Tuesday, May 22, 2012
Adult Softball Coaches Meeting Tomorrow Night
Reminder that the coaches meeting for the Adult Softball league is tomorrow night, May 23rd at the Isaac Orr Conference Center (910 Marion St. Seattle) at 7:00pm. Each team will need a coach representative at this pre-season meeting. For more information about the upcoming season, visit the Adult Softball page of the CYO Athletics website.
Friday, May 18, 2012
Pitch Hit and Run CANCELED
CYO Athletics has canceled the Pitch Hit and Run competition for tomorrow. Unfortunately, there were not enough registrations to hold the event.
Wednesday, May 16, 2012
What is a Champion?
The Play Like a Champion Today(R) Educational series focuses on producing “Champions” in sport and in life. Being a “Champion” means much more than being a winning athlete. It means being a leader, a team player, a hard worker, someone who demonstrates good sportsmanship, and someone who can take the lessons they have learned from sports to fuel their own growth and development and make a positive difference in the lives of others. Champions are formed through genuinely loving the sports they play, and sports should be a way for them to learn valuable life lessons, not for boosting their own ego.
In the dictionary, a Champion is, “a person who has defeated or surpassed all rivals in a competition, specifically in sports.” However, the true definition of Champion actually encompasses much more than just what an athlete does on the playing field. To enhance this discussion for coaches and athletes, below is an acronym created by Kayla McBride (ND Women’s Basketball and Student in ND’s Social Foundations of Coaching class) to describe each letter in the word "Champion" with a different quality.
C - Confidence: Champions must have confidence in their individual abilities (the talent level that God has given them), in their teammates and coaches.
H - Humble: Champions must respect their ability and never take it for granted. They should express gratitude to those who assist them in their success and thrive with them.
A - Attitude: Champions must have a positive attitude throughout their career and understand that there will be good and bad days along with wins and losses. They should have a growth mindset of striving to get better and encouraging others around them.
M - Mental Toughness: Sports are physically and mentally challenging. Champions must work to obtain the mental toughness to persevere through the obstacles that will come with the demands of sport.
P - Passion: Champions must have passion for the game. All the hard work and dedication should be done out of the love and pride they have every time they participate in their sport.
I - Idol: Champions, nowadays, are seen in the public eye much more than ever before. When being a role model, it is important that athletes maintain all those qualities of character that equal being a Champion.
O - Open-Minded: Champions must be open to new ideas; they can never settle.
N - Noble: Being a champion becomes more than just athletically performing. Champions must have the noble and morally-just qualities of a champion every day. It is a person’s character, not their athletic success, that truly matters.
Play Like A Champion Today!
VIA Play Like A Champion Today(R) Sport Parent Notes
In the dictionary, a Champion is, “a person who has defeated or surpassed all rivals in a competition, specifically in sports.” However, the true definition of Champion actually encompasses much more than just what an athlete does on the playing field. To enhance this discussion for coaches and athletes, below is an acronym created by Kayla McBride (ND Women’s Basketball and Student in ND’s Social Foundations of Coaching class) to describe each letter in the word "Champion" with a different quality.
C - Confidence: Champions must have confidence in their individual abilities (the talent level that God has given them), in their teammates and coaches.
H - Humble: Champions must respect their ability and never take it for granted. They should express gratitude to those who assist them in their success and thrive with them.
A - Attitude: Champions must have a positive attitude throughout their career and understand that there will be good and bad days along with wins and losses. They should have a growth mindset of striving to get better and encouraging others around them.
M - Mental Toughness: Sports are physically and mentally challenging. Champions must work to obtain the mental toughness to persevere through the obstacles that will come with the demands of sport.
P - Passion: Champions must have passion for the game. All the hard work and dedication should be done out of the love and pride they have every time they participate in their sport.
I - Idol: Champions, nowadays, are seen in the public eye much more than ever before. When being a role model, it is important that athletes maintain all those qualities of character that equal being a Champion.
O - Open-Minded: Champions must be open to new ideas; they can never settle.
N - Noble: Being a champion becomes more than just athletically performing. Champions must have the noble and morally-just qualities of a champion every day. It is a person’s character, not their athletic success, that truly matters.
Play Like A Champion Today!
VIA Play Like A Champion Today(R) Sport Parent Notes
Tuesday, May 15, 2012
Food Donations at CYO Track and Field Saturday
CYO Athletics will be accepting food donations this Saturday, May 19th, at the All Comers and Individual Championship Meets. The food will be donated to the Food Bank @ St. Mary's. CYO Athletics families are encouraged to participate and take the opportunity to talk with their athletes about the importance of incorporating proper nutrition into their diet. For more information about what food to donate to St. Mary's, Click Here, and for a resource for you to discuss proper nutrition and facts about hunger with your athletes, Click Here.
