseball can still be fun and is supposed to be fun! A better season meaning a better experience for everyone, coaches, players and parents as a whole will feel more positive about the season. This all comes from the simple thought of "a kid does not sign up for baseball to ride the bench."
I am excited for thee coming fall-ball season because now I can really take the time to see these kids get better. Fall ball is all about developing players skills. Areas like pitching and catching, hitting as well as learning new positions in the field. Fall ball is going to be AWESOME!!
Does coaching like this make me a genius? Do I know everything about coaching baseball? No, these are my experiences and hat seems to work right now. I want to give the kids the best experience possible and I have found that putting these kids in an environment where they can succeed is the best way to do that. I think that we take a Tampa Bay Rays approach to baseball where e take the players we have and we develop them into the best player they can be.
Sunday, May 23, 2010
Is Summer starting to show?
When the calender flipped to Mar, I do not think Mother Nature was quite ready to allow for the warmer weather to come. It has been snowing for quite some time and finally a week before Memorial Day the snowflakes and cold are starting to give way to sunshine and warmer temps.
These colder temperatures kept are Summit Extreme team from being able to practice the week leading up to the Pikes Peak Challenge in Colorado Springs. Going into the tourny we knew we would be okay if we played good baseball and we we able to "manage" the games.
On day one of USSSA baseball we play two games to determine our seeding for the bracket to be played on Sunday. Well in the first game against the Thin Air Thunder from Woodland Park we got out to a big lead and squandered it away with poor defense, we lost 9-8. In the second game we struggled in the early going allowing ten runs in the first frame. We battled back, chipping away at the lead and eventually loosing in the last inning with the tying run at the plate.
So going into day two, being 0-2 we had to play three games to win the championship. It was going to be an uphill climb of biblical proportions. For me the biggest questions as a coach was going to be how would the boys respond. Well we stomped on the first game, our pitchers combined for a no-hitter through five and ended up scattering a smattering of hits through the game. In the second game the boys faced some tougher competition but the boys stood tall and defeated the Thin Air Thunder to move on to the final. In the final it was a pitcher duel, strike for strike, out for out. In the middle innings we broke through and scored two. Going into the bottom of the last inning we held a slim 2-0 lead. We remained strong and were able to get the third out at the plate to maintain a 2-1 lead and leave Colorado Springs with a championship!!
The boys were amazing they responded every time they were faced with adversity. As a coach it makes me proud because as a staff we were able to keep them focused and keep them on track as team toward the goal. As a coach it makes me very confident as well as it makes my passion for youth baseball that much stronger!!
These colder temperatures kept are Summit Extreme team from being able to practice the week leading up to the Pikes Peak Challenge in Colorado Springs. Going into the tourny we knew we would be okay if we played good baseball and we we able to "manage" the games.
On day one of USSSA baseball we play two games to determine our seeding for the bracket to be played on Sunday. Well in the first game against the Thin Air Thunder from Woodland Park we got out to a big lead and squandered it away with poor defense, we lost 9-8. In the second game we struggled in the early going allowing ten runs in the first frame. We battled back, chipping away at the lead and eventually loosing in the last inning with the tying run at the plate.
So going into day two, being 0-2 we had to play three games to win the championship. It was going to be an uphill climb of biblical proportions. For me the biggest questions as a coach was going to be how would the boys respond. Well we stomped on the first game, our pitchers combined for a no-hitter through five and ended up scattering a smattering of hits through the game. In the second game the boys faced some tougher competition but the boys stood tall and defeated the Thin Air Thunder to move on to the final. In the final it was a pitcher duel, strike for strike, out for out. In the middle innings we broke through and scored two. Going into the bottom of the last inning we held a slim 2-0 lead. We remained strong and were able to get the third out at the plate to maintain a 2-1 lead and leave Colorado Springs with a championship!!
The boys were amazing they responded every time they were faced with adversity. As a coach it makes me proud because as a staff we were able to keep them focused and keep them on track as team toward the goal. As a coach it makes me very confident as well as it makes my passion for youth baseball that much stronger!!
