Top 10 Mistakes To Avoid When Pursuing a Scholarship
We can all learn from mistakes. Here are the most common ones made by student-athletes (and, to some extent, their familes) when pursuing sports scholarships. Avoid this top 10 and your opportunities will increase dramatically:
1. The athlete not understanding the importance of good grades.
2. Waiting too long to get started.
3. Not having a plan.
4. Having too few schools on the athlete's target list.
5. Assuming college coach will find the player.
6. Assuming a high school or club coach will get a scholarship for the athlete.
7. Assuming athletic scholarships pay for everything.
8. Feeling college coaches will think they are pushy if the athlete contacts them.
9. Not taking enough visits before senior year in high school.
10. Believing everything is true that coaches say about their programs and the athlete's future with them.
Editor's note: Thanks to Sports Scholarship Pro for this valuable article!
USA Coach in Chief: Many Opportunities after High School
As a coach and hockey administrator that has worked with juniors for the last 20 of his 50 years in the sport, Al Bloomer is an advocate for making the most of a young athlete's playing opportunities.Each year, Coach Bloomer makes major presentations to provide information regarding various options available to a hockey player that has completed or is about to complete his/her high school education. For eligibility purposes, the NCAA expects the student-athlete to graduate from high school at 18 years of age.
From Coach in Chief Bloomer: “I have been involved in hockey as a player, coach or administrator for over 50 years. For the last 20 years I have been directly involved with players between the ages of 15 and 20 years old. When it comes to choosing options for their hockey future, I am continually troubled by how poorly prepared and uninformed many players and their parents are.
"I believe parents and players should begin to think seriously about hockey opportunities when the player is 12 to 14 years old. Although there may be optimism concerning potential when players are 12 and under, their potential cannot be realistically evaluated until they reach the age of maturity. All have dreams and expectations - but players and parents need to make informed and realistic decisions You can answers if you know where to look. The challenge is to be realistic about your hockey abilities and proactive when planning your hockey future. As your skills develop to higher A levels, you begin to think about your options."
Some typical questions:
- What are my hockey opportunities after high school?
- How do I determine what is best for me?
- What are some determining factors?
- What are my chances?
- How can I find out where I fit?
- How and where do I get noticed?
- How important are academics?
- What role does my coach play?
- Should I actively pursue opportunities or wait until opportunity knocks?
For answers to these questions and more insight and inspiration from Coach Bloomer, download his two valuable presentations (you will need Adobe Reader to open the files):
Links to Presentations (pdf):
Opportunities in Hockey - Special Report
Achieve the Dream - Special Presentation
Discover How Parents Can Boost Team Chemistry
It's a fact proven season after season: The teams that are the most fun for kids are most often the ones where the parents interact well. They form their own team to support their children's team.
Sometimes the parents already know each other from another activity, such as school. But more likely it's because one parent puts in the extra effort to coordinate events that help parents break the ice, both getting to know each other and, happily, contribute to better player chemistry.
Some coaches fill the role of team organizer. But, their time is better spent preparing for practices and focusing on how players fit together on the ice. Teams mesh better when one parent steps forward and volunteers to be a Team Activities Coordinator who organizes tasks among the parents.
In this proactive environment, there are many tasks which can be done by parents that won’t directly impact skills development but can change a team's dynamic for the positive and create great memories of the season. Some of those tasks the team coordinator can delegate:
- Arranging team meetings
- Coordinating team parties
- Helping with practices
- Helping with player management
- Helping with snacks
- Helping with water
- Taking pictures for a team scrapbook
- Taking video for a team film
- Contacting parents about schedule changes
- Helping with team events
- Helping with team trophies
- Helping with uniforms
- Raising funds
- Researching opponents
- Coordinating activities for parents during practices
- Keeping statistics
One of the life lessons which parents want their child to learn is the need to invest time in order to gain a benefit. Being involved with team activities is a great way for parents to be role models for their child.
Winning Counts – But Know What We are Trying to Win
America prides itself on all forms of competition. Tracking wins and losses is an ingrained part of the nation’s character. This winning attitude should be carried over into youth sports. But, without understanding what it is we are trying to win, we run the risk of losing and losing big.
