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Greetings!
Positive Coaching is a nonprofit, whose mission is to educate and encourage positive attitudes and behavior in all athletic endeavors by coaches, parents, administrators, media, and players.
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In The News...
The Chutzpah Hall of Fame
The Wall Street Journal
The news that Formula One driver Nelson Piquet Jr. intentionally crashed his Renault to help a teammate at last year's Singapore Grand Prix is, without argument, one of the most egregious examples of cheating in modern sports history.
But Mr. Piquet didn't just aim his 700-horsepower race car gently into a retaining wall, he did something that boggles the mind. To make sure the crash was bad enough to bring out the safety car, he hit the accelerator before impact.
Most times, cheating in sports is clearly nothing more than a series of crude impulses followed by a simple act of subterfuge-stuffing cork in your bat, for instance, or having your cousin inject you with three gallons of nandrolone.
But once in a while, somebody like Mr. Piquet does something so outstanding in its complexity and audacity that it can't be easily explained-much less forgotten. Here are six other examples in sports that we have deemed worthy of a nomination to another, more exclusive subset of sports cheaters: the Chutzpah Hall of Fame.
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10 Tips to be a Successful Athlete
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Have Fun!
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Respect your teammates, coaches & officials
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Give your best effort
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Play by the rules of the game
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Make new friends
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Appreciate your parents, coachers & teammates
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Listen to & learn from instructions
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Talk to a trusted adult if something is said or done that doesn't feel right
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Respect the places you play & the equipment you use
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Prepare for practice & games by drinking plenty of water & eating healthy foods
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"Tip of the Month" 
Last month we talked about the importance of Practice Plans. Today we will expand on what to include in your practice plan.
1-Schedule water breaks. We, at Positive Coaching, recommend a water break at least every 30 minutes. Of course your situation might require less time between breaks for such factors as: heat, wind, humidity, sunshine, and full pads, etc.
2-Have a few lines on your plan that address injuries. Make note of who is injured and/or is coming back after an injury/illness. Remember that a conditioned athlete for your sport will regress within 10 to 14 days of non training. Being in an unconditioned state makes them prone to other injuries.
3-Design your practice plan to start out with stretching and a smart warm up drill. End with a smart cool down drill followed by stretching.
4-Include instruction for any difficult or dangerous aspect of your sport.
5-Keep your practice plans for at least two years. This is great referencing and documentation in our litigious society.
Sincerely,
Tom Van Buskirk
Positive Coaching | | |
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A Word from the Coach
Does Integrity Still Exist in Sports?
While you have read in this month's newsletter about the top ten cheaters in sport history, I'm here to tell you about my experiences with honorable athletes. We hear a lot about negatives in sports, but not so much about the positives.
I would like to tell you two tales of great integrity! I once knew a high school golfer who was well on his way to winning the state championship golf meet. His family was imbedded in the golf world and his father and uncle were respected golf pro's.
During a tournament this young athlete accidentally picked up the wrong ball and even though no one saw him do it, he reported it to the officials which caused him to have a penalty of one or two strokes; thus costing him first place in the state championship golf meet.
Another story of great conviction entails a high school volleyball team that was going to the
school's first state championship. The coaches were told that they could only suit up and play 14 players during the qualifiers for state. On the contrary, the coaches suited up and played 15 players. This blatant disregard for the rules was then reported to the state governing association by an opposing team. Being that the games were played in their home gym, all the books were kept by the home team.
When challenged by the state governing association, they "cooked" the books to show only 14 players. The coaches told the players to keep quiet about the 15th player. However, one player on the team questioned the coaches about the ethics of this decision. Unfortunately this did not go over well with the coaches and other teammates. As a result, the athlete turned in her uniform because she did not want to be part of an organization that cheated.
We, at Positive Coaching, want to recognize the problems in sports but also want to highlight the positive displays of integrity that occur daily in sports.
If you have any situations that you would like to share with us, please email them to Tom Van Buskirk, [email protected].
--Coach V |
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