Saturday, April 3, 2010
Baseball and Skiing...A perfect Combination
As the spring time comes and the snow starts to get slushy, I used to be sad that the ski season was coming to an end. I am excited this time of year, excited for the season that was and the one that is yet to come…BASEBALL SEASON!! Skiing and Baseball gives me the perfect combination of coaching. They do not really overlap so when I am at one practice, race or game, I am able to give those athletes my undivided attention because I am not distracted by the other.
Coaching kids gives me an escape from the “real world.” I am at peace when I am on a baseball field or on the side of a snowy hill ripping around with a bunch of kindergartners. The kids always help me keep things in perspective, keep my life balanced. Being around the kids gives me the chance to feel like a kid again. Yeah I am the coach so of course I cannot be a kid; however this is the closest I can be to till being one.
The combination of skiing and baseball allow me to transition from one to the other smoothly as the seasons begin to change. In the winter I am able to be more of a “father figure” I feel that skiing allows me to be more influential with these kids. I can use skiing to help gives these kids tools to navigate this complex thing we call life. “I always tell my athletes, we are great skiers but better people.” The biggest thing is we respect the sport, other skiers, our teammates and the mountain. That is a start to the kids understanding the world.
During the warmer months, more than a baseball coach, I am a friend. Parents fear their kids get caught in the wrong crowd. I am not going to tell the kids how to live their lives; rather I will use my experiences to help lead the boys to make the right decision. I am going to demand the most from them while they are at practice balanced with having fun with the boys. As teenagers I respect them as players and as people, I trust that they will make the right decision. When the wrong one is made I make sure they understand why it was wrong, and when they make the right one I praise them for that.
My experience is that good coaches know how to get the most out of their players. Coaches try to get there in many different ways. This is where I seem to think that I am doing well with because whether the kids are in elementary school or getting ready for high school, we are all individuals and we all hav something unique about us. I try as a coach to try and maximize that uniqueness in a way that benefits everyone.
Coaching kids gives me an escape from the “real world.” I am at peace when I am on a baseball field or on the side of a snowy hill ripping around with a bunch of kindergartners. The kids always help me keep things in perspective, keep my life balanced. Being around the kids gives me the chance to feel like a kid again. Yeah I am the coach so of course I cannot be a kid; however this is the closest I can be to till being one.
The combination of skiing and baseball allow me to transition from one to the other smoothly as the seasons begin to change. In the winter I am able to be more of a “father figure” I feel that skiing allows me to be more influential with these kids. I can use skiing to help gives these kids tools to navigate this complex thing we call life. “I always tell my athletes, we are great skiers but better people.” The biggest thing is we respect the sport, other skiers, our teammates and the mountain. That is a start to the kids understanding the world.
During the warmer months, more than a baseball coach, I am a friend. Parents fear their kids get caught in the wrong crowd. I am not going to tell the kids how to live their lives; rather I will use my experiences to help lead the boys to make the right decision. I am going to demand the most from them while they are at practice balanced with having fun with the boys. As teenagers I respect them as players and as people, I trust that they will make the right decision. When the wrong one is made I make sure they understand why it was wrong, and when they make the right one I praise them for that.
My experience is that good coaches know how to get the most out of their players. Coaches try to get there in many different ways. This is where I seem to think that I am doing well with because whether the kids are in elementary school or getting ready for high school, we are all individuals and we all hav something unique about us. I try as a coach to try and maximize that uniqueness in a way that benefits everyone.
Tuesday, March 23, 2010
Ah-Ha Moments
The Ah-Ha moment, whenever and wherever it happens, is fun and exciting for all involved. The Ah-Ha moment is when an athlete, student or guest understands a major step in a progression that grows their knowledge of the subject matter.It can be turning the skis in both directions on the bunny hill or understanding how to make a pitcher throw you your pitch. Ah-Ha moments are fun, exciting and often rewarding for the coach.
From a coaching standpoint, many times athletes, students or ski school guests are maybe not understanding what we are trying “to play” with. If coaches do not recognize this than it often can be frustrating for everyone. It forces us as coaches to be able to understand how our groups process the information we are presenting to them. I enjoy this because it makes me as a coach to think hard about how I am going to be able to maximize my athletes success as a group as well as individually.
