Parents Have to Teach Student-Athletes about the Dangers of Social Media
It just seems like an endless comedy of errors….but sadly, there’s nothing funny about what’s going on. Consider these recent cases: o A top HS football player puts out a variety of offensive sexual and racial comments on his Twitter account. Within days, he’s expelled from his HS, and top college recruiters like the Univ … Continue reading
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 – … Continue reading
Why Teams Should Respect Custodians and Other Service Employees
By Doug Abrams A few years ago, a fellow youth hockey coach told me about an emergency his team faced late in the prior season. The team was scheduled to play at 7:00 one Saturday night at the home rink, and he grew nervous when his starting goalie had not arrived by about 6:30. The … Continue reading
It’s Official! US Soccer Academy Development is Now Forcing HS Soccer players to choose betwen their varsity team and club team
In a press release that went out nationally last week, the US Soccer Development Academy fired a major salvo at traditional HS varsity programs. The essence of the message? If you entertain any dreams of playing college soccer or even pro soccer, you need to walk away from your local HS team and play exclusively … Continue reading
How Parents’ Visions of Colleges and The Pros Can Hurt Youth Leaguers
By Doug Abrams Almost like clockwork by the end of every season, the parents of at least one of my squirt hockey players would ask me how they could help their 9-year-old win an athletic scholarship someday, and perhaps even make the pros. The parents’ names were different each year, but the questions remained the … Continue reading
The Lesson of Jeremy Lin: A Personal Reflection
First, let me start with this: if you haven’t seen Jeremy Lin, the sensational new point guard for the NY Knicks, play yet, do yourself a favor and make sure you do. Your impressions will be just like mine: Wow, is this kid quick! It’s amazing how fast he is when he drives to the … Continue reading
Why Youth League Coaching Staffs Should Include Adults Inexperienced in The Game (Part II)
By Doug Abrams Last week’s column urged youth sports programs to assemble coaching staffs that may include interested adults who lack experience playing or coaching the game. Experience in the game is not essential for setting a positive example and teaching citizenship lessons. Men and women inexperienced in the game may also soon develop proficiency … Continue reading
Why Youth League Coaching Staffs Should Include Adults Inexperienced in the Game (Part I)
By Doug Abrams Several years ago, our mid-Missouri youth hockey program conducted an annual review of the teams’ coaching staffs. Before too long, the board of directors split into two distinct groups. One group favored coaching staffs comprised, to the extent possible, of adults who had significant hockey backgrounds as players or coaches. The other … Continue reading
Doug Abrams
Rick Wolff
Steve Kallas
Ask Coach Wolff 