Should New HS Varsity Coaches Be Allowed to “Build” with Younger Players?
This happens more and more, and it’s worrisome. Let’s say your kid plays basketball. He’s paid his dues right up the ladder: sat on the bench pretty much all of his sophomore year, played more in his junior year but didn’t start, and now as a senior he’s expecting to finally get a real shot … Read more
The Battle Between Helicopter Sports Parents and Their Kids’ Coaches
“Coach, I don’t think you understand….my son was the star on his travel soccer team last spring and summer. Maybe I ought to have his travel team coach you directly….” “Coach, my son spent all winter working out with a pitching coach. According to that coach, my kid should be one of top players on … Read more
What do you if you think your kid is playing for a “bad” coach?
Let’s be honest. You have devoted some serious time…energy…money..and love to make sure your youngster is getting the most out of their God-given potential as an athlete. And the good news is that your kid is putting together a pretty good track record of accomplishments. But then your youngster tries out for a team – … Read more
Why Force Talented HS Soccer Players to Choose Between their School team and Travel Program?
We all know that life is full of choices – many of them quite difficult — so why put talented soccer players in an awkward spot where they have to choose between two passions? Playing for their HS team or their US Soccer Academy travel team? But that’s what’s happening with increasing frequency around the country. … Read more
My Top Ten Sports Parenting Predictions for 2012…
So much has happened in recent years in the ever-changing world of sports parenting, that I thought I’d finish out 2011 with my Top Ten Predictions for the coming year. Here we go: 10. LL Baseball will follow the NCAA and the Nat’l HS Baseball Federation and allow only BBCOR (and of course wood) bats. … Read more
Mike Milbury Allegedly Assaults a 12-year-old Hockey Player: What Sports Parent need to know…
According to several eyewitnesses, former NHL player and head coach and GM of the Islanders did something that lots of sports parents do – -when Milbury saw his 12-year-old son getting into an altercation with another 12-year-old on the ice, Milbury went onto the ice and separated the two boys by grabbing the other boy … Read more
The Continuing Strange Saga of the 9 Wayne Hills HS Football Players
The school board in Wayne NJ announced right after Thanksgiving that they were now going to enforce the ban on the 9 varsity football players who were arrested and charged with the aggravated assault which left two kids from Wayne Valley HS seriously hurt after a party some weeks ago. The coach of the Wayne … Read more
A Parent’s Worst Nightmare: Protecting your kid from a sexual predator
Of all the sports parenting shows I’ve done over the years, today’s show was by far the most sobering. I had recalled reading a terrifying cover story in Sports Illustrated that ran way back in Sept, 1999, about how pedophiles from all over the country had become fully engaged in coaching young kids in youth … Read more
A question of propriety? Should HS coaches be allowed to run travel programs for their players?
Rarely has a topic generated more comments on my show than this one – and understandably so. In short, as travel teams inexorably begin to dominate the HS landscape, more and more HS varsity coaches are beginning to see a potential payday by running their own travel programs for their players in the off-season. The … Read more
Achieving Equal Opportunity in Youth Sports (Part I) – The “Power of the Permit”
By Doug Abrams About 35 million boys and girls — nearly half the nation’s children — play each year in at least one organized sports program conducted by a private association, or by a public agency such as the parks and recreation department. Some of these youngsters play on travel or select teams, and others … Read more
"The Sports Edge"
