World Cup Coaching

Today's blog post was written by Jennifer Jasper.  Jennifer is a senior Marketing major at Notre Dame and a student in the Social Foundations of Coaching course taught by Play Like a Champion Today Founder and Director Professor Clark Power and Program Director Kristin Sheehan. In addition to her studies, Jennifer also served as the goalie for the Notre Dame Women's Soccer Team.

This past summer, I had the opportunity to go to the FIFAWorld Cup Final between Germany and Argentina. It was honestly one of the best days of my life. I have been playing soccer since I was three years old, and I was about to go into my final collegiate season. It was incredible to see some of my favorite players including Lionel Messi, Manuel Neuer, and Bastian Schweinsteiger compete and play for the highest award in the soccer world. These players and that game will be remembered for the next several decades, but in ten years, I doubt people will be talking about how great a coach Joachim Low was. So for my post, I want to talk about the some of those that will not be featured on the highlight reel--the coaches of the World Cup.

photo courtesy of lawyerherald.com

There are two coaches I want to focus on, Joachim Low and Jurgen Klinsmann. These two coaches are very similar and are revolutionizing the sport with their coaching tactics.  Klinsmann is currently the head coach of the US national team while Low is the German national team head coach.  Before he came to the US, Klinsmann was in Low’s spot as the German head coach and is considered Low’s mentor and good friend.  Together, these two coaches created a new style of play; some call it the “blitzkrieg” due to the fast and furious speed of play. While both are considered as co-creators of this philosophy, they are still different types of coaches.

Klinsmann is the charismatic motivator, and this can be seen throughout his coaching career.  In interviews, Klinsmann constantly makes jokes and turns his success around to his players rather than focusing on what he did well.  He is respected by his players and this respect enables him to effectively coach. However, this does not mean he is best friends with his players. Klinsmann practices tough love with his players, and is not afraid to discipline them when they are acting out. I believe this leads to a stronger team. When Klinsmann was implementing his new style of play in Germany, he received criticism from both players and the public for switching from a static defensive style to a dynamic attack style. They claimed he was forgetting the roots German soccer was based on. Despite all the criticism, Klinsmann continued with his new strategy and they placed third in the 2006 World Cup. I think this shows how great a coach Klinsmann truly is; the man was probably going to be fired if the team was not successful at the World Cup, but he decided to go ahead with his controversial style anyway. I believe that Klinsmann knew that if anyone could transition to this style of play, it would be his Germans, and he knew it was only a matter of time before it started clicking.  In the end, Klinsmann was the coach, and despite the criticism from all ends, he knew that as coach, no one should control his decisions.  His dedication to implementing this style has carried over to the United States Team, too.

photo courtesy of  newsprovince.in

Klinsmann is considered the one who originally came up with the new soccer philosophy, but Low is considered the technical mastermind. Low was with Klinsmann every step of the way as his right hand man in Germany. After Klinsmann stepped down from the head coaching position, Low went on to develop the philosophy further through his unique lineups and attention to detail. Low’s players also respect him like they used to respect Klinsmann. Low also demonstrates a tough love type coaching. He is strict in his practices, but that does not mean he is all work no play. Often there are videos or pictures of the team playing soccer-tennis or soccer-golf. These games help lighten the mood at practice and help them release whatever distractions they have in order to focus on soccer.  You can also see him playing smaller games such as 5-on-2 with his team.  This helps the coach monitor what his team is doing and focus more on each individual. I think this also creates transparency for Low’s players.

I think it is crucial to have a coach who is confident in the style of play he or she wishes to coach, but their players must also respect him or her. These coaches need to earn the respect of their players too.  I think this is why coaches such as Jurgen Klinsmann and Joachim Low have been successful and have been so revolutionary.  The confidence of a coach and team, and the mutual respect between coach and team are fostered by coaches who strive to build teams of talent and character, which is just what Play Like a Champion Today promotes. 

The Jasper family at the World Cup in Brazil, June 2015. The author is on the far left.