In skiing the big thing we see is the kids trying to carve and they are pushing their feet out to get onto their edges, which in turn is actually more of a defensive movement because they are braking as they go to turn. So with my Team Summit Athletes we play a lot with ankle flexion and basic parallel. These two areas of skiing help the kids understand the bending and patience in the turn which allows for the ski to get on its edge and load up with energy. When the kids feel and experience this they often see how much more fun it is to tip ‘em and rip ‘em.
With baseball, coaching the middle school kids one of the big things we as coaches have to do it help facilitate the transition from “little leaguers” to high school players. The high school game as we all know is much more complex and in many situations is the same as the major league game. It takes a lot of time and patience from the coaching staff but when the kids see it and understand it, it makes me as a volunteer feel awesome. A good example is the difference between a relay man and a cutoff man and when to use each one. This is confusing for a lot of kids and so it may take an entire season for the kids to understand it.
Good coaches want to see their athletes and teams succeed. Ah-Ha moments are often the key to winning more races or the difference between a one run win and a one run loss. Sports are supposed to be fun for players, athletes, coaches and families. Ah-Ha moments are one stop on the road of benchmarks to experiencing sports success.
From a coaching standpoint, many times athletes, students or ski school guests are maybe not understanding what we are trying “to play” with. If coaches do not recognize this than it often can be frustrating for everyone. It forces us as coaches to be able to understand how our groups process the information we are presenting to them. I enjoy this because it makes me as a coach to think hard about how I am going to be able to maximize my athletes success as a group as well as individually.
In skiing the big thing we see is the kids trying to carve and they are pushing their feet out to get onto their edges, which in turn is actually more of a defensive movement because they are braking as they go to turn. So with my Team Summit Athletes we play a lot with ankle flexion and basic parallel. These two areas of skiing help the kids understand the bending and patience in the turn which allows for the ski to get on its edge and load up with energy. When the kids feel and experience this they often see how much more fun it is to tip ‘em and rip ‘em.
With baseball, coaching the middle school kids one of the big things we as coaches have to do it help facilitate the transition from “little leaguers” to high school players. The high school game as we all know is much more complex and in many situations is the same as the major league game. It takes a lot of time and patience from the coaching staff but when the kids see it and understand it, it makes me as a volunteer feel awesome. A good example is the difference between a relay man and a cutoff man and when to use each one. This is confusing for a lot of kids and so it may take an entire season for the kids to understand it.
Good coaches want to see their athletes and teams succeed. Ah-Ha moments are often the key to winning more races or the difference between a one run win and a one run loss. Sports are supposed to be fun for players, athletes, coaches and families. Ah-Ha moments are one stop on the road of benchmarks to experiencing sports success.
Monday, March 1, 2010
Setting Goals
Any day that I spend coaching, whether it is baseball, skiing or something else I always set goals for each athlete as well as for the team. Setting goals allows for the athletes, team as well as me as a coach to experience success. By setting goals for athletes it keeps things simple so to allow for full understanding and a benchmark for your athletes to strive for during the season.
Setting goals for practice as well as game day is important because it provides athletes and coaches the opportunity to reach success. Goals need to be realistic for each athlete, coach or team. Goals need to be realistic so that athletes can attain them and feel confident.
Long term goals are equally important as short term because it allows for the athletes to make realistic steps towards reaching a long term goal. If goals are realistic it allows for athletes to be motivates to work at something and continue striving to get better.
Long term goals are often team goals. So when you make short term goals for players it should work towards the overall long term goals. Short term goals may be things like players hitting over .400 or a player learning to hot a curve ball, a running back rushing for 1000 yards for the season. Long term goals are things like make the playoffs, finish greater than 500 or have a team ERA under 3.00. Goals can be anything that will help an athlete, team or program succeed.
Discussing goals with players and teams allows for stronger chemistry because everyone knows as a team what they are working towards. By taking time at practice to discuss this than the kids can help with finding a happy medium between challenging and still attainable and unrealistic.
