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Youth Sports Golden Rules - Baseball, Football, Whatever
Posted by Anne Wintsch-Reis at Jul 23, 2004 5:00PM PDT
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Parents coached on sport pitfalls
An expert admonishes grownups to emphasize fun, not pressure young athletes when they're competing.
THE GOLDEN RULES
Sports psychology expert Rick Wolff offers five simple messages for adults involved in Little League:
1. Parents need to come to grips with one fact: Your childhood is over. Don't put your dreams on your children.
2. Listen to your children, don't lecture to them. Let them tell you what they enjoy about sports.
3. Coaches: Remember, every child wants to play during games as much as possible. As a coach, it's your job to make sure that happens.
4. Yelling and screaming discourages a child's desire to do well in sports. No one wants to be criticized, especially when playing a difficult game.
5. Baseball is a hard [game]. Remember to tell your child how tough baseball was for you.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
By DAVID KARP, Times Staff Writer
Published January 23, 2004
Published on the Little League web site by permission
TAMPA - As he surveyed the giants of baseball, Rick Wolff did what any father would do. He thought of his son.
Back then, Wolff massaged the egos of the best players in baseball as mental skills coach for the Cleveland Indians, back when the Indians were good.
It was spring in Arizona, and Wolff's mind was on the future. His son was 8. He asked his players - who had fame, wealth and talent - if they would want the same for their boy. They all answered the same way.
"Rick, I would never, ever expose my kid to the kind of craziness I went through," they said.
Wolff, who left his coaching career to lecture and write, told that story Thursday night to about 60 Little League parents who wanted instruction on how to best help kids in sports.
The audience at Plant High School looked like professionals who achieve - and who want their children to achieve too. So, to help, the Tampa Bay Little League group and More Health, a nonprofit that teaches children about health, flew Wolff in from New York to talk to parents about how to behave.
Wolff, chairman of the Center for Sports Parenting, has written 17 books on the subject, including Coaching for Dummies and Good Sports: The Concerned Parents Guide to Competitive Sports. And oh, he has raised three kids, including a 20-year-old son who plays baseball at Harvard, just like Dad did.
As Wolff spoke Thursday at the auditorium at Plant, the parents silently listened. When Wolff spoke about parents who grilled their kid after a game, and a few would laugh. They recognized the traits in themselves.
Talking to a child after a game is one of the worst things to do, Wolff said. It's one of the reasons that nearly 50 percent of children ages 5 to 12 surveyed don't want their parents to attend their games, he said.
"When we drop our kid off at Little League, one of the last things we say is go out and have fun," he said. "But what we are really saying is go out and be a star."
Kids pick up on the real meaning very quickly. And it's one reason so many want to quit.
Children notice when parents sit in the stands and tell their children how to play. Eye on the ball! Don't crowd the plate! That's it! Uh, uh, uh, don't round that base!
The children thought you wanted them to have fun, Wolff said. But the chanting really tells them they're being evaluated.
After the game, don't talk to children about the game. Kids, especially at the Little League age, have moved on. But the parent is doing the post-game analysis, Wolff said.
He suggested waiting a day to casually ask your child how they felt about the sport. And cushion the conversation by offering praise, he said.
"Your job is to be supportive, and to stick up for these kids," Wolff said.
Wolff asked the audience how many of them played baseball as kids.
A roomful of hands went up.
How many played pro ball?
No hands.
How many played the majors?
No hands.
How many parents told their kids about the mistakes they made - the times they struck out with the bases loaded, the times they dropped the fly ball.
One person raised a hand.
"You have to let them know baseball is the most difficult game in the world," Wolff said. "You have to understand failure will be around you all the time."
Putting pressure on children at early ages seldom makes them better players. And he cited examples:
Michael Jordan, one of the greatest players in professional basketball, was cut from his high school team.
Basketball star Scottie Pippen was only 5 foot 11 as a high school senior. He got one college basketball scholarship - they wanted him to be the team's equipment manager.
Slugger Sammy Sosa didn't start playing baseball until he was 14. His career hasn't suffered, Wolff said.
Try to make Little League teams as even as possible in skill levels. The goal should be teams that all have .500 records.
