9 Tips for Working with Teens

“I love coaching moody teenagers!” said no one ever. Our adolescent athletes can be challenging, that is for sure. One minute they are perfectly normal, the next minute they are sullen, cranky or just in tears. Come to think of it, they are like giant two year olds…who drive… That said, I actually like teenagers. […]

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10 Tips for When Your Child Says “My Coach Hates Me!”

I knew something was wrong the second she walked out of the gym. The slumped shoulders and glum face told me that workout hadn’t gone well. The car door had barely opened when my daughter began sobbing, “Tom (not his real name) hates me!”  (Door slams.) If your child stays in sports long enough, the chances […]

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Step Away from the Phone and Return to Practice, Please.

Cell phones. Like Pavlov’s dogs, most of us are conditioned to respond to every ping or vibration that indicates a new text, email or Facebook like. And while there are many, many benefits to having technology literally at our fingertips, there are downsides as well. And those downsides are extending to your practices coaches, as […]

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How an Emotionally Charged Child is Like a Car Wreck

My attention was immediately grabbed when I came across an article with the title: Is it good to let kids screw up? “Yes! Of course!” I screamed (in my head, thankfully, as I was sitting in Starbucks and out loud screaming would have been really awkward). And I loved the advice (and not just because […]

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