Game Day

The commissioner of an interscholastic sports league says it is never appropriate for a parent to approach a game official during a break in the action.

How can coaches and parents best work with an umpire, given that they are likely at some point to blow a call? Coach Clemens offers nine tips for getting along with "Blue."

Parents and coaches who help athletes develop a pre-competition routine will see enormous dividends.   Tweaked to fit a child’s specific needs, it can be valuable not only for sports (such as cross-country and track), but for tests at school, or virtually any activity.

Parents who set boundaries and expectations for their teenage daughters but encouraged independence within those limits were better able to gauge their child's mood, provide feedback on their child's sports performance at the right time, and maintain open lines of communication, a new Canadian study finds.

The reason videotaping children playing sports is so popular is because it gives the entire family a chance to see them growing up and having fun. How can you shoot video footage of your child playing sports that you and your family will want to watch again and again? Here are some tips.

Young players need to learn from their mistakes, as much as from their successes. Not only do they get confused if parents and coaches are constantly yelling criticism or plays, all that yelling can do long-lasting psychological damage.

Some of the things adults yell at children at soccer games are just downright hilarious. Like the coach who yelled at a 6-year-old, "Give him a target on the flank!" Maybe kids should start shouting back and give an earful right back to the loudmouths on the sideline.

 

No matter how talented your child may be, there are going to days when he doesn't play his best, or when, despite his best effort, his team loses.  How you manage both the ups, and the inevitable downs, will play a large role in whether your child has a successful youth sports experience.  Here are ten things to keep in mind after your child's team loses or he doesn't perform up to his expectations.