They say you should dance like no one’s looking. We say you should always act as if a coach is watching and to stay on your best behavior. Ideally, student-athletes are the ones driving college recruitment, but if the term “helicopter parent” tells us anything, it’s that parents are propelling themselves more than ever in […]

In his book “The Most Expensive Game in Town,” sports journalist Mark Hyman tells the story of a sports dad (the popular blogger StatsDad) who spent close to $10,000 on youth sports in 2010. Some of the costs you’d expect to see; $120 for basketball registration, new softball cleats for $38, $150 golf team membership fee and […]

Earlier this week we posted an article about helicopter sports parents, those ones who get a touch too involved in their child’s athletic career. And while most have good intentions (even if they are a bit overzealous about it) sometimes you run into a sports mom or dad who thinks their child is Heir Jordan. And […]

We can all agree that the cause of most strife in youth sports comes from parents. At times, some parents argue with the coaches and officials, don’t get their kids to practice on time, bad mouth the opponents and more. These “bad behaviors” can really drag down a team and, if they aren’t stopped, ruin the […]

One of the best things about being a youth sports parent is getting to attend all of your child’s games (or as many as you can make) and cheer them on from the stands. But we’ve all seen what happens when youth sports spectators get out-of-hand. What is supposed to be a fun game can […]

No one likes to lose, especially when they feel like they gave their all and that they deserved to win. And while some players beat themselves up over a dropped pass, a missed kick, or a bad at-bat, other athletes look to play the blame game and pass the buck over to their teammates, the […]

Even though numerous studies have pointed out that unstructured playtime, like recess, improves children’s fitness, as well as benefits their social-emotional growth and academic performance, many schools across the country are cutting gym classes and shortening or even eliminating recess altogether. Some cite budget concerns, others are worried about student safety, while other schools want […]

Summertime is here! The weather’s warm, the grass is green and you’ve got practices to get to. If your child is involved in any summer sports, here are a few safety tips to ensure a happy and healthy summer sports season. 1. Make sure youth athletes are properly hydrated BEFORE practices/games. Dehydration should be a […]

Parents, coaches, and trainers are constantly debating the pros and cons of early specialization among youth athletes. Many parents believe that if their children are going to have any chance of earning an athletic scholarship to college one day they simply have to become a master of one sport as soon as possible. Having an […]

It seems crazy that a fear of failure could actually lead to more failure, right? But sometimes athletes are so afraid of making mistakes they freeze on the field and actually end up making mistakes they would never make otherwise. A little pressure is good because it forces athletes to step up their game, but if you […]