By setting goals for players as well as the team it gives the kids a better sense of a “team” because it gives them a common goal to work towards. Personal goals allows for the kids to be more interested at practice and more enthusiastic. Goals will help make the season more fun because it allows for athletes as well as coaches to experience success.
Setting goals for practice as well as game day is important because it provides athletes and coaches the opportunity to reach success. Goals need to be realistic for each athlete, coach or team. Goals need to be realistic so that athletes can attain them and feel confident.
Long term goals are equally important as short term because it allows for the athletes to make realistic steps towards reaching a long term goal. If goals are realistic it allows for athletes to be motivates to work at something and continue striving to get better.
Long term goals are often team goals. So when you make short term goals for players it should work towards the overall long term goals. Short term goals may be things like players hitting over .400 or a player learning to hot a curve ball, a running back rushing for 1000 yards for the season. Long term goals are things like make the playoffs, finish greater than 500 or have a team ERA under 3.00. Goals can be anything that will help an athlete, team or program succeed.
Discussing goals with players and teams allows for stronger chemistry because everyone knows as a team what they are working towards. By taking time at practice to discuss this than the kids can help with finding a happy medium between challenging and still attainable and unrealistic.
By setting goals for players as well as the team it gives the kids a better sense of a “team” because it gives them a common goal to work towards. Personal goals allows for the kids to be more interested at practice and more enthusiastic. Goals will help make the season more fun because it allows for athletes as well as coaches to experience success.
Monday, February 15, 2010
Less is More
I have been skiing with families the last three days. The kids were able to experience success because we as a group understood how the ski works by each skier experiencing for themselves.
For the mid-level skiers, we lengthened the middle part of the turn so to give the skis a chance to do their job. Once we felt the ski “tracking” all the way through the turn we started to play with how it changes based on the terrain. By the end of the two days our skier was starting to carve.
Another example was I had a skier who was having some trouble gliding on his skis as he was coming down the hill. By reminding him to stand up tall he was able to get more balance back over both skis it allowed him to glide and turn smoother.
Kids learn by doing, they learn by experiencing things. Yes if it means they need to experience failure on their way to reaching success then that has to happen. As ski instructors it is our job to facilitate our guests, whether five or fifty whether first timers or well experienced, to reach success. Skiers will reach their skiing success by skiing.
For the mid-level skiers, we lengthened the middle part of the turn so to give the skis a chance to do their job. Once we felt the ski “tracking” all the way through the turn we started to play with how it changes based on the terrain. By the end of the two days our skier was starting to carve.
Another example was I had a skier who was having some trouble gliding on his skis as he was coming down the hill. By reminding him to stand up tall he was able to get more balance back over both skis it allowed him to glide and turn smoother.
Kids learn by doing, they learn by experiencing things. Yes if it means they need to experience failure on their way to reaching success then that has to happen. As ski instructors it is our job to facilitate our guests, whether five or fifty whether first timers or well experienced, to reach success. Skiers will reach their skiing success by skiing.
Friday, February 12, 2010
Why I do what I do
I have been coaching sports for as long as I can remember. I have spent a substantial amount of time coaching baseball and skiing among many other sports. I have to say that with each season or day skiing, my passion grows deeper and stronger.
I have heard too many times about the coach who is naive to his or her teams needs or individual athletes needs. My mission as a coach is; to always put my players or teams needs ahead of my own. I hope to create positive athletic experiences for anybody that I interact with, whether it is on a Giant Slalom course or on baseball diamond. My hope is that every athlete and their families have a positive experience working with me.
The benefits that children have when interacting in a social setting such as a ski or baseball team is unmeasurable. Kids need this time to be kids and have fun. There are so many things that kids can learn from sports that they can apply to the game of life.
I have heard too many times about the coach who is naive to his or her teams needs or individual athletes needs. My mission as a coach is; to always put my players or teams needs ahead of my own. I hope to create positive athletic experiences for anybody that I interact with, whether it is on a Giant Slalom course or on baseball diamond. My hope is that every athlete and their families have a positive experience working with me.
The benefits that children have when interacting in a social setting such as a ski or baseball team is unmeasurable. Kids need this time to be kids and have fun. There are so many things that kids can learn from sports that they can apply to the game of life.
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