Instead of holding a draft, as most Little Leagues do, in which coaches try to out-scout the best 10-year-old in the League, do something anticompetitive. Get all the coaches together and create evenly-balanced teams, so that any team could play just as well as another. Then, let the coach decide who gets to coach the team by picking teams randomly from a hat.
He said this has been done successfully in many places.
When it comes time to choose all-stars, let the children decide by secret ballot, Wolff said.
"The kids know who the best players are," he said. "They don't need the parents to tell them who the stars are."
One parent raised his hand to ask Wolff how he could actually convince a Little League to take competition out.
He asked: What has to happen? Does there have to be crisis? Does some parent have to get arrested for throwing objects on the field before a Little League can change?
No, Wolff said.
"It just takes parents to say, this makes sense," he said.
The parent listened, but didn't say anything back.
Today, coincidentally, is draft day for the Tampa Bay Little League.
- David Karp can be reached at [727] 226-3376 or karp@sptimes.com
THE GOLDEN RULES
Sports psychology expert Rick Wolff offers five simple messages for adults involved in Little League:
1. Parents need to come to grips with one fact: Your childhood is over. Don't put your dreams on your children.
2. Listen to your children, don't lecture to them. Let them tell you what they enjoy about sports.
3. Coaches: Remember, every child wants to play during games as much as possible. As a coach, it's your job to make sure that happens.
4. Yelling and screaming discourages a child's desire to do well in sports. No one wants to be criticized, especially when playing a difficult game.
5. Baseball is a hard [game]. Remember to tell your child how tough baseball was for you.
An expert admonishes grownups to emphasize fun, not pressure young athletes when they're competing.
THE GOLDEN RULES
Sports psychology expert Rick Wolff offers five simple messages for adults involved in Little League:
1. Parents need to come to grips with one fact: Your childhood is over. Don't put your dreams on your children.
2. Listen to your children, don't lecture to them. Let them tell you what they enjoy about sports.
3. Coaches: Remember, every child wants to play during games as much as possible. As a coach, it's your job to make sure that happens.
4. Yelling and screaming discourages a child's desire to do well in sports. No one wants to be criticized, especially when playing a difficult game.
5. Baseball is a hard [game]. Remember to tell your child how tough baseball was for you.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
By DAVID KARP, Times Staff Writer
Published January 23, 2004
Published on the Little League web site by permission
TAMPA - As he surveyed the giants of baseball, Rick Wolff did what any father would do. He thought of his son.
Back then, Wolff massaged the egos of the best players in baseball as mental skills coach for the Cleveland Indians, back when the Indians were good.
It was spring in Arizona, and Wolff's mind was on the future. His son was 8. He asked his players - who had fame, wealth and talent - if they would want the same for their boy. They all answered the same way.
"Rick, I would never, ever expose my kid to the kind of craziness I went through," they said.
Wolff, who left his coaching career to lecture and write, told that story Thursday night to about 60 Little League parents who wanted instruction on how to best help kids in sports.
The audience at Plant High School looked like professionals who achieve - and who want their children to achieve too. So, to help, the Tampa Bay Little League group and More Health, a nonprofit that teaches children about health, flew Wolff in from New York to talk to parents about how to behave.
Wolff, chairman of the Center for Sports Parenting, has written 17 books on the subject, including Coaching for Dummies and Good Sports: The Concerned Parents Guide to Competitive Sports. And oh, he has raised three kids, including a 20-year-old son who plays baseball at Harvard, just like Dad did.
As Wolff spoke Thursday at the auditorium at Plant, the parents silently listened. When Wolff spoke about parents who grilled their kid after a game, and a few would laugh. They recognized the traits in themselves.
Talking to a child after a game is one of the worst things to do, Wolff said. It's one of the reasons that nearly 50 percent of children ages 5 to 12 surveyed don't want their parents to attend their games, he said.
"When we drop our kid off at Little League, one of the last things we say is go out and have fun," he said. "But what we are really saying is go out and be a star."
Kids pick up on the real meaning very quickly. And it's one reason so many want to quit.
Children notice when parents sit in the stands and tell their children how to play. Eye on the ball! Don't crowd the plate! That's it! Uh, uh, uh, don't round that base!
The children thought you wanted them to have fun, Wolff said. But the chanting really tells them they're being evaluated.
After the game, don't talk to children about the game. Kids, especially at the Little League age, have moved on. But the parent is doing the post-game analysis, Wolff said.
