PA Season Ticket Holder
04-01-2003, 10:54 PM
March 27, 2003) -- In sports, there's no such thing as a can't-miss prospect.
As boys and girls begin climbing up the sports ladder, many factors will influence their success. They include: learning to take on tougher, older competition; the need to perfect fundamentals while constantly adding new skills; handling added pressures to succeed and greater expectations of coaches and fans; avoiding boredom and burnout; overcoming or taking advantage of genetic factors such as height, size and speed; and, the good luck to avoid injuries.
Parents need to help their children handle the disappointments, frustrations and successes each step along the way, but especially so before they reach high school. Here are some ways to help:
Help them improve. As players move up, they'll find they need more and more dedication and help away from organized practices and games to compete. Practice with them, encourage them to play in neighborhood pick-up games and get them to quality instructional camps, if they desire to go.
Help them prepare. Encourage them to get ready by working on their flexibility, strength and endurance. For younger athletes, stretching, doing exercises involving their own body weight such as push-ups, sit-ups, bar dips and chin-ups for strength and some extra jogging, swimming, bicycling or walking can improve endurance.
Watch for burnout. Make sure athletes are enjoying themselves, particularly young ones. Don't let practices and games become too pressure-packed or turn into drudgery. Too many players, gifted and not so gifted, fail to make it to the next level simply because they lose interest in an activity or their desire to compete.
Be aware of genetic considerations. It's possible for youngsters to excel as a 9-year-old and be a backup by 13 because they get passed up physically. If size or physical limitations become factors, help your children either move to a different position within a sport, accept a lesser role on the team or find another sport that might place less emphasis on what they lack and more on what they have going for them.
Teach patience. Most athletes do not immediately step into starting lineups or stardom. It usually takes a season or two to adjust and grow into the next level of play. Help your children understand hard work, gradual improvement and gaining experience are most often the normal steps in reaching success.
Parents can also aid young athletes by helping them understand some of the things it will take to make it as they face tougher competition. These involve understanding the best approach for growing physically and mentally as they move through each season, and each sport. Some of these include:
Be prepared physically, especially with their strength and endurance because they'll have to work harder and longer to get ahead of tougher competition.
Work on their weaknesses.
Add new tricks or skills because what they had on a lower level won't be enough to carry you on the next.
Watch and listen to older, better players to learn everything they can teach them, often things they won't even pick up from coaches.
Most important, be patient -- because if they stay positive, and put in quality time and effort, success will generally come. However, if they get down on themselves and demand too much, too fast … they'll probably fail.
http://nfl.com/news/story/6280505
As boys and girls begin climbing up the sports ladder, many factors will influence their success. They include: learning to take on tougher, older competition; the need to perfect fundamentals while constantly adding new skills; handling added pressures to succeed and greater expectations of coaches and fans; avoiding boredom and burnout; overcoming or taking advantage of genetic factors such as height, size and speed; and, the good luck to avoid injuries.
Parents need to help their children handle the disappointments, frustrations and successes each step along the way, but especially so before they reach high school. Here are some ways to help:
Help them improve. As players move up, they'll find they need more and more dedication and help away from organized practices and games to compete. Practice with them, encourage them to play in neighborhood pick-up games and get them to quality instructional camps, if they desire to go.
Help them prepare. Encourage them to get ready by working on their flexibility, strength and endurance. For younger athletes, stretching, doing exercises involving their own body weight such as push-ups, sit-ups, bar dips and chin-ups for strength and some extra jogging, swimming, bicycling or walking can improve endurance.
Watch for burnout. Make sure athletes are enjoying themselves, particularly young ones. Don't let practices and games become too pressure-packed or turn into drudgery. Too many players, gifted and not so gifted, fail to make it to the next level simply because they lose interest in an activity or their desire to compete.
Be aware of genetic considerations. It's possible for youngsters to excel as a 9-year-old and be a backup by 13 because they get passed up physically. If size or physical limitations become factors, help your children either move to a different position within a sport, accept a lesser role on the team or find another sport that might place less emphasis on what they lack and more on what they have going for them.
Teach patience. Most athletes do not immediately step into starting lineups or stardom. It usually takes a season or two to adjust and grow into the next level of play. Help your children understand hard work, gradual improvement and gaining experience are most often the normal steps in reaching success.
Parents can also aid young athletes by helping them understand some of the things it will take to make it as they face tougher competition. These involve understanding the best approach for growing physically and mentally as they move through each season, and each sport. Some of these include:
Be prepared physically, especially with their strength and endurance because they'll have to work harder and longer to get ahead of tougher competition.
Work on their weaknesses.
Add new tricks or skills because what they had on a lower level won't be enough to carry you on the next.
Watch and listen to older, better players to learn everything they can teach them, often things they won't even pick up from coaches.
Most important, be patient -- because if they stay positive, and put in quality time and effort, success will generally come. However, if they get down on themselves and demand too much, too fast … they'll probably fail.
http://nfl.com/news/story/6280505