One and Done

Today's blog post was written by Remy Lewis.  Remy is a Psychology Major at Purdue University North Central and is a former Division One Track and Field Athlete at Indiana State University.  He is currently an intern with Play Like a Champion.  He is also a Coach, Scout, and Trainer for Sports Prep NBA.

When it comes to the "One and Done" rule for college basketball, many believe it is bringing shame to college sports by disrespecting the fans, and the schools. The rule simply requires athletes to be 19 to be eligible for the NBA draft. Those who may not have the grades to get into a college choose to play overseas for a year until they reach 19 years of age. Many coaches, administrators, and other experts have been searching for a viable solution that would benefit all involved.  It seems to me that "one and done" allows young stars to use college as a brief stepping stone to the NBA.  These young athletes aren't going to college to learn or to represent their school with pride, they are going because it is a rule. High school athletes are looking for the best schools in their sports to essentially find the team that will provide them with the most exposure against the best competition to prove they are ready for the professional ranks. Can you really blame them? They are extremely talented, have played for years, and have been recruited by top agents and coaches for years.  Many of these agents have described the riches that await them in the NBA. The young athletes are being told to go to a college because it is the rule, and after a year they will be guaranteed a contract (and the millions that come with being a professional athlete).  Well, when you are 18-19 years old and you are being told you will gain a contract worth anywhere between $1-3 million, how can you say no? I am sure most of us would agree to that kind of money and the chance to improve our skills and make more when the contract ends.

I recently read an article (One and Done rule must be done with immediately.) that proposes a viable option to the "one and done" rule by adopting the draft rules used by Major League Baseball. These rules basically state that if you are a high school graduate and have not played for a college team, you are eligible for the draft. Once you have been drafted, you can either choose to go to that team where you may or may not be signed based on draft pick, or you can choose to attend and play for a college instead (as long as you haven't signed with an agent). When you take the college route, you must either be 21 years of age or have finished your junior year to be eligible for the draft again.

This rule, however, has many foreseeable kinks in the armor. Sadly, the athletes are motivated by money. If the basketball player cannot be drafted out of high school to sign a contract, they would likely choose to go overseas instead of being forced to stay in college for 3 years, which would lead to fewer athletes playing for the college teams. The issue the athletes have is that they want the freedom to make their own decisions, while college fans are confronted with a new starting five every year. It is not that athletes cannot be great coming from high school, because we have seen great careers out of players such as Lebron James, Kevin Garnett, and Kobe Bryant. However, these players were a rare breed and ready to make an impact among the NBA players.

The real issue in my eyes is that we are sending kids to the NBA and they are neither physically nor mentally prepared for that type of life style.  As a solution to "one and done", I propose pushing the NBA draft eligibility age from 19 to 21.  Any college, or overseas player that is 21 or will be turning 21 during that current season can be eligible for the draft. Reasons behind this idea are that the athlete has now had to take care of himself for 3 years, he has learned more about the world as an adult, and has physically and mentally matured. For those in college, they may find a subject they like and decide that that graduating with a degree will benefit them later on, or if they choose to go to the NBA and the career does not pan out, they only have one year of courses to take in order to receive a degree.

It may still feel like we are forcing the athletes to go to school, but our young men need more than just a college freshman education level. Especially since they will be thrown into a world of business that they do not comprehend. Satisfaction would be improve for the fans, the coaches, the programs, and the players. Since NBA players will be required to be 21, colleges will stop hemorrhaging young talented players, and the players will learn how to work and grow as a team. A player who can keep his level of play at #1 pick level for 3 consecutive years is a player much more worthy of being the face of the franchise, and the face of a college program.

The Impact of Coaching on Parent-Child Relationships

Today's blog was written by Ryan Baer.  Ryan is a Junior Business Major and a student in the Social Foundations of Coaching course taught by Play Like a Champion Founder and Director Professor Clark Power and Program Director Kristin Sheehan.  

While I was not an amazingly gifted athlete in high school or college, I was fortunate enough to enjoy some athletic success as a child.  While this was inherently rewarding, one thing that made it uniquely special was the fact that my father frequently coached the basketball teams I played on growing up.  My involvement in multiple basketball teams enabled me to compare and contrast how my relationship with my father affected me, and I believe that this relationship is one that ought to be analyzed in great detail, given the large degree of involvement parents have in coaching youth sports.

