Nice post.Jimbo99 wrote:That's a point many of us have been trying to make for some time here. In addition, fun can be the first priority - and that would make more sense as far as I'm concerned.muckandgrind wrote:Hard work, focus, and having fun are not mutually exclusive, you know.
Nobody assumes that NHL & D1 are everyone's motivation. (If you'll notice, my question ran the gammut right down to "bragging rights"). The comparrisons often come up for two reasons: 1. Too many people honestly believe those are realistic expectations, and 2. Listening to and watching the antics of some, leads people to believe that the stakes must be awful damn high!! If people put that much time, energy, money, and angst into their kid's school work, we'd have nothing but geniuses on our hands!
One point: "Focus" is really more a function of age and developmental maturity than anything else. The idea of "teaching" a kid to focus is like banging your head against a wall. IMHO a good coach will be cognizant of how much "focus" any particular age group is capable of and he will make the practices, games and tourney weekends, so "fun and cool" for everyone on the team that the kids won't even know they are working hard. Coaches (and parents) who think the first priorities are that they need to "work them hard" and "teach them to focus" aint going to have much success and overall participation will decline - short term & long term.
Who cares....
Moderators: Mitch Hawker, east hockey, karl(east)
I coach a ton of baseball.
Every spring though, I have to remember while I run the team, the players are the team. I also remind the players' parents they are integral to but not part of the team.
Then the hard part, trying to figure out what the players what individually and collectively. Then try to mesh it with what I think they are capable of and include my assistants' ideas into the mix.
We have 18 team rules, #1 on the list is win, #18 is have fun.
#1 is too keep them focuesd, #18 is to keep them smiling...
the rules are not ranked.
I also coach a house team, individual skills and opportunity are more prevalent with that team.
As for parents on both, we want them to understand what their child is looking for and be supportive of them and the team.
In the middle of all this I want, (sometimes even demand) that the kids learn to repsect...
the umps, the game, the other team, their teammates, their parents, and themselves.
Seem complicated, time consuming... it is.
I have done it for 20 years, and hope to do it for another 12.
Why, because it is fun... when we have a year some would call unsuccessful or when we go to the World Series.
Every kid is important to me. Those that win, those that lose (by others standards). I have never had a losing season.
So much for how 'great' I am, that is not the point I am a tad conceited).
Point being as parent or coach take the time to find out where your kid is going, keep him in reality, but no matter what love them. They are gone way to quickly.
And again, Good Luck.
Every spring though, I have to remember while I run the team, the players are the team. I also remind the players' parents they are integral to but not part of the team.
Then the hard part, trying to figure out what the players what individually and collectively. Then try to mesh it with what I think they are capable of and include my assistants' ideas into the mix.
We have 18 team rules, #1 on the list is win, #18 is have fun.
#1 is too keep them focuesd, #18 is to keep them smiling...
the rules are not ranked.
I also coach a house team, individual skills and opportunity are more prevalent with that team.
As for parents on both, we want them to understand what their child is looking for and be supportive of them and the team.
In the middle of all this I want, (sometimes even demand) that the kids learn to repsect...
the umps, the game, the other team, their teammates, their parents, and themselves.
Seem complicated, time consuming... it is.
I have done it for 20 years, and hope to do it for another 12.
Why, because it is fun... when we have a year some would call unsuccessful or when we go to the World Series.
Every kid is important to me. Those that win, those that lose (by others standards). I have never had a losing season.
So much for how 'great' I am, that is not the point I am a tad conceited).
Point being as parent or coach take the time to find out where your kid is going, keep him in reality, but no matter what love them. They are gone way to quickly.
And again, Good Luck.