Selecting a Program

When Is Your Child Ready To Play Sports?

I am often asked by parents how to decide when a child is ready to play sports? What sports should she play? When is too early? When is too late? What should a parent's expectations be starting out? While there are no pat answers to these questions and no hard-and-fast rules, here is some general advice.

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Twelve Signs of A Good Youth Sports Program

The very best youth sports programs, says Brooke de Lench, share 12 characteristics.
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Sports Training for Babies and Toddlers Won't Give Them Athletic Edge

Athletic training videos for babies.  Soccer and T-ball classes for toddlers.  Do they give kids an edge in the increasingly cut-throat world of youth sports or are they just the latest signs of the commercialization of youth sports and that we have become a nation of "helicopter" parents trying to enrich every second of their lives - even as infants - with activities instead of just letting them be kids? MomsTeam.com founder Brooke de Lench weighs in on sports programs for the pre-school set.
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Should Sports be 'Dumbed Down?'

Submitted by The Coach Pickles on Tue, 07/14/2009 - 21:24. | comments

The idea of “dumbed down” sports is a scary concept for some. It can be hard for many adults, especially coaches, to accept. The mere idea of doing so can bring their coaching into question and evoke feelings of hesitation, resistance and fear. Many are often quick to admit, “My dad never ‘dumbed down’ sports for me, and I turned out fine.” However, watch a seasoned coach try to teach a young child without “dumbing down” sports, and they fail miserably. Still, purists claim “dumbed down” sports coaching is anything but natural.

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Deb Vee
Deb Vee

Club or High School Sports: Why do I have to choose?

Submitted by Anonymous on Sun, 01/11/2009 - 23:30. | comments

It has only been recently, within the last decade or so, that some high school athletes are choosing to play their favorite sport exclusively for their club team, forgoing the experience of high school competition altogether. The purpose behind this centers on the idea that the training offered through a club atmosphere is needed in order to reach higher competitive levels, and the scholarship that some seek. Whether this is true or not (something I won’t debate here), either choice will bring positives to the table for the high school age athlete.

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Selecting A Youth Sports Program: Look Before You Leap

Youth sports organizations (YSOs) provide a valuable service: a safe way for kids to learn the fun of sports and to build physical fitness in a supervised manner. Unfortunately, youth sports can disappoint everyone involved when parents don't do enough research before signing their kids up to play a sport.

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Ten Signs of a Good Youth Sports Program

Part Two examines five more important signs of a good youth sports program, from required coaching training and evalutations to sensible limits on number of practices and games per week.

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Ten Signs of a Good Youth Sports Program

Part one explores the top five signs of a good youth sports program, Risk management and child protection programs, Child-centeredness, Inclusivity, Equal playing time...

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