“Winning is a habit. Unfortunately, so is losing.”
Tracking wins and losses is easy when there are countable things like game outcomes. It becomes much harder when it comes to things such as fun, passion and skills progression. This sometimes leads parents and coaches to believe that winning in youth sports concerns game outcomes rather than life experiences.
“Losing only teaches you how to lose.”
The old adage that losing only teaches someone how to lose doesn’t apply only to games. It applies to all areas of life such as learning, sportsmanship, friendship, teamwork and self-discipline, to name a few. If kids lose in these areas but win in games, then kids won’t have much to show for their youth sports experience. However, if kids win in these areas but lose games, then their experiences will last a lifetime.
“If it doesn’t matter who wins or loses, then why do they keep score?”
Professional sports, used as a role model for youth sports, can often produce disastrous results for a child’s long-term success. Youth sports does not represent a farm system for high school, college or professional sports. Youth sports represent a farm team for business, politics, education, communities and families. Viewed in this manner, success and winning are all about building the best kids possible.
“Americans play to win at all times. I wouldn’t give a hoot for a man who lost and laughed.”
The chances of any child’s playing college or professional sports are extremely slim. So, if winning is determined by this standard, most kids will end up as losers. If winning is determined by positive life lessons, then there is an opportunity for every kid to be a winner. And, there is an opportunity for every coach and parent to make a difference.
The popular saying that “Losing makes you a loser” may be true. But, its misuse in youth sports threatens to leave parents with kids who value the appearance of winning over true personal success. Parents have a huge role to play in helping their kids learn the right lessons from youth sports and use their sports experiences to become better leaders of our future. Winning is an important part of youth sports. But, parents must always keep focused on what their kids are trying to win. Keeping this perspective makes it much easier to see game outcomes as interesting but irrelevant.
Editor's note: Thanks to Sports Esteem for the valuable article.
What if the Youth Coach Held a Press Conference?
In professional sports, it is common for the head coach to give a press conference after each game to field the “tough” questions and address concerns about the team. In youth sports, there is no need for press conferences. But, if a youth coach did give one after a game, it might go something like this:Coach: Ladies and gentlemen, I’d like to thank each of you for coming. I’ll skip the opening remarks and go straight to the questions.
Reporter: Coach, this game was your third tie in a row. Are you becoming frustrated that your team cannot come out with the win?
Coach: Of course not. When we play to a tie, it means that we were evenly matched and the team had to try its best the entire game. That keeps things exciting. The fact that this was our third tie means that we are in the right league where the teams are fairly evenly matched. Close games are the most fun for the kids and the best at developing their skills. I think it also shows that the draft was fair.
Reporter: At the end of the game, the opposing coach put out his best players and you didn’t. Didn’t you risk losing because of this?
Coach: I didn’t do anything different at the end of the game. I kept rotating my players. It is important that I stick with the things I told the kids and parents at the beginning of the season - everyone gets equal playing time. I won’t go back on that commitment. I think this game demonstrates why this is a great rule. This game gave some of my newer players the chance to play in the last few minutes of a close game and they learned from that.
Reporter: But if you had lost this game, wouldn’t your record have dropped to below .500?
Coach: It would have, but that isn’t the way I measure my performance. I’m here for the kids to have fun, learn and improve skills and build their desire to play again next year. If I accomplish these things, then I have had an awesome season.
Reporter: At the beginning of the game, your team got ahead but you seemed to change things up and that gave the other team a chance to tie the score. In hindsight, don’t you wish you hadn’t made those changes?
Coach: At that point in the game, I told the players that I wanted to see them share play and try to use their teammates more to score points. They are still learning and don’t always understand what this means in game situations. I’m very pleased that by the end they seemed to be learning how to work together better and I’m hopeful that they can keep working on this. If we had been way behind, I would have still asked them to work together better.
Reporter: Your very best player sat out the entire last period. Didn’t you shortchange the team by not playing your best player?
Coach: The player you are referring to came off limping. I’m not a doctor or a trainer and couldn’t judge the severity of the injury. These kids only get one body and there is no reason to risk it for one game.