While many parents who become involved with youth coaching do not have much experience studying coaching itself, my father was very involved in an organization which is similar to Play Like a Champion, called the Positive Coaching Alliance, which attempts to emphasize the significance of positive reinforcement in youth sports.  It was a very rewarding experience to receive words of encouragement from my father in an athletic setting, and I believe my teammates also appreciated his approach to coaching as well.  While the team he coached was not particularly competitive, I occasionally felt that he tried to make me work harder than some of the other players, in an attempt to demonstrate that my playing time was unrelated to our relationship.  Some times were particularly trying, but I believe having this relationship in an athletic setting granted me a greater perspective on the difficulties of parenting, an issue which can be difficult to grasp for a child.  I realized that he had my best interests at heart, and that understanding transmitted to other aspects of parenting as well; I was able to realize than in all aspects of parenting, both my father and mother were looking out for my best interests, even if I disagreed with (or tested) their methods on occasion.

Achieving success on this team enriched the relationship I had with my father, as it was something we could work for and aspire to together.  I think this is particularly unique and rewarding for a child, as most parenting decisions tend to be more unilateral than collaborative.  The benefit of this relationship became clearer to me in comparison to other teams I was involved in, where my dad was not involved in coaching.  While I certainly enjoyed the success I was able to achieve on these teams, I noticed that I derived less pleasure from these results, because a person I loved and cared about was less directly involved.  There certainly are risks in having exclusively parent coaches, as they may be less experienced in the nuances of successful coaching; however, having a parent who was an experienced coach proved to be an extremely rewarding experience for me.  I believe that more parent coaches should become involved in organizations such as Play Like a Champion or PCA, to ensure that this delicate relationship is able to be managed effectively.  Part of that responsibility falls on the parent themselves, to become actively involved in such groups, but that's why I'm glad Play Like a Champion is now reaching parents and coaches in over 35 states and several countries in their effort to reach out to parents on a more local level as well, providing informal and easy-to-attend workshops to encourage participation and improve the culture of youth sports.  While the parent-coach relationship is one that must be managed carefully, my own experiences have suggested that there can be a unique and great deal of benefit for both parties in the proper environment.

Recognition Has No Gender

Today's blog post was written by Remy Lewis.  Remy is a Psychology Major at Purdue University North Central and is a former Division One Track and Field Athlete at Indiana State University.  He is currently an intern with Play Like a Champion.  He is also a Coach, Scout, and Trainer for Sports Prep NBA.

In an age where sports are often dominated by men, women have made countless strides towards gender equality in all sports. Thanks to Title IX and overall cultural advancement, these days you can find men and women with generally equal opportunities to participate in sports at the high school and college levels--and at some schools, the women's teams often outperform the men.

But what about the publicity? What about the recognition? Are we giving equal opportunities AND recognizing and publicizing the highest levels of achievement? Some who may be stuck in the past may feel as if we have given the female athletic community enough for them to be satisfied, but the female athletic community, and those of us who may coach superb female athletes would tend to disagree.

Photo Courtesy of usssapride.com

How many of you recognize this symbol to the left? Until recently, I didn't know that we had a National Professional league for women playing fast pitch softball. This fast pitch league currently features 5 teams with many of the top college softball players in recent years. Some form of this league has been prevalent since 1997, but has reshaped and reformed itself in a bid for national recognition. According to its history, it has been shown on national television including its championship games. At one point, teams from the league competed with Olympic teams from around the world during the regular season. Now it is working on expansion so that it may have many home grown competitive teams just like Major League Baseball, then some of its All-Stars could represent the U.S. in the Olympics.

Photo Courtesy of WNBA.com

Other than few sports fans at the University of Notre Dame, who can recognize this picture? For those of you that may not watch enough ESPN, this is a photo of Notre Dame Women's Basketball Guard Jewell Loyd who was drafted as the #1 overall pick in the WNBA. The WNBA draft was held last week on April 16th 2015, a fact which went largely unnoticed accept in key media markets that either fed players or host teams. Jewell was a 2015 Consensus All-American who helped lead her team to the National championship game against UConn.