Friday, May 11, 2012
Case Study: Overcoming Fear of Failure
In the PLC coaches training, we discuss a scenario where a volleyball player is due up for their turn in the service rotation, and they are afraid to mess up. What do you do as the coach?
In a powerful way, a very similar situation happened this last season in volleyball. Here is one coach's story:
"One boy would get so distraught from the pressure, that I sat him more than some of the others in fear that he was going to cry. He really had a hard time keeping it together. We all talked at the next practice about composure, grace, and confidence. He improved greatly in the next match!"
This coach strategically used time in practice to discuss composure, grace, and confidence. That communication helped the team support one another and this player was able to overcome his fear of failure. What would you have done in this situation? Have you had a similar situation with a player's fear of failure?
In a powerful way, a very similar situation happened this last season in volleyball. Here is one coach's story:
"One boy would get so distraught from the pressure, that I sat him more than some of the others in fear that he was going to cry. He really had a hard time keeping it together. We all talked at the next practice about composure, grace, and confidence. He improved greatly in the next match!"
This coach strategically used time in practice to discuss composure, grace, and confidence. That communication helped the team support one another and this player was able to overcome his fear of failure. What would you have done in this situation? Have you had a similar situation with a player's fear of failure?
Thursday, May 10, 2012
Head Injury Risks in Soccer
This article was forwarded to CYO Athletics, and discusses some of the medical risks involved in playing soccer, particulary in relation to concussions. It is important that athletes are continuously educated as to how to use proper technique when heading a soccer ball, and learn how to identify proper spacing with other players when making the decision to go for a header.
In addition, coaches, parents and athletes should all be able to identify the signs and symptoms of a concussion. For more information about concussion safety, visit the Lystedt Law section of the CYO Athletics website.
In addition, coaches, parents and athletes should all be able to identify the signs and symptoms of a concussion. For more information about concussion safety, visit the Lystedt Law section of the CYO Athletics website.
Wednesday, May 9, 2012
Young People Need Good (PLC) Coaches
It seems that today’s athletic culture is driven by the notion that sports is nothing more than an opportunity to assert physical dominance over an opponent. Winning has become the ultimate goal with little or no concern for the shrapnel that is left in the lives of the young people who are reared in this single-minded environment.
Ok, perhaps the first paragraph was a little strong… but here are some simple reasons why coaches are now more important than ever in the lives of young people.
• Only 3.8% of elementary schools provide physical education (Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, 2009).
• Children are on the average spending over 50 hours a week on electronic media – television, video games, email, social media, etc. (Bloomberg Business Week, 2010).
• According to the Center for Disease Control, one in three children are likely to develop type 2 diabetes, heart disease or high blood pressure due to sedentary lifestyles (Good Housekeeping, 2012).
• 58% of children age 2-5 can play simple computer games versus 44% who know how to ride a bike (CNN, 2012).
Heart disease…as a teenager? No P.E.? Kids don’t know how to ride a bike? Fifty hours per week on electronic media? That’s a full time job plus overtime on and above school related activities. Now more than ever the role of the coach is critical in helping shape the lives of young people. The critical question is: “What are our coaches teaching our young people?”
According to Play Like a Champion Today® philosophy, coaches are teachers using a different platform to educate. Instead of English, math and science they use practice time, discipline and teamwork to teach life lessons and moral development through sport.
That said moral development doesn’t spontaneously happen through organized sports. Just as practices require “reps” to get better physically, coaches have to be deliberate about promoting moral development by taking “moral development reps” throughout the day. Here are a few fundamentals that will support anyone who is truly coaching their student-athletes for moral development:
• emphasize that moral values come before all else
• take time before each practice and game to call attention to moral values
• take time after each practice and game to evaluate how well the team lived up to its espoused values
• help players to develop their moral reasoning by discussing moral problems as a team
The wide world of sports has changed in many ways…the one thing that stays consistent is the need for good coaches to guide, mentor and love young people. Remember to Play Like a Champion Today®!
VIA Play Like A Champion Today(R) Sport Parent Notes
Ok, perhaps the first paragraph was a little strong… but here are some simple reasons why coaches are now more important than ever in the lives of young people.
• Only 3.8% of elementary schools provide physical education (Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, 2009).
• Children are on the average spending over 50 hours a week on electronic media – television, video games, email, social media, etc. (Bloomberg Business Week, 2010).
