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Today’s coaches work in a performance-driven society, and for many of us, our community and our leadership will pay lip service to moral character, when all they really want is performance character and more wins than losses. Head to any sports field this afternoon, and you will hear whistles blaring and coaches urging on their […]

Though that first season may have not been the most enjoyable experience for a young Thompson, he’s forever grateful for his early playing days. Now, being at the highest level of football, he understands the impact it had. Maybe Chris Thompson was always destined to end up with the Washington Redskins. When the running back […]

Abuse Prevention Training has resulted in increased safety and participation for young athletes.

Rather than have assigned positions, the best way to coach a youth baseball team is with a roster loaded with utility players. While assigned positions and defined roles become important to winning at the higher levels of baseball, coaches of younger teams should allow players to develop and try all positions to become more well-rounded. […]

Making a prospective coach spend a season as an official before qualifying for a license would solve more than one problem in youth sports. As someone who has coached and officiated baseball, soccer and basketball since the late 1970’s, I thought Ron Kramer’s “Maine Voices” piece regarding youth sports reaching a potential tipping point due to […]

12-year-old Manning Bradley has overcome physical limitations to become an up-and-coming baseball star Manning Bradley wasn’t alive for Jim Abbott’s 1993 no-hitter – a day that lives in baseball infamy. That, however, doesn’t stop the 12-year-old baseball star from garnering comparisons to the former Major Leaguer.   Abbott, a 10-year major league veteran, and Bradley […]

If your child has a coach with these traits, their love for sports will be nurtured and the chances are much greater that your young athlete will stay in the game longer. Parents, you don’t have to settle for a coach who is not giving your child what you really want them to have in […]

Blast Motion Allows Players of All Ages to Swing Like the Pros

Be part of the solution, and support this special sport that we all love. Oh boy, it’s that time of year again!  Spring lacrosse seasons are finishing up and the summer tournament season is about to begin. This is also the time when sportsmanship and conduct issues seem to hit a boiling point.  A recent […]

Sports and rivalries go hand-in-hand. The contests and the histories between teams can unite communities and inspire athletes to do their best. But sometimes fans lose perspective and that’s when rivalries can go bad. They become marred by vandalism, insults, threats, and violence. Since it’s a sports parent and coach’s job to encourage healthy competition […]