As parents of young athletes, we spend an inordinate amount of time tending to our children’s athletic lives: driving to and from practices and games (and sitting on the sidelines during both); stopping for meals at Dunkin’ Donuts and Applebee’s; washing uniforms; buying new equipment; rummaging … [Read more...]
Five truths about youth sports: The Hockey Dad’s enlightened perspective
The numerous accounts of neardeath experiences that I’ve read are all remarkably similar. While moving toward a bright light, there’s an epiphany. Later, armed with a new, enlightened perspective, these individuals share profound, instructive wisdom they have gained about what’s truly important in … [Read more...]
Playing time: 5 thoughtful and well-executed approaches
In response to my last column, where I listed 25 maxims for coaches about "playing time," several parents wrote to me with stories of coaches who handle playing time very well, or very poorly. This made me realize it might be helpful to share some examples of thoughtful, well-executed playing-time … [Read more...]
Playing time: 25 essential maxims for coaches
Playing time. Without a doubt, these are the two most charged words in youth sports, generating more positive and negative emotions among athletes, their parents and coaches than even the words "winning" and "losing." After 11 years of watching my five children play for about 50 different head … [Read more...]
Making the cut: The harsh realities of tryouts
The end of the hockey season also means the beginning of the next one, as club team tryouts are held the week after the final games. This spring, two of my children (child No. 2 and child No. 4) went through the hockey tryout process, commemorating the 10th anniversary of my oldest son’s first … [Read more...]
‘Hockey is a great metaphor for personal improvement’
My 16-year-old son, Ben, started playing hockey at age 9. This past year, he played on his high school’s JV hockey team, as well as on a local Midget team. Ben is a boy who approaches all of his activities — from academics and athletics to acting and writing — with a joyful sense of purpose and high … [Read more...]