Where were you during last years NPF (National Pro Fastpitch) championship game? Or do you remember who won the WNBA Championship Game last year? (Phoenix.)  How can we not promote these types of events for our athletes? Some of these women represent our country in the Olympics, and many of them represented our favorite collegiate programs with pride. The athletes are out on the field or court for the name on the front of the jersey and the love of their game. We will never see women reach the status of men in professional of even collegiate sports until we begin to recognize these women for the amazing athletes they are.  Play Like a Champion strives to promote equal opportunities for all athletes of all ages, but the rest of the country still needs to realize that the women participating in professional sports are not only some of the top female athletes in our country, but some of the most outstanding athletes in the world. We should all give them the respect, support, and recognition they have earned and deserve. 

Teaching Leadership

Today's blog post was written by Mark Egan.  Mark is a sophomore at Notre Dame majoring in Science Business.  Mark is a student in the Social Foundations of Coaching course taught by Play Like a Champion Founder and Director Professor Clark Power and Program Director Kristin Sheehan.  Mark is currently a coach intern at a local high school in South Bend, IN.

People sometimes make the argument that sports do not develop character, they reveal it.  Some say that leadership cannot be taught and that it is something you are either born with or not.  I believe that these ideas could not be any more false.  Everything that my life, experience, and classes have taught me proves the opposite.  In fact, I believe that sports are necessary for kids to develop character and leadership skills.  This semester, I am interning as an assistant coach for a local high school football team, and the following example of a technique used by the coaches of this team is perfect for making this point.

The coaches on this football team have been doing a special thing with their off-season strength and conditioning program.  The guys are broken up into 4 teams, and are constantly competing against each other’s teams, receiving and losing points for every single thing they do. However, despite this competition and the drive to improve for next season, the team also spends a hunk of practice discussing sportsmanship. A typical practice begins with a 20 minute talk on leadership, teamwork, sportsmanship, work ethic, and many other important values. Only after the discussion do the guys warm up and hit the weight room for the competitive stations of practice. After the weight room, the coaches set the teams against each other for physical and agility challenges, and then post-practice stretching.Throughout practice, the coaches are supportive of the players while they work hard and have a good time, and this approach is mirrored by the rest of the team.

During the talks before practice, the guys are constantly reminded what it means to be a good leader.  They are told that they all can be good leaders on the team and are taught that leadership is the process of influencing others to maximize their efforts in achieving a common goal.  During the workouts, they are quickly forced to put what they have just learned into practice as they realize the importance of working together to score points in the intra-squad competition.  The good thing about the way this point system works is that no one person gets the credit or glory if he surpasses his teammates. Therefore, it is important for every player on each team to motivate his teammates to perform at their maximum capacity.  As a result, there is a heavy emphasis on keeping each teammate accountable for their performance and pushing each other at all times.  This type of a dynamic promotes team chemistry, leadership skills, and loyalty.  Without consciously saying anything, this coaching technique in my opinion, builds a better team, as well as better people.

Teaching and Coaching

Today's blog was written by Maria Murphy.  Maria is a senior Political Science major and Education Schooling and Society minor at the University of Notre Dame and a student in the Social Foundations of Coaching course taught by Play Like a Champion Founder and Director Professor Clark Power and Program Director Kristin Sheehan.

In just over a month, I will graduate from Notre Dame. I will leave South Bend, my home of twenty-two years, and move to a place I have never even visited. I will trade the comfort and ease of life on this beautiful campus for adult responsibilities like cooking, cleaning, and paying bills. While I will continue to be a student, I will also take on the unfamiliar role of teacher. Come August, I will be teaching Social Studies, Language Arts, and Computers at a middle school in Corpus Christi, Texas, through the Alliance for Catholic Education’s Teaching Fellowship. I am also excited to take on other roles in the school community including mentor, role model, club moderator, tutor, and coach. While I expect that my life will never again be as carefree and easy as it is right now (except perhaps when I retire), I am excited for new adventures and responsibilities.

