Kids in Sports | Character Building | JBM Thinks

How are you preserving your kids sports memories?  There are lots of creative, fun ways to do this. Pick something, please. Don’t let the seasons go by without intentionally remembering them. Someday you will discover that it is so fun to go back and look at visible reminders of all those years of sports: big wins, [...]

When should a child face the pressure of competition? How young is too young? First off, I am not anti-competition. Those of you who have been reading my blog for awhile or know anything about me, know that I am sports mom and coach’s wife with competitiveness flowing through my blood. I do believe that [...]

I am so excited to bring you a brand new opportunity! JBM Thinks Sports parenting now offers parent life coaching! Because sometimes, kids are not the only ones who need a coach. Parents do too.   You may be asking yourself, what is parent coaching anyway? Parent coaching is not therapy or counseling or a [...]

What does it take to make a strong team? Any coach can pull 5 or 9 or 11 players together and execute an offense and a defense. And they will be a team. But will they be a strong team? Last weekend as I was watching The Avengers, I was reminded that pulling 5 people–or [...]

This mouth guard may look clean and will protect your child’s teeth, but the bacteria and fungus it contains could make your young athlete sick. So says a study presented at the American College of Sports Medicine annual meeting. Mouth guards worn by athletes may harbor harmful microorganisms, including antibiotic-resistant bacteria. Pretty frightening info. But the [...]

It’s that time of year again to start looking for a summer sports camp for your young athlete. If you don’t already have your sites set on a camp or two, consider these ideas as you choose. How competitive do you want the camp to be? Beginner. If your child enjoys a variety of activities, [...]

As a parent wanting to give fatherly advice  (or motherly) to his children, do you sometimes wish someone would spell it out for you? Do you wish that someone would give you a guidebook on teaching your kids to navigate life? Then I’ve found a good read for you. Last month I visited with an [...]

Is your child struggling to achieve baseball hitting success? If so, you may be one of many parents who are sucked into the high cost of helping your child be successful. I read in a recent report about the soaring costs of youth baseball. It boggles my mind that parents are paying so much for a [...]

Bullying is an epidemic that seems to be out of control. But as a parent, there are ways for you to stop the madness. Today’s guest post is by Jennie Withers, author of Hey, Back Off!: Tips for Stopping Teen Harassment. If your kids are not teens yet, keep reading. Because they will be teens before [...]

Youth sports is more than skill, uniforms, team chemistry, coaching philosophy, and great snacks. In fact, experts say that it’s actually more of a mind game than anything else: 80% mental and 20% physical. If that’s the case, how can you help your child win the mind game? You don’t have to read a sports [...]