Connector -- April 30, 2009 |
| In This Issue:
Boston Celtics Owner Steve Pagliuca Shares Life Lessons Learned Through Sports
Ask PCA: How Much Time Should My Child Devote to Sports?
PCA Bookshelf: Until It Hurts by Mark Hyman
PCA Partner Sports4Kids Participates in White House Easter Egg Roll and Invites You to Its Own Event |
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| Boston Celtics Owner Steve Pagliuca Shares Life Lessons Learned Through Sports |
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 PCA's David Shapiro and Jim Thompson met with Boston Celtics owner Steve Pagliuca and PCA National Advisory Board Member and Boston Celtics Head Coach Doc Rivers after the Celtics win over the Nets on April 8. During the lively discussion of coaching techniques and the lessons that can be learned from sports, Steve mentioned that he had just written an essay on that very topic. Once we read the article, Sports and Life: Common Principles of Success, we realized it was important to share this important piece with the larger PCA Community. Steve graciously gave us permission to do so.
From the dramatic opening lines about his role in a tense high school basketball game to the spot-on explanation of how sports taught the life lessons that fueled his business success, this is one article you won't want to miss.
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| Ask PCA: How Much Time Should My Child Devote to Sports? |
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Recently attended one of your second goal parenting classes for the Somers (CT) Lacrosse Association. Thought it was great. Now I have a question - are there any guidelines regarding the amount of time that should be devoted to youth sports?
My concern is that the expected level of commitment to sports leaves little time for anything else. Essentially, my 8-year-old's team practices 2-3 times per week, and then has 1-2 travel games per week -- all during the Monday to Thursday time slot -- meaning that virtually every school night he has either a practice or a game (some of which can be an hour away). There are no Friday or weekend games or practices.
This seems perhaps a bit too much. For example, an upcoming week looks as follows: Monday 6-7:30pm practice; Tuesday 6-7:30pm practice; Wed. - away game, 1 hour travel to get to game, one hour game, one hour travel home; Thurs. home game.
Any response or directive toward some information would be great....thanks.
-- Todd W. Whitford
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| PCA Bookshelf: Until It Hurts by Mark Hyman |
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 At the root of the Positive Coaching Alliance Movement is our desire to see youth empowered by the life lessons -- the teachable moments -- inherent in sports. Of course, we all recognize the many obstacles that can keep coaches and parents from seizing those teachable moments, such as a win-at-all-cost mentality.
In his book, Until It Hurts, author Mark Hyman explores the fallout: children driven from sports by maniacal coaches and deluded, overzealous parents; the alarming rise of overuse injuries, including an increase in the call for the radical "Tommy John" surgery on youth athletes; pressure for early specialization; and paying exorbitant costs -- in time, money and interpersonal stress -- to participate in "elite" programs.
Where Hyman excels, however, is in his candid, unsparing and emotionally raw assessment of his role in his own son's youth baseball experience. Hyman's willingness to look into the mirror, see the truth there, and share those reflections with us, so that we all might look into our own mirrors, is a special gift.
Speaking of gifts, consider purchasing Until It Hurts, perhaps to give to coaches, parents and athletes who need to read this book. When you click here and enter discount code PCA, you will receive a 10% discount and the book's publisher, Beacon Press, will contribute 4% of the purchase price to PCA. |
| PCA Partner Sports4Kids Participates in White House Easter Egg Roll and Invites You to Its Own Event |
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Let's Go Play! was the theme of this year's annual Easter Egg Roll at the White House, and PCA Partner Sports4Kids was a key player.
Now, Sports4Kids invites you to attend its own event, the PlayOn 2009 Conference, which will include PCA workshops led by PCA Founder Jim Thompson and Associate Director Tina Syer. The registration deadline is May 4 for the May 18-20 event in San Francisco.
Sports4Kids, which has consulted to PCA on development of our workshops, brings play and physical activity to more than 65,000 children in 170 low-income schools in seven cities across the U.S. Like Jim Thompson, Sports4Kids Founder Jill Vialet is an Ashoka Fellow, recognized for outstanding work as a social entrepreneur.
The PlayOn 2009 Conference will contain much of the same energy and spirit that Sports4Kids brought to the White House, where more than a dozen Sports4Kids coaches and staff lead basketball and soccer skills stations, involving some of the nation's current and future leaders. The highlight was the visit from President Barack Obama to the basketball station, where he missed his first two shots, but hit the last one, and helped a kid dunk. Meanwhile, Vice President Joe Biden remarked that recess was always his best subject in school! Secretary of Education Arne Duncan and his family also spent about an hour on the basketball court.
Several professional athletes also stopped by, including PCA National Advisory Board Member Julie Foudy; her fellow U.S. Women's National Soccer Team alums Brianna Scurry and Abby Wambach; pro soccer players Devon McTavish and Ben Olsen; NBA player Etan Thomas; and the WNBA's Swin Cash, Marisa Coleman, Nikki Blue and Renee Brown.
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Positive Coaching Alliance
www.PositiveCoach.org
Toll Free: 866-725-0024
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