Positive Parenting in Sports by Former Major Leaguer Jack Perconte

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I have been keeping up with Luann on her training for fun blog – even though I am a guy, of course – but recognize the importance of what she believes in. Parents, in my opinion, should not miss out on doing these type things when their kids are young [...]

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A great way to develop enthusiam and love for a sport is to go to upper level games in that sport. This may seem obvious but the trick is to follow it up with some action. Going to professional games is great and creates enthusiasm, but it may not create [...]

Following are a few new year’s resolutions for parents for “being there” for their kids:
1. Find an safe area around house where kids can practice their favorite sport.
2. Practice with them when they ask – find the time.
3. Make it fun – set up little contests, tournaments if possible.
4. Point out fundamentals in a positive [...]

Jack’s recent article for Press Enterprise blog
http://blogs.pe.com/moms/2009/11/where-the-wild-things-are-in-s.html

Jack’s Article for Press Enterprise – Southern Californiahttp://blogs.pe.com/moms/2009/10/be-careful-of-the-star-treatme.html

The following tips can help parents to minimize the pressure they inevitably place on their kids:
A. Don’t let your child feel like your day revolves around their game and their play that day, even though it may be the highlight of your day.
B. Do not press them for details immediately after a game unless the [...]

 
Burnout – Another common word when talking about yout sports. Burnout occurs when playing the game just stops being fun anymore. The causes of burnout generally occur in three ways – over-playing, over-sporting and over-expecting. Kids are often heading for burnout when one or more of these situations occur: 1. When they play one particular sport too often or [...]

Following is Jack’s article he writes for the Press Enterprise Blog in Southern California:
One of the top complaints that parents have with youth sports, and it may be number one, is that their child’s coach stinks. This complaint usually comes from parents who feel like the coach is treating their kid unfairly. Their concern is [...]

Optimism – One of my favorite words and concepts that obviously goes beyond sports. In my book, Raising an Athlete, I go into detail talking about comparing confidence and optimism and how to build optimistic kids. Confidence is not something that can be given to someone but is attained by good performance and/or good work ethic. Confidence [...]

Love of the Game – Love is the first word that comes to mind when I think of the letter L. The term is often loosely used by parents when speaking about their kid’s interest in a sport. “He/She loves to play” is a common statement and, when true, it is a great thing. The problem [...]

Goals – I am not a big believer in short term goal setting when it comes to youth sports. Examples of short term goal setting would be saying you are going to average 20 points a game this season or hit 15 home runs this year. I know that probably goes against most self-help and how [...]

Confidence  – Nowhere is confidence more important than on the playing fields of sport. Without confidence, players often lose their desire to keep playing, and at the very least they tend to play scared. Some players are naturally more