ABUSIVE COACHES: Would You Pass the Coach’s “Dog Test?”
The Coach’s “Dog Test” By Doug Abrams Tino Martinez, the popular former Yankee, resigned Sunday afternoon as the Florida Marlins’ first-year hitting coach following allegations that he verbally and physically abused players since spring training. Martinez acknowledged that he grabbed a rookie second baseman by the front of the jersey in May, but … Continue reading
Athletes/Coaches Who Cheat: Has the Time come to go to Zero Tolerance?
There’s a slight ripple of change in the air when it comes to athletes and cheating. Maybe it’s because of the recent Ryan Braun controversy, where he convinced everyone from the Packers’ Aaron Rodgers to all of baseball’s fans that he never took PEDs – -only to do a major 180 and now confess, when … Continue reading
SPORT SAFETY: Violence in Youth Sports Spreading All Over the World
New Zealand High School Rugby Match Ends in Vicious Brawls By Doug Abrams Last summer, I wrote columns that surveyed newspaper accounts of youth sports violence in other western nations, including New Zealand. Within the span of only a few months, New Zealanders had read about a high school rugby player who was suspended … Continue reading
ABUSIVE COACHES: Another Horror Story from the College Coaching Ranks
There’s a lengthy, well-researched account in the Detroit Free Press this week that details another searing case of psychological abuse by a college coach – in this case, it happens to be Beckie Francis, the long-time women’s basketball coach at Oakland University in Michigan. In short, Francis who coached Oakland for 13 seasons and compiled an overall … Continue reading
YOUTH COACHING IN ACTION: Summer 2013
A quick photo of hockey coach Doug Abrams working with some young goalies in Missouri…. .
LEGAL CONCERNS: The Recruiting of Athletes to Private and Parochial High Schools – Time to Fess Up?
One of the great not-so-well-kept secrets in the New York-New Jersey area is that private and parochial schools recruit top athletes to attend their schools. Now, no one will ever admit to this, because the recruiting of young student-athletes is against all the rules. And yet, judging from the calls on my radio show this … Continue reading
COACHING TIPS: Part II of What All Coaches Need To Read
Ten Rules for Healthy Youth Sports (Part II) By Doug Abrams In late June, I spoke about “Ten Rules for Healthy Youth Sports” to the parents and coaches in the Twisters Roller Hockey League in Hallsville, Missouri. Last week’s column presented the first five rules, and here I present the final five. * … Continue reading
INNOVATIONS IN SPORTS: Pro Soccer Team Pays Fans Not to Chant Obscenities
This one is bizarre. As reported in NJ.com this past week, apparently there are a few fan groups who regularly attend Red Bulls’ soccer matches in New Jersey (the Red Bulls play in Major League Soccer). And during the course of these home games, members of these fan groups will launch into a chant aimed … Continue reading
COACHING TIPS: Here Are the Rules All Youth Coaches Need to Read (Part One)
Ten Rules for Healthy Youth Sports (Part I) By Doug Abrams Two weeks ago, I spoke about sportsmanship and values to the parents and coaches in the Twisters Roller Hockey League in Hallsville, Missouri. Hallsville is a small town (population 1,500) about 18 miles north of my home in Columbia, and the league … Continue reading
DANGERS OF LITTLE LEAGUE BASEBALL: The Corporate Machine in Williamsport Keeps Rolling It In
Just in case you ever had any doubts about Little League Baseball being big business…there was a major feature in Sports Business Journal this past week in which it detailed how this organization, which prides itself on safety first, has grown to a massive enterprise. For starters, ESPN is in the process of negotiating a … Continue reading
Doug Abrams
Rick Wolff
Steve Kallas
Ask Coach Wolff 