           

I have not yet learned how to be an effective teacher—that part will begin during my classes this summer. What I know, however, is that I am not just there to teach subject matter. My goals, above all, are to teach the kids in my classroom that they matter, to instill in them hope for their futures, and to promote, by example, faith and virtue.

This is remarkably similar to coaching. Coaches, hopefully, are not just there to teach kids how to play a specific sport. They should have higher goals—to instill certain values in their team that they will remember long after they have stopped playing the sport. Through sports, I learned (with help from my coaches) discipline, dedication to something larger than myself, and the importance of encouragement. These lessons have shaped me as a person and stay with me even though I have not competed in years. 

While reading through the Play Like a Champion Today Coach Manual, I am struck by how similar coaching and teaching truly are. The following are practical tips from the manual that I particularly enjoyed:

• “It is essential that you organize your thoughts and establish an idea of what you want to accomplish during your practice. Most importantly, write it down.”
• “Enthusiasm is contagious! … Creating a sense of excitement at every practice will increase your players’ interest, commitment, focus, and overall enjoyment.”
• “It is essential for you to be positive, to speak clearly and loudly, and to use an appropriate tone of voice. Monitor the length of instruction, as too much information can lead to inattention and overload.”
• “Your players should leave practice as excited and as enthusiastic as they came.”

These, seamlessly, apply to both coaching and teaching. I am excited to use the skills I learn for teaching as a coach, and vice versa. Because of the similarities, I think that my performance in both roles will improve greatly as I use the lessons I learn in one to help improve the other.

Overall, I cannot wait to get into the classroom and onto the field to work with these middle school kids. While I have a lot to learn about being a teacher and coach, I feel that I will have enough resources available through ACE and Play Like a Champion Today to be effective. The similarities between the two roles, as well as my experience on the receiving end as a student and athlete, also help me feel more comfortable with taking on these important roles.

           

Coaching will not only give me more time to spend with my students, but also another space with which to interact with them. The more relaxed, fun, playful nature of sport can help me strengthen my relationships with them while still working toward my ultimate goals—to teach the kids that they matter, to instill in them hope for their futures, and to promote, by example, faith and virtue. Simply, I want to leave both Corpus Christi and my school better places than when I found them. I think that coaching will play an instrumental role in achieving this. 

Coach Your Kids!

Steve Treacy is a sophomore Science-Business major at the University of Notre Dame.  Steve is a student in the Social Foundations of Coaching class taught by Play Like a Champion Founder and Director Clark Power and Program Director Kristin Sheehan, and is a photographer for the Notre Dame Athletic Department.  

As I went outside this morning, the sun was shining, the birds were chirping, and there was a cool breeze of air blowing across my face. My body was filled with joy and excitement, as this feeling brought me back to the days of playing baseball with my father as my coach.

From the age of four up to age of eighteen, I played baseball on my dad’s team in my town’s recreational league. Through those 14 seasons, my dad helped me evolve from a little kid who ran the wrong direction around the diamond after hitting the ball off the tee into an athlete who was hitting home runs and stealing bases. As I grew as a player, the relationship between my father and I grew stronger as we spent countless hours together out on the diamond. The stories of the memories that we created through baseball could fill the pages of a million blogs; however, there is one story in particular that I would like to share.

The author and his father at home plate.
Photo courtesy of the Treacy Family

In my junior year of high school, I decided that I wanted to try out for the high school varsity team. After playing in the recreational league for so long, I wanted to get the chance to prove that I belonged on the same field as the top players in my town as we competed against the top baseball players throughout the state. I trained all winter long--hitting in the cages daily, going to all the extra practices and workouts, and I even practiced staying in my catcher’s stance while I watched TV in order to continue improving my strength and my form. When tryouts came, I was in the best baseball shape of my life, and put everything I had into making the team. However, I was cut on the last day of tryouts, and told to “try again next year.” Needless to say, I was pretty bummed out. 

A few days later, I was in the cafeteria eating lunch with my buddies Ty and Jack, both of whom were on the varsity team. They were talking about their upcoming opening-day game. I told them that I wished that I could have been out there with them, playing for the varsity team. Jack looked back at me and replied that he was jealous of my position because I got to play baseball with my Dad as a coach. He said that his dad never had the time to coach a team, even when he was little. He had always wished that he could have gotten the chance to play with his dad.