He suggested waiting a day to casually ask your child how they felt about the sport. And cushion the conversation by offering praise, he said.
"Your job is to be supportive, and to stick up for these kids," Wolff said.
Wolff asked the audience how many of them played baseball as kids.
A roomful of hands went up.
How many played pro ball?
No hands.
How many played the majors?
No hands.
How many parents told their kids about the mistakes they made - the times they struck out with the bases loaded, the times they dropped the fly ball.
One person raised a hand.
"You have to let them know baseball is the most difficult game in the world," Wolff said. "You have to understand failure will be around you all the time."
Putting pressure on children at early ages seldom makes them better players. And he cited examples:
Michael Jordan, one of the greatest players in professional basketball, was cut from his high school team.
Basketball star Scottie Pippen was only 5 foot 11 as a high school senior. He got one college basketball scholarship - they wanted him to be the team's equipment manager.
Slugger Sammy Sosa didn't start playing baseball until he was 14. His career hasn't suffered, Wolff said.
Try to make Little League teams as even as possible in skill levels. The goal should be teams that all have .500 records.
Instead of holding a draft, as most Little Leagues do, in which coaches try to out-scout the best 10-year-old in the League, do something anticompetitive. Get all the coaches together and create evenly-balanced teams, so that any team could play just as well as another. Then, let the coach decide who gets to coach the team by picking teams randomly from a hat.
He said this has been done successfully in many places.
When it comes time to choose all-stars, let the children decide by secret ballot, Wolff said.
"The kids know who the best players are," he said. "They don't need the parents to tell them who the stars are."
One parent raised his hand to ask Wolff how he could actually convince a Little League to take competition out.
He asked: What has to happen? Does there have to be crisis? Does some parent have to get arrested for throwing objects on the field before a Little League can change?
No, Wolff said.
"It just takes parents to say, this makes sense," he said.
The parent listened, but didn't say anything back.
Today, coincidentally, is draft day for the Tampa Bay Little League.
- David Karp can be reached at [727] 226-3376 or karp@sptimes.com
THE GOLDEN RULES
Sports psychology expert Rick Wolff offers five simple messages for adults involved in Little League:
1. Parents need to come to grips with one fact: Your childhood is over. Don't put your dreams on your children.
2. Listen to your children, don't lecture to them. Let them tell you what they enjoy about sports.
3. Coaches: Remember, every child wants to play during games as much as possible. As a coach, it's your job to make sure that happens.
4. Yelling and screaming discourages a child's desire to do well in sports. No one wants to be criticized, especially when playing a difficult game.
5. Baseball is a hard [game]. Remember to tell your child how tough baseball was for you.
Jackson Middle School - Practice field
Posted by Anne Wintsch-Reis at Jul 21, 2004 5:00PM PDT
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Practice – at Stonewall Jackson Middle School, 6100 Stonewall Jackson Road, Orlando. FL, 6pm – 8pm, M – F starting August 2nd till September 3rd; then 3 days a week (Monday, Tuesday & Thursday), 6pm – 8pm.
a. During rain, please do not go into the body of the school, but stay under the gym area.
b. Parking – on the La Costa side – road or Englewood Community Center parking Lot or on the school side between the Gym and the Englewood Elementary school. Please do not park inside the fenced parking lot at the west side of the school.
c. Directions: You can get to the school from Lake Underhill, La Costa (off 436) or from Curry Ford Rd. See map below.
d. Football: need practice pants with pads, cleats, loose enough shirt to fit over pads
e. Cheer: Hair up, shorts & T-shirt, tennis shoes (though not your Game Shoes), towel
f. No jewelry, bring water bottle, bug spray
g. Rain - Florida is famous this time of year for rain and lightning. We have a lightning detector and faithfully use it. We will sound a bullhorn to pull the teams off the field. Even if it is rainy at the beginning of practice, please come to Jackson. Within an hour, we will decide if practice can continue or is cancelled.
h. Make-up practices due to rain: SATURDAY 9:00am - 11:00am.
Mandatory Paperwork Collection
Posted by Anne Wintsch-Reis at Jul 21, 2004 5:00PM PDT
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The paperwork we collect (birth certificate, current year dated physical, last year’s full school year report card) is mandated by National Pop Warner. We have to have all this paperwork collected before a child can practice with our organization. Missing paperwork will cause a child to miss practice and miss games. Please do not let this happen to your child. Get that paperwork in!
