Most good high school athletes dream of playing varsity sports in college.  That dream usually includes getting a scholarship.  Like most dreams, lots of talent, hard work and persistence are necessary to make it come true…and I do mean lots.  You will enjoy hearing from one young man about his journey to a full ride Division I scholarship and what has transpired his first years on the team.
I recently interviewed Kevin Harper, a kicker for the University of Pittsburgh football team.  Kevin had an outstanding career at Mentor High School in Ohio.  He graduated in 2008 as class salutatorian with a 4.35 GPA and lettered in soccer, track and field as well as football.  He earned enough college credit to enter Pitt as a sophomore and plans to graduate in 2013 with an MBA.

How about some New Year’s resolutions to help sport parents and youth coaches make this coming year a success? Now is a good time for reflection on how we can work together to make youth sports better. We tend to get carried away in the heat of competition, and the desire to win can become the only important thing happening.
We all need to adopt the truth that playing sports is about more than winning. I’ll not go into a list of reasons how kids’ lives can be enhanced by athletics. I am asking that adults step back and examine the whole picture about their role in youth sports. Start by looking at the kids’ dreams. Discern what dreams are possible and how they can come true. Find the positive life lessons that can be learned by playing sports.
Dreams can be as simple as wanting to wear a team uniform or as complex as hoping to become a pro. Lessons can include learning respect and handling adversity. Everyone who is a part of athletics has a role to play in making those dreams and lessons happen. Try to appreciate that success comes in many forms, and get a firm grasp on reality.

Should you coach your own child in a sport? That time together can be great and create a lifetime of good memories for both of you. It can also have negative repercussions. Being the coach’s kid is tough. They play in a different spotlight than everyone else. For the adult, separating parental feelings and coaching duties is tough too.
There are some important issues to consider, especially if you coach beyond the initial years of your child’s athletic experience. Tension can build and damage the relationship between parent and child. Hopefully, the hints that follow will help coaches avoid conflicts.