Janis B. Meredith's Blog: JBM Thinks Sportsparenting, page 68

Make It Right: This Mom Uses Her Voice to Make a Difference in Youth Sports

Tired of reading about all that is wrong in youth sports? So are we! TeamSnap and I have teamed up for the Make It Right Campaign this fall to share stories with you of people who are doing what they can to Make It Right in youth sports.  There are lots of folks out there who...

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“Dear Coach”: An Open Letter from Sports Parents

Every season, coaches around the world call parent meetings so they can tell you things you need to hear; things like schedules, philosophy about playing time, volunteer needs, and fundraising. They have important information for you–all things that need to be said. But I wonder what you would say if you could call a meeting for the coaches and return the favor...

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Is the Cost of Youth Sports Worth It?

The Cost of youth sports seems to take more and more out of parental wallets every year. The cost of equipment, travel teams, travel expenses, private coaching. and miscellaneous fees can add up to thousands of dollars spent each year for one family. Is it really worth it? And what are you hoping to get...

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Mental Toughness Podcast: Why Does Your Child Want to Quit?

This is the second in a series of podcasts on Mental Toughness. Today, I welcome VJ Stanley, youth sports expert, speaker, and author of Stop the Tsunami in Youth Sports. VJ’s book focuses on achieving balanced excellence and health while embracing the value of playing for fun. In other words, let the kids have fun!...

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TeamSnap and JBM Thinks Launch MAKE IT RIGHT Campaign

Tired of reading about all that is wrong in youth sports? So am I! That’s why I am teaming up with TeamSnap this fall for a Make It Right Campaign. Our goal, for the next few months, will be to share with you stories of people who are doing what they can to Make It Right...

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Youth Sports Parents: Watch for these 4 Common Pitfalls When the Honeymoon is Over

At first, the experience of youth sports for you and your child starts out innocent and fun. As a new sports parent, you are still in the honeymoon phase of youth sports; the ugly side of competition has not surfaced yet. Honeymoons are great, but we all know that they don’t last forever. There will come a...

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Parenting Tip: Don’t Focus on the Good Stuff

You probably took one look at this parenting tip and said, “Huh?” Let me explain it by beginning with a quote from Erma Bombeck, who said, quite simply: No one ever died from sleeping in an unmade bed. I think that we would all agree that making the bed is a good thing, however, it...

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Do You Recognize the 10 Early Warning Signs of an Unhealthy Youth Sports Addiction?

Don’t get me wrong. I love youth sports. I was consumed by my kids’ sports adventures for 21 years. I was an avid supporter of my husband’s teams while he coached for 28 years. But there is such a thing as overkill and it’s pretty obvious that many youth sports parents, and kids too, have gone way...

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Mental Toughness Podcast: Helping Your Child Deal with Mistakes

In my first full episode of the Sports parenting podcast, I would like to welcome Craig Sigl of Mental Toughness Trainer. Sigl is a mental toughness trainer who’s worked with athletes and business people for over 30 years. His unique brand of mental toughness helps kids develop the life skills of Focus, Confidence, Determination and Resilience through their participation in sports. He knows how to...

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5 Reasons Your Kids Should Hate Hard Work

I’ve always wondered why we have a holiday celebrating hard work. What’s to celebrate? After all, says the prevailing theory in life, hard work is not fun. That attitude has seeped into the youth sports culture. Parents, coaches, and leaders have given kids plenty of reasons to hate hard work. And because of those reasons, it should come as no...

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