MID FLORIDA 2004 Divisions of Play and Play Off Criteria
Posted by Anne Wintsch-Reis at Jul 21, 2004 5:00PM PDT
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Divisions of Play
Below are the Division assignments for the 2004 season. All divisions will be in a seven Association bracket playing six games within that bracket.
Division 1
Playoff Criteria
Because of the changes in the Division 1 and 2 make-up, only those 6 games within your assigned conference will count for play-off berths. The other 3 games and by weeks will not be considered. Beginning this year the non-conference games will be a combination of Division 1 and cross conference Division 2 games. This will help Mid Florida determine if a team can play up in Division 1. This new scheduling will determine this issue for placement in the future.
Division 1 Teams
The 1st and 2nd place teams will advance to the championship round based on best record of the 6 games, head-to-head competition and Kansas City Tie Breaker in the event of any 3-way tie. Not all games will be a consideration because of the Division 1 and 2 interplay. 1st place team will play 2nd place cross conference team for advancement to the Championship game.
Division 2 Teams
The 1st place teams will advance to championship round. The three, second place teams will play Kansas City Tie Breakers to determine the advancing team. The 1st and 2nd place teams will advance to the championship round based on best record of the 6 games, head-to-head competition and Kansas City Tie Breaker in the event of any 3-way tie. All games will not be a consideration because of the Division 1 and 2 interplay. The wild card 2nd place team will play a cross conference 1st place team and the remaining 2, 1st place teams home field advantage will be based on best conference record, 6 games or coin toss if identical.
Kansas City Tie Breakers
Tiebreakers will be played on Monday evening, November 1st at a location to be identified. The first team to lose 2 tiebreakers will be eliminated. In the event of 3 way ties, elimination will be based on first teams to lose 2 tiebreakers. All Division 2 2nd place teams will play the tiebreaker round. Where 2 teams are tied for 1st place, the winner will automatically take 1st and the loser 2nd place. In Division 2, this will mean playing for the 2nd place spot and then playing again for the wild card position.
Home Field Advantage
All teams having 1st place finishes, as determined by record or coin toss, will have home field advantage. Because of the weeknight playoffs, travel and school, only 2 games will be allowed at each site. If an association has more than 2 teams in 1st place they may secure a 2nd location for play. If a 2nd location is not available, they will identify which teams will play at home and the other will travel to the 2nd place team facility. It is very important that facilities be secured as early as possible.
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Division 1 |
Division 2 |
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NORTH |
SOUTH |
WEST |
CENTRAL |
EAST |
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Apopka |
Merritt Island |
Ocoee |
Sanford |
University |
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Pine Hills |
Lyman |
S. Lake |
W. Volusia |
New Smyrna |
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Ormond |
Oviedo |
W. Orange |
W. Springs |
S. Brevard |
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Dr Phillips |
Avalon |
Clermont |
Orange City |
Space Coast |
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L. Brantley |
Winter Park |
Olympia |
Lake Mary |
Kissimmee |
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Daytona |
S. Orange |
Leesburg |
L. Howell |
St Cloud |
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Port Orange |
S. Central |
Umatilla |
Volusia |
Azalea Park |
Dates: Friday July 30th, 6pm - 8pm, Saturday July 31st, 4pm - 6pm, Sunday August 1st, 2pm - 4pm,
Location: Jackson Middle School
Cost: only $10 for 3 days!
For: Girls and Boys - up to High School ages - This Camp is OPEN to any child - being an Azalea Park Panther is not required.
If you play baseball, softball, soccer, basketball, football, any sport ... this camp is GREAT for you! So invite your friends (they do not have to play for Azalea Park Panthers), your Little League team, your AAU team, your soccer team, your basketball team ... you get the idea. Naturally it would be best to make all 3 days, but if not, for the price, even coming to 1 or 2 days is still a good deal.
This Camp is called "Explosion Speed Training" (EST). It is a speed and agility training, not conditioning. It is to teach running and footwork skills. The main components are to teach proper running form, running with rhythm, and the proper stride. Then it is up to the child to continue to train and practice in order to achieve muscle memory. It will be 2 hours a day for 3 consecutive days.
Sponsors