I realized that what Jack said to me was 100% true. While maybe I had not gotten to play for varsity, getting cut meant that I got to play another season with my dad by my side. I realized how lucky I was to get a chance to go out there and spend hour after hour with the man who I look up to the most in this world. The next year, when my senior season rolled around and my dad asked if I was going to try out again, I responded “Why would I do that? That would mean 12 less games with you!” Looking back on it, being cut and getting the chance to keep playing with my dad was one of the greatest silver linings in my life.

In summation, this is my message to all parents reading this blog: Please, if you have the opportunity to coach your child, do not hesitate to take that opportunity. I know it sounds cheesy, but playing baseball with my dad was a part of my life that I will never forget, and I hope it will be the same for my future children. I would give anything to get the chance to go back and play another game with my dad coaching me from the dugout. By coaching your child, not only will you get a chance to share with them your love of the game, but it will also provide you and your child with fantastic lifelong memories, and will elevate the loving parent-child bond to a whole new level. 

For Love of the Game

Today's Blog was written by Ted Williams.  Ted is a senior Civil Engineering major at the University of Notre Dame and a student in the Social Foundations of Coaching course taught by Play Like a Champion Founder and Director Professor Clark Power and Program Director Kristin Sheehan.  Ted is also a Senior Football Equipment Manager for the Notre Dame Football Team.

I would like to highlight the issue of burning athletes out of the sports they love. This is often the result of the extremely competitive culture that can be found in all levels of sports. Today, young athletes are frequently required to attend early morning off-season workouts, adhere to strict diets, specialize in one sport, have a personal coach and travel, all around the significant distances to compete. These demands have become commonplace in the sports world, because failure to meet these demands will result in less playing time, which can decrease the desire for kids to continue playing.  All of these reasons and many more have taken the fun out of sports for young athletes. Without the “fun” aspect, sports become a burden and make young athletes feel like they are all work and no play.

I feel that coaches need to focus on developing their players and be concerned about the player’s overall enjoyment of the sport. This is critical of high school and youth sport coaches. I know this from personal experience, as I work as an equipment manager for the University of Notre Dame Football Team. This job allows me to see the attitudes and mindset of college athletes on a daily basis. Players sometimes complain that football has isn't fun any longer, and they wish they could return to their high school playing days. However, I also see the techniques the coaching staff uses to combat this mindset. The coaches often schedule fun activities or events that help promote team chemistry and bonding. Some examples of this include golf outings, team dinners, and periods of practice where the players can listen to music and even dance. All of these efforts are attempts to lighten the mood in an otherwise intense atmosphere.

My advice to high school and youth coaches would be to devote time during each practice to a activity that has nothing to do with the sport the kids are playing. This will allow your players to get outside of the constant pressure of their sport. This will also be beneficial for your team because they will bond and form relationships as a result of these activities. My high school coach started every practice with a joke; the jokes usually weren't very good, but it was a fun way to start a tough workout. Anything a coach can do to make his or her players feel more at ease is heading in the right direction. The main point I would like to emphasize is that the amount of enjoyment a player has is far more important that wins and loses or anything else. Playing "for love of the game" is a right that every kids should have, and it's up to coaches and parents to ensure this happens.

The Impact of Fan Support

Today's blog post was written by Remy Lewis.  Remy is a Psychology Major at Purdue University North Central and is a former Division One Track and Field Athlete at Indiana State University.  He is currently an intern with Play Like a Champion.  He is also a Coach, Scout, and Trainer for Sports Prep NBA.

photo courtesy of gameday.com

Fan identification has been a major factor in sports competition throughout history. True fans wearing team colors all season, less-devoted fans only wearing colors after a win, never wearing colors after a loss, and even fair-weather fans switching teams just to be a part of a winning culture. Indeed being a fan can be a roller coaster of emotions during sporting events. But what about the athletes? How does fan support affect them? The roar of a loyal crowd can boost adrenaline levels for the home team and be overwhelming for the opposing players. They say keeping fans involved and giving them something to cheer for will always have an affect on winning or losing the game. However, sometimes it is not always about the win or the loss. Maybe sometimes it is about knowing that someone supports you whether you win or lose.

