8 to 10

Many adults I spoke with at the Wanderlust Festival this summer in Stratton, Vermont were athletes growing up. When I asked them how their lives would have been different had they practiced yoga as children, they all agreed that they would likely have discovered their strengths as athletes and as individuals in a more gentle and less competitive way.

In today’s world of youth organized sports, much of the focus is on winning, moving fast and being the best. Many of these goals come from outside pressures of parents, coaches and society. Yoga dissolves the external pressures to perform at a fast pace, allowing participants to slow down and realize that they are perfect exactly where and how they are, in the moment.

Playing the game of ice hockey within the rules would seem like a simple concept.  Yet all efforts to accomplish this objective have thus far proven elusive, from the NHL all the way down to the youngest levels.  In a previous post I reported that Minnesota Hockey has retained the much harsher penalties for two of the three most dangerous plays in the game. In fact, Minnesota has the toughest rules in youth and high school hockey in the country. The question is, will this be enough to change the culture of the sport?

All athletes, all levels will have to adjust to life after their playing careers are over. This is a very difficult time in most players' lives, and it can happen most unexpectedly.

This is exactly what happened to all three of my kids as well as myself.

My daughter Alexandra broke her nose, which was so dramatic she decided not to play and hasn't played ever since her senior year in college. She is currently working, and has adjusted very well to life after sports.

My son James tore both ACLs in a matter of 12 months, which ended his professional playing career. He is also currently working and doing well. A devastating year for James, but he has poured his energy into working and is very successful.

Does playing for the right team, club or high school guarantee getting recruited for college is a question all parents of elite athletes end up facing sometime along the way as their children continue their growth as athletes.

The answer is simply no.  An athlete definitely has to play the sport they love with a commitment to being the best they can be. This can be accomplished at all levels of clubs, but the important thing is that the athlete be competitive with other top players. There is no need to jump from club to club.

Being the mother of an athlete is a challenging yet rewarding role. So, in 2012, MomsTEAM designated May as Sports Moms Month and celebrated by asking some of our favorite sports moms to share their wisdom by responding to a series of questions.

Today, we hear from former professional cyclist, certified sports trainer, performance coach and sports mom, K.C. Wilder:

 MomsTEAM: Were you an athlete and what sports did you play as a youth (under 19)?