Kids in Sports | Character Building | JBM Thinks

Parenting seems to change gears in the summer. For some parents, it is fun, lazy, adventurous, and full of good family time. For others, it is too long and full of kids complaining they are bored. And for those who have full time jobs and put their kids in camps, it is business as usual. [...]

If you’re a youth football mom, I know you are probably thinking: Is it that time again already? It will be here faster than you think. Pop Warner practice begins at the end of July or beginning of August. High School football starts at the end of August or beginning of September, depending on where [...]

Parenting is seasonal. There are seasons of relative calm, seasons of illness, seasons of extreme difficulty, seasons of absolute joy, seasons of merely surviving, seasons of total chaos, seasons of radical fun, and seasons of sheer horror. As parents, it’s easy for us to look at parents in another season and share our unsolicited wisdom [...]

You’ve most likely heard about the 17-year-old soccer player who was charged with homicide in the death of a Utah referee. He punched a referee in the head during a match and that attack ultimately killed referee Ricardo Portillo. This outburst of anger in youth sports is a very extreme example of a very real [...]

Wouldn’t it be interesting if parents had to try out for their kids’ youth sports teams too? But instead of showcasing skills on the field or court as their children do, they would exhibit their composure in the bleachers and on the sidelines. I doubt your child would be held from a youth sports team [...]

When it comes to getting the most for your money, it’s always better to shop around–even in youth sports. Unfortunately, many sports parents are so darn busy they don’t have  a lot of time to compare prices. They need what’s quick, easy and hopefully, not too expensive. Well, busy sports parents and coaches, meet your [...]

Having a perfectionist child is challenging in any arena, but perfectionism in youth sports is especially difficult. Signs of a perfectionist They tend to: Set high performance standards that can’t possibly be met Be motivated by fear of failure rather than by desire for success Base their self-worth on accomplishments Believe that anything less than [...]

There are times when parents make decisions out of love for their kids. And there are also times when the ego takes over. Often parental egos result in bad decisions for the family. How do you know when your ego is taking over your parenting decisions? Read more about the signs of egotistical parenting.   [...]

Every now and then, we run into kids in youth sports who are truly gifted. And driven. And passionate about their sport. And perhaps a freak of nature. The kid  in the video below is amazing. I would love to see him in 10 years. What kind of an adult athlete he will become? Hopefully [...]

It’s always good to hear from dads and moms in the trenches of youth sports. Eddie Shackleford is one of those dads. He shares how he’s helping his son learn how to deal with the winning and the losing of youth sports.  As my 11-year-old son’s soccer season is coming to a close, I have [...]