Summary

• I played multiple sports growing up. Depending on what season determined who I was. Football player in the fall, runner in the spring, and a soccer player the rest of the year.
• During high school football practice, my cleats got caught in the grass as I dove for the ball. My knee was injured. Out of socket as I lay on the grass.
• That day didn’t mark the end of my sports career. I rehabbed my knee after surgery and got into college to train as a decathlete.
• My knee was not well enough to compete at a collegiate level. That day I quit really ended my sports career.
• I had no sports to compete in at a high level. I had lost my identity.
• It took many years for me to realize that I was more than a sport.
• Now I have kids of my own. I want them to play sports, but they must understand that they are NOT the sport. They are an athlete. An athlete has many characteristics that can be applied to many things in life.
• Sports careers will end. Hopefully they are long successful care
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Summary

• Sleep is one of the easiest ways to help an athlete perform better.
• Kids ages 6-12 years need 9-12 hours of sleep. Kids 13-18 years need between 8-10 hours.
• When kids don’t get enough sleep, they’re more likely to perform poorly in sports. Plus, studies have shown that a consistent lack of sleep, less than 8 hours, can lead to drinking, smoking, suicidal thoughts, and feelings of hopelessness.
• Helping your athlete with quality sleep can help them perform better in their sport.
• Shut off all screens; TV, computer, tablets, and mobile phones. No screens 1 hour before bedtime will promote quality sleep.
• A cool, dark, and quiet room will help your athlete with quality sleep.
• Consistent bedtime routines and bedtime will allow your athlete to settle into sleep and awake easier.
• Consumption will affect your kids ability to fall and stay asleep. Be aware of what they are eating and drinking hours before bed.
• Consumption can also include the music they are listening to. As wel
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Summary

• Games are very important to an athlete. Kids spend a lot of time and energy in improving their skills and ability to play a sport or many sports. Therefore we need to remember that they have invested a lot into preparing for games.
• Games are the best way to see how well they have improved and what they need to improve on. It’s a test that can show their strengths and weaknesses.
• As parents, we can help prepare an athlete by making improvements in the 4 elements of being an athlete.
• Physical: Coaches will be working on the strength and conditioning of your athlete. Parents should be focus on fueling them. Keeping it simple with REAL food. Real food will fuel performance and help with recovery after games.
• Mental: Encourage healthy self-talk by showing them. Watch your own self-talk when around your athlete. Keep it positive. It will help when your kid is in a tough game.
• Emotional: It’s all about controlling emotions. Emotion is a form of energy that can be used for spor
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Summary

• If you want to see good running technique, watch a preschooler run. There are a few big reasons that allow them to run so well.
• Preschoolers have great mobility. Around 1^st grade you will start to see some kids lose that mobility due to an increase in sitting.
• Coaches can help guide your athlete with mobility drills if needed.
• Preschoolers don’t heel strike when running. Shoes have a lot of cushioning on the heel, encouraging for heel striking when running. This can have a detrimental impact on overall running technique.
• Allowing your kids to occasionally run barefoot or use minimal shoes can help maintain the proper technique. Walking barefoot on grass, river rocks, or sand can also help.

Full Transcript

Two things to help with running technique. Now if you don't know what a good running technique looks like, watch a preschooler run. Seriously, watch a three year old run. They've got great running technique and it's not because of all the years of coaching and train...

Summary

• Parents should have goals, or intentions, set when developing their kid into an athlete.
• Athlete goals and parent goals are not the same. We shouldn’t mix our own goals of making it to the pros with our kid’s goals.
• As Herm Edwards said, “You play to win the game!”. Very true, but as parents we aren’t playing. Our focus is on things like effort. Set your goal to recognize and reward effort.
• Focusing on effort is important in developing an Internal Locus of Control. Giving your kid a feeling of control of their own outcome or success.
• Giving a Safe Space is the second goal you want on your list. This can have many benefits mentally and emotionally as your athlete competes in sports.
• Recognizing effort and giving a safe space can help you develop a happy, healthy, and high performing athlete.

Full Transcript

Hey, we're going over goal setting this time for parents. If you want to develop a happy, healthy, high performing athlete, you need to have these two things on y...

Summary

• Athlete goals and parent goals are NOT the same.
• Start with dreams that are big and almost unrealistic. Because who is to say what your kid is truly capable of.
• While creating athletic goals, have your kid create goals that are not sports-related. I call this the On and Off the field goals.
• Write down both goals as if you are writing a movie script. Someone should be able to read your kid's goals and make a movie out of it. Include the smell of the grass, the noise from the crowd, etc.
• Remember to add the struggles and how they overcame those moments. This is important that they’re aware that it won’t always be easy.
• After these dream goals are done, then put together S.M.A.R.T. goals. I don’t like to start with S.M.A.R.T. goals because they are limited to what is capable.
• Remind your athlete that these goals that are written should be reviewed every 6-12 months. Things change over time and the path or plan to achieve their goals may change.

Full Transcript

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Summary 

• We must define an athlete correctly to develop an athlete correctly.
• The traditional definition focuses on physical elements such as strength, stamina, and skill. All very important, but not a complete picture.
• 4 elements that make up an athlete; physical, mental, emotional, and social.
• Each element works synergistically with each other.
• Parents that are aware of these elements can see how they are able to help their kid.

Full Transcript

Athlete. I want to go over that word, athlete, specifically, the definition. If it's been a while since you've looked up the definition, let me save you some time. Merriam Webster's dictionary says, "Athlete: a person who is trained or skilled in exercises, sports, or games requiring physical strength, agility or stamina".

Now, I think the definition is actually hurting our kids. Why? Because it's focused on the physical aspect. If you think about it, you see an athlete that runs fast, maybe can lift a lot, has good ball skills, ...

Summary

• Parents have a major role in developing their kid into an athlete.
• The goal is to develop a happy, healthy, and high performing athlete
• Kid to Athlete was created to help educate parents so that they can develop an athlete that is ready for sports and life.
• Coaches only have a small amount of time with the team. Making it difficult to work with an individual player for an extended period of time.
• Being aware of small things can help a parent develop a complete athlete.

Full Transcript

So you have kids, that's great, but if you're like me, you want your kids to be athletes and not just any athlete. You want them to be happy, healthy, high-performing athletes. That's what Kid to Athletes for. To help parents raise athletes. Yes, I said parents because we have the hugest opportunity to raise and develop a happy, healthy, high-performing athlete.

 The coach only has so much time and they're probably going to work with them physically, but we have a lot more ability to...