PositiveSports.net

Deaf College Football Player Excels Past Expectations

 

My Dream Is To Play Baseball

 

Study says coaches can help prevent teen dating violence

A new study conducted in California finds that a structured program delivered by coaches called Coaching Boys into Men is effective for discouraging dating violence—the physical, sexual, and emotional aggression prevalent in adolescent romantic relationships.

The new study was conducted among over 2,000 young male athletes in 16 high schools in four urban school districts in Sacramento County, Calif., between winter 2009 and fall 2010. Eight of the schools were randomly selected to receive the program, while the other eight schools served as comparisons.

The surveys also asked whether the athletes had witnessed any abusive behavior and actually intervened. The young men who had ever dated were asked whether they themselves had participated in any of 10 abusive behaviors including physical, sexual, and emotional abuse toward a female partner in the past three months. Eighteen percent of the male athletes who had ever dated reported perpetrating any abusive behavior toward a female partner in the past three months, with verbal and emotional abuse being most common.

Read the full article from Futurity here.

 

 

Athletics, Perspective and Family

 

 

 

Survey finds limited awareness of concussion issue among coaches

A survey by Korrio and Axon Sports showed that 75 percent of 250 youth coaches surveyed were aware of sports-related concussions in youth sports, with 80 percent of respondents indicating their organizations have protocols for handling concussions in their athletes. However, 49 percent of them, according to the survey, were not familiar with baseline testing. 

“We were certainly encouraged by the high-level of concussion awareness, but with one in four coaches still professing a lack of awareness regarding serious brain injuries to young athletes, we believe there is still a lot of work to do,” said Korrio CEO Steve Goldman in a press release. 

Read the full National Soccer Wire article here.

Study: Emphasis on self-improvement accomplishes more than focusing on winning

Underserved youth athletes report more life skill and character development when their coaches place greater emphasis on creating caring climates instead of focusing on competition, according to research from Michigan State University's Institute for the Study of Youth Sports.

Playing in an atmosphere that focuses on player self-improvement versus player competition creates a sense of teamwork and develops initiative, social skills and a sense of identity, report the authors of the study from the Department of Kinesiology institute.

"The research adds to the growing body of knowledge that shows coaching actions and the team climates they create have important influences on the personal development of youth," Gould said. "Our data suggests if coaches want to develop life skills and character in youth, it is important to focus on player self-improvement more so than winning."

Read the full Medical Express article here.

 

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)

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....