Why is it that we berate ourselves with such horrible attacks, but when a teammate or a friend makes the same mistake we offer them encouragement, support, and advice?
Do you know what your kid’s favorite food is? Do you know what irritates them? Do you know what they feel self-conscious about? Do you know what their favorite sport is? Do you know why they play?
When I went to see team handball at the Rio Olympics (a sport I knew next to nothing about), I expected I’d learn something about the sport. I expected I would feel the Olympic spirit. I did not expect to get a lesson in sports parenting.
I started to wonder if it was all worth it. I thought about how many evenings were spent racing around from one practice to the next (forget about family dinners!).
Some kids love playing sports. Some kids love eating veggies. What do we do about the ones that don’t? Should we bribe them (money, treats, screen time)? Should we threaten them?
Quitting has such a stigma around it. We want our kids to be able to weather the inevitable ups and downs of life, without just running away when things get hard.
Imagine your favorite athlete handling the most intense pressure you can think of. It could be a championship match, a game-deciding play, or anything else with high stakes. What do they do and think to feel in control despite the pressure?
There’s nothing like a mind full of racing thoughts to derail your confidence mid-game. The mind is such an abstract concept on its own (after all, the brain named itself).
You’re in the locker room, 5 minutes before the biggest performance of your career… What are you probably feeling, physically, in this moment? Perhaps a racing heart, butterflies, sweat, and shaky hands are true for you.
The 1988 Dodgers had an improbable run to the World Series in which they became champions despite many injuries, and adversity due to underperforming players. Mickey Hatcher played a crucial role in that run.
Thank you to the Houston Dynamo, Erik Sviatchenko, and Sarah Straton for your time and dedication to supporting this community.