Reporter: There was a bad call late in the game that let the other team score. You just stood there and didn’t say anything. Don’t you owe it to the team to defend them?
Coach: The fact is that I didn’t have the view of the play the referee did and can’t judge the decision. But, even if it were a bad call, the referee is just a kid learning skills like my players. Players and referees don’t learn any faster by yelling at them. I did talk with the referee later to get the official explanation, but yelling at the time of the call would only have given my players an excuse for being scored against. There were twenty things the players could have done before then that would have prevented the need for that referee’s call.
Reporter: With your lack of wins, there are some grumblings that parents are not getting their money’s worth. What do you intend to do to fix this?
Coach: I hope parents are not so shortsighted that they lose focus on the long-term goals of youth sports. Chances are that none of the kids on this team, in this league or even in this city will make money playing sports. However, there are potentially a large number business, community and family leaders in this group of kids and it is my hope that their participation in youth sports makes them better at these endeavors. The old adage that losing only teaches someone how to lose doesn’t apply only to games. It applies to all areas of life such as learning, sportsmanship, friendship, teamwork and self-discipline to name a few. If kids lose in these areas but win games, then parents have been shortchanged. However, if a child wins in these areas but loses games, who cares? If I can help kids have fun and assist their parents to teach them life lessons, then parents are more than getting their money’s worth.
Reporter: You mentioned the draft a while ago; do you think you could have done a better job drafting players to make sure you had a winning record?
Coach: These kids, though they may be the same age, can be almost six years different in physical maturity. If the purpose of the draft were to get kids all on one team who are maturing faster, then I guess you can say that I could have drafted better. But, the purpose of the draft was to make sure that the teams are evenly matched to make the games the most fun for all kids and not just to enable the bigger kids to beat up on the smaller kids.
Reporter: I have never heard such fan noise at a game. How big a factor were the parents in today’s game?
Coach: Well, that is something I need to address with the parents directly. I do appreciate their support and cheering. But, too many times during the game, the players were looking at their parents and listening to them when they should have been looking for and listening to their teammates. Too much cheering just distracts the kids from what they should be doing.
Reporter: There is speculation in some areas that you are taking favors from parents in return for better treatment of their child. Do you want to comment?
Coach: Because I play each player an equal amount and give players a chance to play the positions they want, it is very hard for me to play favorites. I am, however, a volunteer and hope the other parents appreciate the time I spend preparing for and conducting practices and games. I always appreciate a thank you in any form it is provided. But, thank yous are not why I coach and they don’t affect the way I treat the kids.
Reporter: There is a rumor going around that you don’t want to travel to the national tournament if the team wins the regional tournament. Any truth here?
Coach: That actually isn’t a rumor, it is a fact. Not all of the parents on this team can easily afford, in money or time, the costs of attending the national tournament. If I thought they could and everyone agreed that the trip to nationals was for fun and a vacation and that winning would not become the prime consideration, then a national tournament could be a great experience for the players. There is plenty of competition for us here locally without traveling.
Reporter: Have you given any thought to how you intend to keep this team together next year?
Coach: I don’t plan to. I’ll be coaching my child, but the rest of the team will come through a fair draft. I personally like the fact that my child will be playing with different players, making new friends and learning new things. I always have icebreakers early in the season that help everyone get acquainted so after a few weeks, it seems like the team has been together for a long time. If I get players who have played for me before, I’ll expect them to mentor the other players and help everyone get along and work together.
Coach: That’s all the time I have, so until the next game – remember to practice in life what we practice in sports.
Reprinted with Permission of Sports Esteem
How Parents Make a Huge Impact: As Model Fans
Researchers cannot agree on whether competition helps children develop essential social skills, or if it does nothing more than cause conflict and discrimination. Some say that competition is part of human nature, something that is faced in everyday life. These scholars feel competition helps children learn skills that will be important throughout their lives.
Others contend that cooperation, not competition, is valuable to a positive youth sports experience. Cooperative games are those that encourage children to work together instead of against each other.
More than likely, it is some combination of competition and cooperation that promotes healthy development for children. Competition in itself is not bad. It can serve as a means of social comparison, necessary for adolescents to see how they are unique from others. Taken to the extreme, however, competition can cause individuals to act in ways that are unacceptable and unsportsmanlike.
