PositiveSports.net

Promoting Positive Youth Development through Sports

PositiveSports.net is an online education resource for adults involved in youth sports.  Whether you are a coach, trainer, parent, program director, board member, educator, or game official, PositiveSports.net can help you help your athletes get the most out of sports.  

• About the Project
• The Positive Youth Sports Model
• The Positive Sports Letter
• Talks & Workshops
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Addressing the Issue of Verbal, Physical, and Psychological Abuse of Athletes

Abuse of athletes is a touchy topic. At the bright end of the spectrum, the vast majority of coaches would never even think of abusing an athlete in any way. At the dark end, most of us have experienced or heard of coaches who are clearly abusive.

There is also a grey area in the middle, where coaches with the best of intentions may be perceived as abusive by one or more athletes. In this grey area, what is perceived as 'tough love' from a coach by one athlete could be perceived as abusive by another.

Today it is very important for every coach to be self aware of how his or her behavior may be interpreted. This document from the Women's Sports Foundation provides clear and concise guidelines for defining, preventing, and responding to allegations of abusive behavior. And it is definitely not just for women's sports.

DOWNLOAD THE GUIDELINES FROM THE WOMEN'S SPORTS FOUNDATION

 

Do leadership and teamwork really matter? Ask the Boston Red Sox

It appears that the September 2011 collapse of the Boston Red Sox was more than a reinstitution of the Curse of the Bambino. In fact, it was worse, because it was preventable.

From almost all accounts, the Red Sox collapse was caused in large part by a lack of team commitment and a failure of locker room leadership.

This post-mortem by Bob Hohler of the Boston Globe provides a case study of why leadership and teamwork matter - even if you have massive talent and a payroll to match. Coaches and parents, think about having your young athletes read this article as a leadership learning experience.

INSIDE THE COLLAPSE (Boston Globe)

Study: The Price of Poverty in Big-Time College Sport

A newly released study by National College Players Association (NCPA) and Drexel University Department of Sport Management blames colleges sports scandals on a black market created by unethical and unpractical NCAA restrictions on college athletes. This study will surely have its detractors, but it should give pause to parents and coaches of athletes with aspirations to play Division I college sports. From the press release:

Examining football and basketball teams from Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) colleges, the study calculates athletes' out-of-pocket educational related expenses associated with a "full" scholarship, compares the room and board portion of players' scholarships to the federal poverty line and coaches' and athletic administrators' salaries, and uses NFL and NBA collective bargaining agreements to estimate the fair market value of FBS football and basketball players. The study...shows that the average scholarship shortfall (out-of-pocket expenses) for each "full" scholarship athlete was approximately $3222 per player during the 2010-11 school year. The report also found that the room and board provisions in a full scholarship leave 85% of players living on campus and 86% of players living off campus living below the federal poverty line. The study estimates the fair market value of the average FBS football and basketball player to be $120,048 and $265,027, respectively.

Read the full press release and link to the full study at the NCPA website.

 

New York to Require Benching Students with Concussions

According to the Wall St. Journal:

The legislation recently signed by Gov. Andrew Cuomo directs state health and education officials to draft regulations for how schools handle mild traumatic brain injuries, starting in July. It requires immediate benching for suspected concussions in a school-related activity, including interscholastic and intramural sports and gym classes. Students can play again only after they are symptom-free for 24 hours and cleared in writing by a doctor.

Read the full article at Wall St. Journal online.

Former NFL Players Claim NFL Concealed Concussion Risk

More concern about the long-term risks of concussion...

Los Angeles (CNN) -- Seventy-five former professional football players are suing the National Football League, saying the league knew as early as the 1920s of the harmful effects of concussions on players' brains but concealed the information from players, coaches, trainers and others until June 2010.

The players "did not know the long-term effects of concussions" and relied on the NFL to protect them, the suit says. Read the full article at CNN.com...,

Sports dental injuries are no laughing matter.

Amidst all of the media attention on major injuries like concussions and ACL tears, dental injuries are are all-too-common in sports. This article from the University of Alabama Birmingham provides practical advice for preventing and responding to dental injuries. A good read for parents and coaches alike.

Read the full article at UAB News...

Model Program: J.D. Lewis Center in Raleigh, NC Blends Basketball Development and Life Skills Trainng

NBA veteran David West and his older brother Dwayne West operate this innovative program in southeast Raleigh. In addition to a complete basketball development program, the Center offers classes on etiquette, culture, nutrition and rules of engagement between boys and girls. An FBI agent has come in to discuss gang life.

"I'm giving these kids information I believe is unique," West says. "Where I got it at 25, I'm giving it to them at 12 and 13. It can benefit them."

Read the full article at USA Today....

Jeff Janssen on the Biggest Reason Team Captains Struggle

Sports leadership expert Jeff Janssen proposes that "The biggest reason why captains are not as effective as they should be is most often a lack of awareness. They lack an awareness both in terms
of what it takes to be an effective leader, and just as important, they lack an awareness of their strengths and weaknesses as leaders."

Learn more in this insightful article from one of the most respected sports leadership experts in the country:

http://www.jeffjanssen.com/coaching/captains_struggle.html

Coaching Tips from MSU: Be Intentional about Leadership Development

Dan Gould is a professor of kinesiology and Director for the Institute for the Study of Youth Sports at Michigan State University. In this video he profiles the work of the Institute and highlights an important research finding: Coaches who are intentional about teaching leadership produce better team leaders. Learn more in this brief video....

Mayo Clinic: Curb the risk of dehydration

The Mayo Clinic reminds us that "Children don't adapt as well as adults do to exercise in hot, humid weather. They produce more heat, sweat less and might be less likely to drink enough fluids during exercise — increasing the risk of dehydration and other heat-related illnesses. You don't need to worry from the sidelines, though. Understand how heat-related problems happen and what steps you can take to prevent them. Read the full article at MayoClinic.com....