photo courtesy of cbsnews.com

Much of this was the case for the Gainesville Tornadoes in Texas. The Tornadoes are a basketball team for the Gainesville juvenile correctional facility which allows those with outstanding behavior to play for the team. They mostly play against the local private schools and have had success as a team. However, their fan base has struggled. Regular citizens do not see a need to support kids who they believe brought this upon themselves, and most of the parents are too ashamed or simply too busy to go and cheer for their kids on a regular basis, and of course, their fellow students can't attend. Many of their games are played with not a single fan in their corner cheering them to victory.

photo courtesy of usports.org

All of this changed going into their game against Vangaurd College Prep which stated they would refuse to play them at one point. Not because the competition was not there, but because they felt it was unfair for a group of kids to have to play against a school with a ton of fan support. So the players came up with an ingenious plan. First they informed the student body and parents that the Tornadoes had no fan base and wanted to give them supporters for the game. Then they had a random drawing to have half of the student body and their families dress in Tornado colors and sit behind their bench to cheer for them. They made signs, had cheerleaders, and as the game went on, the crowd assigned to the Tornadoes no longer felt like they were cheering out of the kindness in their hearts, but because the genuinely became fans and wanted to support their team.

In the end, this became a heartfelt moment that no one who was able to attend will ever forget. More importantly, the juveniles who parents never make it to their games, finally feel that they fit in socially and appreciate the fans and opposing team for still treating them like athletes and people. It is nice to see young athletes using their influence on their peers to act selflessly in the name of fun and sports.

  

Fun is the Name of the Game

Today's blog post was written by Jewell Loyd.  Jewell is a junior majoring in Film, Television, and Theater at the University of Notre Dame.  She is also a student in the Social Foundations of Coaching course taught by Play Like a Champion Today founder Professor Clark Power and Program Director Kristin Sheehan.  Jewell is also a guard on the ACC Champion Notre Dame Women's Basketball Team.

Fun is the Name of the Game

photo courtesy of 247sports

What is the first thing that comes to mind when you hear the word 'kids'? For me it is the word "fun." Have you ever asked a kid why they do something? This could be as simple as why they are writing on the wall, jumping in puddles, or playing in the mud? My guess is that the response would be something along the lines of "because it's fun."  Having fun is a key part of life. It can be overlooked, but in sports that is what drives and motivates people to play hard.

  

Growing up, I stayed at parks playing with my friends. Enjoying every basketball game, every game of tag, water fights--anything that kept us moving. My friends and I shared so many laughs and great memories at these parks. Little did I know that every time I went to the park, I was improving my skills. I was getting better everyday. I did whatever I could to go to the park because it was the highlight of my day. Having fun with my friends and playing sports was the best of both worlds. 

photo courtesy of indystar.com

I began to play tennis and I become really good at it.  However, I was also playing in tournaments every weekend, driving to unknown places, getting up early and not getting home till late. That's a lot to ask of a nine year old kid. Don't get me started on practice. Waking up at the crack of dawn, doing the same drills over and over every single day. I never got a chance to go to the park anymore, I never had time to hang out with my friends and have fun anymore. I was always busy. 

I remember one day, I was supposed to be at a baseball game with my friends, but I had tennis practice. I could hear and see my friends through the fence. I saw laughing and smiles and everyone having a great time. Then there was me, locked in the fenced in court-- no smiles, no laughter.  That's when I made my decision. I quit. I told my parents that I didn't want to play tennis anymore. I wanted to have fun and enjoy what I was doing. Playing tennis had become work; it was not fun for me anymore. When I was on the basketball court with my friends I fell in love with the game. It was fun. I worked hard at it because I enjoyed everything that came with it. When kids aren't having fun, that's a problem. The sport has to be fun and enjoyable for them to succeed. Once it turns into a job, the passion is gone and there is nothing to drive them. When you're having fun, all the rewards and everything that comes from hard work will follow.

photo courtesy of espn.go.com