As one researcher noted, “the mildest-mannered father or mother may scream like a maniac at the finals of the local soccer tournament.” Most of us, if not all of us, have witnessed similar behavior. We see this type of behavior present from Little League games all the way up to the professional level. The wise adage, “it’s not whether you win or lose, it’s how you play the game,” is lost among the intense competition existing in some youth sports programs today.
When coaches and parents teach their kids that winning is everything, the ugliness comes out in everyone. Parents should seek out or establish sport programs that emphasize cooperation and mastery during childhood and youth. A mastery perspective allows the young athlete to accept failures and learn from them, and to focus on improvement and not just on winning.
Competition should be introduced gradually, for several reasons, during this period. First, competition restricts participation; such inactivity is inappropriate for children. Playing a sport is about learning and developing skills, which cannot happen if the young person is sitting on the bench all the time.
Second, competition tends to emphasize the winning instead of the skill learning, creativity and fun. If youth are going to improve their skills and enjoy themselves, they need to focus their energies on the playing and learning of a sport, not on the outcome of winning.
Third, competition can create a high level of anxiety, which can make it quite difficult for youth to learn and have fun.
It increases the likelihood that they will drop out of the sport. By introducing competition gradually, children and youth are able to enjoy themselves while learning. Parents are most visibly supportive in their role as spectators on the sidelines for youth sports.
Of course, parents are excited and want to see their child play. It is important that they keep their emotions under control and set a positive example.
Here are some things for parents to remember:
- Applaud and cheer for everyone on the team, not just your child.
- Avoid insulting other team members and those of the opposing team.
- Talk to the parents of the other team members.
- Be respectful of the officials during the game. After the game, thank the officials.
- Focus on the positive, and compliment players, coaches, and officials.
- Be positive and congratulate the winning team. Do not forget to congratulate the losing team on their efforts.
How More ‘Play’ in Practice Can Help You Win Games
(By Brian Grasso) A common misconception within the North American youth sporting world is the concept of “play” for conditioning purposes. All too often, well-intentioned youth sport coaches or trainers follow the leads established by the elite members of their respective sports to configure training programs and sessions into hard-driving sessions or “endless repetitions of one exercise” type affairs. It cannot be overstated enough how much this practice is counterproductive and impedes the optimal development of young athletes. Let's examine that from a variety of perspectives.Mental: Young athletes are young CHILDREN. They do not possess the attention span to concentrate on one athletic skill for a prolonged period of time. Understanding this concept is paramount for coaches, trainers and parents. Once a child becomes bored with a movement, they will inherently become frustrated and careless. This will lead to poor execution and incorrect form. Incorrect form can lead to acute or chronic injury and repetitive movements involving poor execution will inhibit potential development. Remember, it is all-encompassing athletic skill that leads to proficiency in single sports - not specialization.
Emotional: Young athletes require constant POSITIVE and CONSTRUCTIVE feedback from there coaches. Pulling a “Lombardi” and chastising young athletes for poor performance, bad behavior or incorrect exercise execution is not conducive to optimal development. Children learn, develop and grow when they are immersed in a positive and uplifting environment. I am not suggesting for even an instant that you remove discipline or respect from the equation, but never confuse discipline and respect with fear and loathing. A child fearing the repercussions of a poor performance is NOT useful within the concepts of optimal athletic development.
Conversely, a child knowing that s/he will be supported and nurtured after a poor performance and given every chance to improve is perfect within the concepts of athletic development. One thing worth stating is to never forget how loud non-verbal communication can be in the ears of a young athlete. Being forced to reproduce the same drill over and over again in order to achieve “perfection” will often feel like a punishment, even if that wasn't your intension.
Physical: All great sports technicians were great athletes first. You simply cannot become a world-class baseball player, for instance without acquiring superior ATHLETIC skill. Having said that, it is the job of every youth sporting coach, parent and trainer to ensure that young athletes are involved in as much diversification as possible. This could mean playing several sports throughout the year rather than just concentrating on one or two. It could also mean that coaches diversify their practice schedules by adding cross-training concepts into the mix. DON'T MAKE THE MISTAKE: Immersing a young athlete into one sport will NOT produce world-class champions.
