— Dear Athletic Support: My granddaughter plays travel softball. Last weekend, her team got second place in a tournament. She’s a go-getter, for sure, and wasn’t very excited about getting second place. But then they called her whole team out to the middle of the field and presented them with these huge rings. These things…
Athletic Support: ‘Working Out Over the Dead Weeks’
Despite all the slogans printed on the backs of summer workout t-shirts (“Hard Work Pays Off,” “No Days Off,” etc…), taking time off is extremely important. At this point, the fall is still a good ways off, and when it comes, the football season can become long and grueling.
Despite all the slogans printed on the backs of summer workout t-shirts (“Hard Work Pays Off,” “No Days Off,” etc…), taking time off is extremely important. At this point, the fall is still a good ways off, and when it comes, the football season can become long and grueling.
Athletic Support: ‘Summer School Blues’
— Dear Athletic Support: My son is in summer school. He’s going into his senior football season, and I really hate that he’s stuck doing summer school. I hate it because summer school lasts for fifteen days and goes from eight in the morning until three in the afternoon. There’s no chance at all for him…
Athletic Support: ‘Practices Running Late Causing Problems’
— Dear Athletic Support: My son’s summer basketball practices are supposed to be over at 11:30. Some days, they don’t let them out until almost noon. This causes a huge problem for parents like me, who have to ask off work to pick them up. None of the parents (myself included) want to say anything because…
Athletic Support: ‘Softball Games Going Past Midnight’
— Dear Athletic Support: My daughter plays on a travel softball team. She’s in sixth grade. We devote almost every weekend in the summer to these tournaments, and we love it! We get to see all these different towns each week and eat at a bunch of great restaurants with some of our closest family and…
Athletic Support: ‘Are Athletes Getting Better With Age?’
The bigger question at play here, though, is what are these athletes doing to their bodies in the long run? Sure, they’re still playing, but what will the long-term ramifications be?
The bigger question at play here, though, is what are these athletes doing to their bodies in the long run? Sure, they’re still playing, but what will the long-term ramifications be?
Athletic Support: ‘Summer Schedule Way Too Serious’
— Dear Athletic Support: My son is wrapping up his first year of school-sanctioned athletics. He played football in the fall, basketball in the winter, and loved running the mile and pole vaulting this spring. My son is by no means one of the best athletes in his grade. Not by a longshot. But he…
Athletic Support: ‘What if I Can’t Afford Private Speed Camps?’
— Dear Athletic Support: In your last column, I saw where you mentioned young athletes attending speed training sessions. I looked into those and saw that they can get pretty costly. Do you have any specific drills or advice on how I could train my son at home in order to get him faster? —Need 4…
Athletic Support: ‘Quarterback Lacks Speed’
— Dear Athletic Support: My son is in the running for the starting quarterback spot for his high school football team. He’s a senior and the kid he’s battling with is just a sophomore. My son’s more of a pocket passer, while the sophomore is a dual-threat. Are there any specific drills we could do…
Athletic Support: ‘Should Pro Athletes Talk Politics?’
I just don’t understand why athletes and their organizations have to take a stance on every little thing.
I just don’t understand why athletes and their organizations have to take a stance on every little thing.
Athletic Support: ‘How To Take a Hit’
Keep your head up!
Keep your head up!
Athletic Support: ‘Trouble With a Curve’
How many pitches should a pitcher have in his arsenal in order to be competitive?
How many pitches should a pitcher have in his arsenal in order to be competitive?
Athletic Support: ‘Wrestling in College, What’s the Point?’
— Dear Athletic Support: My son is a wrestler. He’s dead set on wrestling in college, but he’s not quite good enough to make the team for a big school. So that means his only options are wrestling at DII and DIII schools. I know he’s plenty smart to get into a bigger college, which would…
Athletic Support: ‘Removal of Mask Requirement Could Cost Us Games’
If I were a coach, and my season was on the line, I’d consider urging my players to still wear masks at school.
If I were a coach, and my season was on the line, I’d consider urging my players to still wear masks at school.
Athletic Support: ‘Overachieving Daughter Stinks at Sports’
— Dear Athletic Support: Throughout her youth, my daughter has always been an overachiever. She’s done great in school. She’s starred in local plays. She’s even won statewide competitions. Recently, though, she’s wanted to get involved in athletics. There’s just one problem. She’s not super athletic. So it’s hard for her to excel in sports the…
Athletic Support: ‘Freshmen Don’t Make Varsity, Usually’
— Dear Athletic Support: A lot of basketball trainers/AAU coaches preach to these kids about being on varsity as a freshman. It seems that you can have kids work super hard and there can be variables that the player can’t overcome to achieve that goal. I have witnessed and have seen kids that felt let down…