• According to the Center for Disease Control, one in three children are likely to develop type 2 diabetes, heart disease or high blood pressure due to sedentary lifestyles (Good Housekeeping, 2012).
• 58% of children age 2-5 can play simple computer games versus 44% who know how to ride a bike (CNN, 2012).
Heart disease…as a teenager? No P.E.? Kids don’t know how to ride a bike? Fifty hours per week on electronic media? That’s a full time job plus overtime on and above school related activities. Now more than ever the role of the coach is critical in helping shape the lives of young people. The critical question is: “What are our coaches teaching our young people?”
According to Play Like a Champion Today® philosophy, coaches are teachers using a different platform to educate. Instead of English, math and science they use practice time, discipline and teamwork to teach life lessons and moral development through sport.
That said moral development doesn’t spontaneously happen through organized sports. Just as practices require “reps” to get better physically, coaches have to be deliberate about promoting moral development by taking “moral development reps” throughout the day. Here are a few fundamentals that will support anyone who is truly coaching their student-athletes for moral development:
• emphasize that moral values come before all else
• take time before each practice and game to call attention to moral values
• take time after each practice and game to evaluate how well the team lived up to its espoused values
• help players to develop their moral reasoning by discussing moral problems as a team
The wide world of sports has changed in many ways…the one thing that stays consistent is the need for good coaches to guide, mentor and love young people. Remember to Play Like a Champion Today®!
VIA Play Like A Champion Today(R) Sport Parent Notes
Tuesday, May 8, 2012
Hands only CPR 1 minute video
Here is a link to a video put together by the American Heart Association which shows how to do hands-only CPR on adults. A person is two to three times more likely to survive cardiac arrest if hands only CPR is performed on them after 9-1-1 is called and before paramedics arrive. As their website states, “The life you save is most likely someone you love.”
Thursday, May 3, 2012
CYO Athletics - "Lay your heart on the line"
In these words, the head football coach of Marshall University exhorts his team to give their best effort in the movie, "We Are Marshall". Heart is a much used word in athletics. We can point to athletes giving their best effort and Jesus Christ living out his full commitment in His Passion as lessons for our youth in CYO Athletics.
In our upcoming track season, we are asking our athletes to lay their heart on the line and "wear red" to advocate for heart health. We are sending out materials for our coaches to review with our athletes and families about the importance of cardiovascular health and encouraging them to wear red socks, bands, wrist bands, ribbons, shoelaces, etc. in our preliminary (May 5) and qualifying (May 12) meets.
In our upcoming track season, we are asking our athletes to lay their heart on the line and "wear red" to advocate for heart health. We are sending out materials for our coaches to review with our athletes and families about the importance of cardiovascular health and encouraging them to wear red socks, bands, wrist bands, ribbons, shoelaces, etc. in our preliminary (May 5) and qualifying (May 12) meets.
Wednesday, May 2, 2012
Volunteers Needed This Saturday
CYO Athletics Track & Field season starts this Saturday with the Preliminary Meet at Southwest Athletics Complex in West Seattle (2801 SW Thistle St, Seattle, WA 98106). Every Track meet requires over two dozen volunteers. Track teams are assigned events to have volunteers for, so people interested in earning volunteer hours should contact their team's coach to see if they can help. For the full schedule of this season's Track & Field events, visit the Track & Field page on the CYO Athletics website.
Tuesday, May 1, 2012
Is WINNING everything?
Champions always play to win, but understand that both winning and losing are important parts of the game they love.
Parental Tips:
• Always support your children, whether they win or lose;
• Emphasize good play over winning; and
• Focus on athlete performance, rather than game outcome.
SUGGESTION:As parents, remind your athlete (and yourself) that every sporting event has a victor. Some of the time your children will be on the winning side, many times, they will not. It is important to accept both sides of the spectrum with grace. Help your children realize the process of the game – how the game was played – is more important in the overall scheme of their whole sport career than simply the final score.
VIA Play Like A Champion Today(R) Sport Parent Notes
Parental Tips:
• Always support your children, whether they win or lose;
• Emphasize good play over winning; and
• Focus on athlete performance, rather than game outcome.
SUGGESTION:As parents, remind your athlete (and yourself) that every sporting event has a victor. Some of the time your children will be on the winning side, many times, they will not. It is important to accept both sides of the spectrum with grace. Help your children realize the process of the game – how the game was played – is more important in the overall scheme of their whole sport career than simply the final score.
VIA Play Like A Champion Today(R) Sport Parent Notes
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