By using the concept of “play,” practices can be transformed into fun and enjoyable experiences for young athletes and also serve to help optimally develop their athletic skills. Never discredit the benefits of very basic “game-oriented” activities. Take the game of tag as an example. A schoolyard game that doesn't offer any real athletic development or conditioning benefits to a young athlete… or does it. Tag involves starts and stops, acceleration, top speed, agility (change of direction) and
Here is a short list of some other games that coaches and trainers should consider when developing a training program for a youth sporting team:
1. Team Tag
2. Tug-of-War
3. Single Leg Tug-Of-War
4. Wheel Barrel Races
5. Partner Jumping Race
Thanks to Coach Brian Grasso for this valuable article.
Guarantee Better Play with Off-Ice Conditioning
Ice hockey is very physically demanding and tests a player’s stamina. It requires players to be in good health, be able to work very hard for short periods of time (anaerobic conditioning) and be able to recover quickly from physical activity (aerobic conditioning). What’s more, strength, quickness and agility are also desirable. Players must learn to develop their physical abilities in all areas.It is not uncommon for players to feel tired during or after a game. Feeling tired is normal; players can overcome much of their tired feeling by focusing their mind on the game and ignoring the fatigue. However, if players are feeling pain they should talk to their coach or parents about it.
The diagram (above right) shows the foundations for physical development. Without a good aerobic conditioning base, it is difficult to adequately develop the other areas.
Each layer builds the necessary physical abilities to improve performance at the next level.
Skills such as skating and stickhandling are dependent on the body’s ability to do the work. Good physical conditioning is a foundation for everything else and becomes more important as a player gets older. Playing ability improves as players upgrade their physical shape. Skating cannot be improved with just on-ice exercises.
Aerobic Conditioning
Aerobic conditioning is the body’s ability to convert oxygen into energy. As muscles work, they get energy from two sources: food and oxygen. The better a body can use oxygen, the quicker it recovers from hard work. Performed for at least 20 minutes and three times a week, the following activities improve aerobic conditioning: jogging, brisk walking, swimming, biking, ice skating and roller skating.
Anaerobic Conditioning
Anaerobic conditioning is the body’s ability to work very hard for short periods of time. A single shift on the ice should be played at full speed and tests a player’s anaerobic conditioning. For example, when players skate as fast as they can down the ice, the longer the time before they feel tired, the better anaerobic shape they are in. It is tougher to develop good anaerobic abilities because the only way to do so is by exercising harder and longer with high intensity and high-speed exercises. The following exercises improve anaerobic conditioning: sprinting, foot racing and skating full speed down the length of the ice.
Strength Training, Quickness and Agility
Most doctors agree that children under the age of 10 should not weight train. Nonetheless, exercise that builds stamina such as running and resistance training provide a good way to exercise muscles without risking injury. Resistance training is using the body like a weight set. Common resistance type exercises that help build strength are: pushups. chin-ups, sit-ups, leg lifts and squats.
To build quickness, look at exercises that involve rapid feet movement. Good ways to build quickness include jumping, bounding, hopping and skipping rope.
Agility is the ability to start, stop and change direction quickly. Agility is built by moving the feet quickly in a variety of movements such as quick turns and cuts. Agility can be increased by obstacle courses, zig-zag running, side shuffles and playing tag.
Other Sports
In addition to dedicated exercising, playing other sports is a good way to work on all aspects of physical development. Sports to consider include:
- Baseball – builds hand eye coordination and quickness
- Basketball – builds stamina, passing and team skills
- Golf – builds hand/eye coordination
- Lacrosse – builds stamina and quickness
- Roller hockey – uses most of the same skills as ice hockey
- Soccer – builds stamina, team skills, footwork, position play
- Tennis – builds feet quickness and hand/eye coordination
Key Points for Parents
• Kids are exposed to a great deal of aerobic and anaerobic conditioning during normal play and sports activities. One of the best ways to build on their physical abilities is to let them play other sports along with hockey. Cross training is essential for body and mind.
