Making Youth Sports Safer: Moms Have The Power!

Submitted by Hal Tearse on Wed, 09/18/2013 - 03:39. | comments

Another high school football player dies after a head on head collision. A young ilfe cut short way to soon. A tragedy for sure. Education, better coaching, and impact devices in helmets can only do so much. Officials can only do so much, but in many cases not enough. Moms cheering at football game

One of our three high school hockey goalies has already gotten a concussion during "Captains Practice." The official season starts in November. Hope he recovers in time.

Unless those with all the power in youth sports intervene to demand changes, the status quo will continue, and more and more kids will be seriously injured, some lasting for a lifetime. Who has the power to make youth sports safer? Moms, says longtime hockey and lacrosse coach, Hal Tearse.

Hal Tearse

Is Education Enough in the Battle Against Concussions?

Submitted by Hal Tearse on Wed, 08/14/2013 - 05:38. | comments

The growing knowledge and awareness about concussions in contact sports has brought this important issue to the forefront of these games. From youth all the way through professional levels brain injury continues to plague players and teams.

Winston Churchill is quoted as saying that "Americans eventually will do the right thing, after they have tried everything else first." That may be true when it comes to concussion safety, says longtime Minnesota hockey coach and referee, Hal Tearse.

Gretchen Rose

Becoming A Basketball Mom Was Tougher Than I Thought!

Submitted by Gretchen Rose on Thu, 01/17/2013 - 18:39. | comments

The New Year has started, which means a new school semester and a new sports season. It is cold and wet outside, so we have taken our sports enthusiasm from the gridiron to the basketball court; a tough transition for a dedicated football mom like me!

That my knowledge of basketball wasn't nearly as deep as my understanding of football was driven home to me, so to speak, during the first week back to school when I picked up my son and four of his classmates after school.

Learning the right lingo to use while cheering on her teenage son at a basketball game proved to be more of a challenge for one dedicated football mom than she thought.

Hal Tearse

Boys, Girls and Locker Rooms

Submitted by Hal Tearse on Mon, 10/08/2012 - 03:51. | comments

As more girls are earning spots on squirt and pee wee teams the issue of locker room protocols is starting to rise to the surface. USA Hockey has recommended protocols, Minnesota Hockey has a slightly different take on the issue and one District Director in Minnesota has issued a different approach. The major sticking points are the definition of "undress" and when both genders can be in the locker room together.

As more girls are earning spots on squirt and pee wee teams the issue of locker room protocols is starting to rise to the surface. USA Hockey has recommended protocols, Minnesota Hockey has a slightly different take on the issue and one District Director in Minnesota has issued a different approach. The major sticking points are the definition of “undress” and when both genders can be in the locker room together.

Tim Twellman

Making Memories…High School Sports

Submitted by Tim Twellman on Wed, 09/05/2012 - 18:07. | comments

How many opportunities do you get to play sports in high school? Parents, looking back during your day, how much fun did sports bring to your high school experience? Sports can bring a tremendous amount of fun and school spirit and this can happen both as a player and or as a spectator.

How many opportunities do you get to play sports in High School? Parents, looking back during your day, how much fun did sports bring to your high school experience?

Hal Tearse

Parents Rethinking Contact Sports

Submitted by Hal Tearse on Sun, 08/05/2012 - 17:28. | comments

Local youth football organizers in Minnesota say they are experiencing a 20 percent decline in registrations this year, citing increased awareness of the potential of serious injury and parents who are apparently picking other sports for their 3rd and 4th grade children.

Tieast Leverett

To Get Along with Your Ex On Sports Sideline Apply Lessons You Give Your Child

Submitted by Tieast Leverett on Wed, 05/02/2012 - 17:57. | comments

Michigan versus The Ohio State University, Chicago Bears versus Green Bay Packers, Liverpool versus Manchester United, New York Yankees versus the Boston Red Sox, Harvard versus Yale. What do these match-ups have in common? They are some of the most storied sports rivalries; some going back a hundred years, and will likely continue to be contested for generations to come.

Yet they may pale in comparison to a match-up which plays out daily on the fields, pitches, courts and gyms of youth sports: the rivalry between separated or divorced sports parents.

Co-parenting with your "adversary" is challenging enough, but adding a full sports schedule to the mix makes things even more stressful. The best strategy for single parents in dealing with your ex may be to follow the advice you give your own child.

Melanie Johnson , M.A.

Controlling Your Inner Coach

Submitted by Melanie Johnson , M.A. on Wed, 03/14/2012 - 20:36. | comments

So now that baseball is in "full swing" I have mixed emotions as a parent. My younger two sons decided after a family meeting not to play as we agreed that football and basketball were enough for the year. We would do some one-on-one instruction to help the 11-year- old pitch better, and for my 8-year-old, just playing catch in the backyard would have to do.

A single mom realizes the need to control her inner coach when she finds herself caught in the age-old battle of the sexes with her son's baseball coach, feeling a need to compete with the coaches for no other reason than they are men and because she had a hard time resisting the thought that, in the back of their minds, they think she is clueless about how to teach her boys how to do the hard stuff like pitching and quarterbacking,

Tweens and Teens: Top Three Parenting Mistakes

Parents want to have close relationships with their children, but many wonder if that's even possible as their child enters adolescence. Suddenly, your son is more interested in peers than spending time with the family, your daughter may be showing more rebellious behavior, and now, instead of being the one they turn to for advice, you don't know a thing! While scary for parents, says parenting expert, Amy McCready, the normal individualization process during the tween and teen years doesn't have to involve power struggles and hard feelings if parents avoid three common parenting mistakes.

parenting