coachczes.com

courtesy of the Positive Coaching Alliance

This month, many of us who are involved with youth sports are taking a deep breath… another season completed or coming to an end!  For a bit.  Because just when we think we have a break, we’re all on to the next sport, or the next season, or the next camp, or the next team!  What happened to the days of an off-season?  For some youth sports parents and athletes, there just isn’t one.  But the team here at Responsible Sports got to thinking: should there be?  Should we as Responsible Sport Parents and Responsible Coaches insist on an off-season?

There are good arguments on both sides of this valuable debate.  On the side of advocating for an off-season are those parents and coaches who point to examples of young athletes suffering burnout, or worse, injury, as a result of too much activity.

There is the story of Elena Delle Donne, the number one basketball prospect in the country who walked away from a full scholarship to women’s basketball powerhouse UConn because she felt burnt out.  In trying to explain her very personal decision to not only Coach Auriemma as well as the national media, Donne could only keep repeating “I just need some time off.”

by Jay Bilas, ESPN.com

I love basketball. I don't like the basketball business. Basketball, from the junior circuit on, has too many elements of a dirty business, and there are too few people willing to stand up and protest the negative influences in the game.

I am not at all surprised that O.J. Mayo was compromised by agents as a high school kid. What surprises me is that so many people are surprised. This kind of thing has been going on for too long now, and insiders in the game have known about it. But it was so pervasive and so difficult to prove that it simply became part of the culture of the game.

There is plenty of blame to be apportioned for the state of the game and for the fact that a top-rated prospect can be so easily compromised before he has reached the age of consent. We are quick to blame the kid, his college and his coach, but we often let the adults in authority positions off the hook.

The disintegration of the basketball culture is, and has been for some time, a sad chapter in the game. It is not the fault of the kids; it is our fault. All of us.

1. Each day hug your spouse tightly and tell them that you love them. Do the same with your children, regardless of how old they are.
2. Be quick to admit, "I am wrong, I am sorry, please forgive me."
3. Be quick to say, "I forgive you," when a family member says they were wrong.
4. Turn off the TV, turn to your spouse, and ask them questions about their world.
5. Write notes of encouragement for each family member, mention you love them and are proud of them.

by Randy Brown

Coaching basketball is an art that takes time and persistence. A mistake some coaches make is seeing the game as they see it and expecting their players to see the same thing. The ability to coach through the eyes of your players is what separates the great coaches from the good ones.

Last night I was asked to offer advice and strategies for coaching basketball and becoming a college coach.  Course leader Jim Krause asked me to cover the topic of pitfalls for coaches. My goal was to cover 5 points but at one point got sidetracked. The topic we landed on was the issue of over-coaching. Coaches tend to give their teams much more information than they can handle. This makes the coach feel prepared but what does it do to players?

A few years back, I was speaking with a long-time coach and he talked about "coaching through your player's eyes."

The more I thought about it the more sense it made.

by David Allen

How do you motivate people to change their behavior? This is a common question for managers, executives, coaches, teachers, parents, and anyone else who ever wants other people around them to act differently in a consistent way.

I hear this regularly, because as I work with people to set up systems to maintain focus and increase their productivity, they often complain that one of their problems is other people being unfocused and out of control. "How can I get my staff, my boss, my spouse and my kids to get this?!"

If you want to be good at getting other people to change, ask yourself: "Who got me to change?...and how did they do that?" Bring to mind the three people in your life you would say were most effective in getting you to improve, learn, stretch, and grow in a positive way. What was common to all three?

by Jeff Janssen, M.S., Peak Performance Coach

Being a leader is a big privilege, challenge, and responsibility. To do your job effectively, you must bring out the best in your teammates and be able to deal with them when they are at their worst. Your success depends on your ability to develop and master the Six “R’s” of Respected Team Leaders. As you read through them below, honestly evaluate yourself on how well you fulfill each of the six important responsibilities.

1. ROLE MODEL

All leadership begins with self leadership. People will respect you as a leader only if you can walk your own talk and lead yourself effectively. You must model the commitment and work ethic you expect from your teammates. You must have confidence that you can achieve your team’s goals. You must maintain your composure when the inevitable storms of adversity strike. And you must do the right thing even when it isn’t the popular or convenient choice to make. You must continually model the attitudes and actions you want to see from your teammates.