• Exercise at early ages should be fun and parents can encourage their children by joining in and exercising with them.
• Rest before a game is important. Parents should monitor their child’s activities before the game and adjust as required.
• Young players sometimes complain about fatigue because, for them, getting that tired by working is a new experience. Their tolerance improves as they experience fatigue more and get used to the feeling.
Key Points for Players
• If you are working hard and getting tired during your shift, you are building your anaerobic conditioning.
• If you are very tired at the end of a period or after a game, you are building your aerobic conditioning.
• If you have trouble getting to the puck, you need to work on your quickness and agility.
• Consistent exercise is the best way to stay in shape.
Editor’s note: Thanks to Sports Esteem for the valuable article.
Don’t Miss Out: The 40K Car Wash Fundraiser
Here's a way for your team to "clean up" and everybody wins. Check out this interview with Lamar Slay on how he raised $40,000 in individual fundraisers for youth groups.Q: Would you please provide a brief bio of yourself?
Lamar: I am a consultant who works with churches in several different capacities, one of which is fundraising. For 25 years, I served as a youth pastor at large churches and did annual fundraisers. I also served on a Christian school board and chaired the student fundraising. I have five children and they all played youth sports!
Q: What fundraising programs have you implemented in the past?
Lamar: Magazine sales, carwashes, inflatable games.
Q: Which fundraising program/s would you recommend for other youth teams?
Lamar: The car wash.
Q: Can you provide a brief overview of the suggested program? (How to implement, time per family, other details).
Lamar: The most successful fundraiser I have ever done was one I repeated at multiple places. It was a car wash. The last one we conducted raised more than $40,000 with about 140 kids participating. We conducted the car wash like you would a jog-a-thon, with kids getting pledges for each car we would wash. The car wash was free and we actually got a local full service carwash to wash our cars for us.
Q: What is an average number of dollars per family that other teams should expect to receive from implementing this program?
Lamar: We asked each kid to raise $3 total per car we washed. We told those who pledged that we would cap their donation at the first 100 cars. (If they pledge 30 cents per car, 100 cars would equal $30) If 100 kids raise a total of $3 each per car, you will raise $30,000.00.
Q: Do you have any other suggestions for other teams and their fundraising programs?
Lamar: The key to getting kids to work hard is to reward them. The best reward is cash. We ran the car wash for four weeks and each week we would give away several hundred dollars in rewards to the kids who brought in the most money for that week. We would go to local businesses and give them coupons worth $50. If a kid came in and asked for a donation, the business owner would give them the coupon and when we had our meeting, that kid would get $50. This got the kids out knocking on doors. The grand prize for the top 10 kids was a road trip in a RV (donated) where we paid for everything, including a $100 each for a shopping spree at an outlet mall.
Q: What advice do you have for parents involved in youth sports?
Lamar: Remember that you are teaching your kids about life, not just sports. As a Youth Pastor, it was easy to tell a lot about a kid's relationship with his/her parents by attending one of their games. The interaction through eye contact while on the field or court or after the game told me a lot and often was a real clue about the kid's self-esteem. Parents, kids don't miss much. If they think you are not pleased with their performance, they assume you are not pleased with them as a person. That can be very damaging to their self-esteem. On the other hand, if a kid feels your love and affirmation regardless of how they performed, their self-esteem will get a great boost based on your unconditional love.
Learn to Be Another Gretzky? It’s Possible
According to a recent article in Wired Magazine, Peter Vint, a researcher with the U.S. Olympic Committee says he believes athletic skills can be learned even to the Wayne Gretzky level of performance. Such talent has long been assumed to be innate.“Coaches tend to think you either have it or you don’t,” Vint says. But Vint rejects the notion that Gretzky-style magic is unteachable.
One thing the article fails to mention but that further supports the argument for training to a Gretzky level is the Great One's commitment to practice and his attitude about it as summed up in these quotes:
“The only way a kid is going to practice is if it’s total fun for him… and it was for me.”
“I wasn’t naturally gifted in terms of size and speed; everything I did in hockey I worked for, and that’s the way I’ll be as a coach.”
Read the full article at:
http://www.wired.com/science/discoveries/magazine/15-06/ff_mindgames
