Club sports programs changing recruiting scene

Whole new ballgame: Club sports programs changing recruiting scene – Sports – HometownAnnapolis.com

Let’s see…

I knew for sure I wanted to blog this, but I really don’t know where to start to comment. There is no question that club sports and the whole “high school exposure” circuit have become important for players and big business for a lot of entrepreneurial adults.

Let’s set aside the fact the the reporter is given to hyperbole (“During the summer before an athlete’s junior year of high school, making the cut for the varsity team is probably the least of their concerns.”) There are honestly some very good things and some very ugly things related to the rise in prominence of club sports.

The reporter here plays into one of the ugly things right off the bat – the creeping mistrust (and often animosity) between club and high school coaches. It’s misleading and disingenuous to run the quote, “the high school sports season is now more like a recreation league” when the comment comes from someone with a financial interest in her club program’s success. While the reported does find one high school coach to comment and points out some of the financial concerns related to participation, the article is largely dominated by the opinions of club coaches.

There are some very good club coaches and programs out there. There are some very bad ones, too. Sometimes it’s very difficult to tell the difference. Many will remember the highly publicized case involving Rick Lopez, arguably the leading girls AAU basketball coach in the nation at one time, who committed suicide shortly before his scheduled arraignment to face abuse charges involving his players. While this is undoubtedly an aberration and is not representative of most club coaches, it does shine light on one of the many important issues involved here: there is no professional oversight or certification for club coaches.

By comparison, coaches at our school must be certified in coaching principles, first aid, and state athletic association guidelines. In addition each coach must undergo two background checks – one for criminal history and another for any abuse allegations filed with relevant agencies. This doesn’t ensure good coaching or even safety, but it is far more thorough than parents are guaranteed with club coaches.

On the other side of the coin, many high school coaches are as quick to unfairly dismiss club coaches as the LAX coach (I do find it amusing that lacrosse folks are comfortable with that abbreviation) in the article dismissed high school sports. It’s clear that club coaches can often offer athletes advantages that high schools cannot. Club coaches can offer instruction and play outside of state-mandated high school seasons as well as important exposure opportunities.

Nevertheless, collegiate coaches at all levels are still interested in athletes’ high school sports. Success on school teams demonstrates an athlete’s ability to balance sport with studies and social concerns.

Coaches in both worlds (and, like me, many have a foot in each camp) need to strike a delicate balance to ensure that athletes get the full value of both.

Players and parents seeking club sports opportunities will do well to have clear goals for the experience. Most good club programs are very up-front about their niche – some seek collegiate exposure, others emphasize player development, some serve as off-season versions of existing school teams. Many larger programs offer an array of teams that have different purposes (often one “elite” exposure team bolstered by a series of less competitive developmental teams.)

Finally, and most importantly, families need to decide what is truly best for the athlete’s entire life. While the appeal of club sports is that they allow athletes to participate in one sport all year long, the value of that is hotly disputed by many sports science professionals. (Check “Wiersma, L. D. (2000). Risks and benefits of youth sport specialization: Perspectives and recommendations. Pediatric Exercise Science, 12(1), 13-22″ and this link.) Additionally, the stress of the high-stakes exposure circuit can be daunting and often debilitating for young athletes.

While the article cited above is lopsided, I applaud the reporter for addressing the issue. The landscape of high school-aged youth sports is changing fast, and it’s worth discussion among parents, coaches, athletes, and researchers to help ensure the healthiest experience for athletes.

Bill Walsh – The incredible value of a great coach

Read the article at NFL.com

Click here for more highlights from the memorial service

He did it for players. He made us see higher visions of greatness in ourselves than we had ever seen before. - Jeff Kemp

Bill was blessed with one of the greatest gifts you can have … to see the future potential in another human. - Steve Young

As a coach, I pray to be so lucky as to have a player one day remember me with a comment like the ones above. Be sure to watch Joe Montana’s moving eulogy.

The players’ comments above remind me the root meaning of the word “coach” – a means of conveyance, a vehicle that transports a person from one place to another. Walsh understood that his job was to take players from their current place to the outer limits of their potential. This concept came up over and over again from his players – many of them talked about Coach Walsh’s belief in them exceeding their own belief in themselves.

Why do some teens get more out of youth activities?

Why do some teens get more out of youth activities?

According to the study, engagement in an activity may more important to a teen’s development than the activity he chooses, the researcher said.

It’s always interesting to prove common sense with an actual scientific study. Apparently, kids get the most out of an activity if they’re fully and passionately involved, but it doesn’t matter which activity it is. (Any of us probably could have simply told the U of I researchers that and pocketed the grant money, but there it is!)

If anyone needs more convincing, you can buy the full study from the Journal of Applied Developmental Psychology.