A Hard Fall

Submitted by Lucy Ferriss on Tue, 07/08/2008 - 18:46. | comments

One of the many things that get short shrift in most handbooks for parents of elite athletes is the question of the other kids in the family. True, some families are so deeply committed to a sport that it would be unthinkable for a sibling not to play. Most of us, though, have children with varied interests, and the tug-of-war can be excruciating.

The Tree Climber

Heart Screening In Kids Doesn't Require Fancy Tests...Just You and Your Doctor

Submitted by Gwenn OKeeffe on Sat, 07/05/2008 - 14:54. | comments

When I saw this story today on the BBC News Health page, two simultaneous thoughts popped to mind: parents would be nervous and US pediatricians would once again have to defend our stance that EKGs are not needed as a routine part of youth sports health screening (a/k/a the pre-participation evaluation or PPE).

Know What Your Kids Are Drinking And Be Careful What You Ban

Submitted by Gwenn OKeeffe on Sat, 07/05/2008 - 14:05. | comments

A Lesson From The Bad News Bears

Submitted by Gwenn OKeeffe on Sat, 07/05/2008 - 13:51. | comments

Last year, my daughter, then 12, played on a town softball team that had less than a stellar season on paper that is still being talked about a year later - by the girls on the team and the parents involved. This experience embodied everything good and bad about

Performance Anxiety – 3 Quick Ways to Reduce Stress before the Big Game

Submitted by Debbie Lantz on Sat, 07/05/2008 - 01:40. | comments

Summer is when a variety of youth sports leagues begin post-season tournaments, World Series events and State Championships so an article on calming performance anxiety seemed to be fitting.

What Color Is Your Inner Red Sox Fan?

Submitted by Gwenn OKeeffe on Thu, 07/03/2008 - 15:52. | comments

pink red sox hat What color is your inner fan? Today mine is pink. Although, some days it is green or mustard yellow - or black if I'm wearing one of the Sox championship hats! As I type this post, I’m wearing my almost new Red Sox very pink t-shirt that my kids gave me for Mother’s Day, part of MLB’s Breast Cancer Awareness

Arthur Kimmel

Personal Ownership and Responsibility for Creating Athletic Success: Part 1

Submitted by Anonymous on Thu, 07/03/2008 - 01:04. | comments

In order to best explain what I mean by the individual athlete taking personal ownership and responsibility for creating athletic success, let me develop an analogy that might help demonstrate this concept and the choices/options that go along with it.

LL President: Take It or Leave, Part II

Submitted by Carrie Matsuo on Tue, 07/01/2008 - 06:16. | comments

Most of my major life decisions have been made in a car on a road trip, probably driving north or south on I-5 between California and Oregon. I do my best thinking, and my husband and I do our best visiting in the car. As I think about taking on the position of President in our local Little League, this would be a perfect time for a road trip. I probably wouldn't need a 12-hour trip from Portland to San Francisco, maybe just a 3-hour trip to Seattle. We could watch a Mariners game, since we live in a city with NO MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL TEAM (can you tell that's a sore spot for us? :)

Brooke de Lench

Youth Sports Liability Waivers: Protecting Towns At The Expense of Our Children’s Safety?

Submitted by Brooke de Lench on Mon, 06/30/2008 - 15:55. | comments

Before every sports season, parents all across the countries are asked to sign forms holding the sports program in which their child will be participating harmless and releasing the program from liability should he be injured. No ifs ands or buts. The parent or guardian of a child using a program or town’s facilities must sign a waiver. Such forms are typical for all camp programs; sports clinics and sporting events organized by independent groups, such as the baseball, soccer and football organizations using town fields.

Little League President: Take It or Leave It?

Submitted by Carrie Matsuo on Sun, 06/29/2008 - 21:50. | comments

My son is two years past the traditional Little League age...he will start his freshman year of high school in two months and he seems light years away from being a 12 year-old playing baseball on the 60 foot diamond. However, I feel drawn to the local ballfields even when it is not our son's team playing. In fact, I'm not picky about whether it is baseball or softball. I love to pull over and take in a few minutes of any game I see going on from the road.