Learn How to Listen to Parents

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A few years ago, I was walking around the soccer fields at the North Carolina State Cup. Parents were settling into to their chosen spots on the sideline, setting up their chairs and chatting nervously.

Down the sideline, somewhat removed from the rest of the parents, sat Carla Overbeck, a two-time World Cup-winning defender with the United States. Her daughter was playing. On a nearby field, sat Steve Smith, a 15-year NFL veteran wide receiver, getting ready to watch his daughter. Later in the day, Chuckie Brown, who spent 13 years in the NBA, would be there to watch his daughter, and Ricky Proehl, a 17-year NFL vet, would be watching his niece. [Read more…]

Coaches Who Yell Haven’t Prepared Their Players

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A mom once told me that her daughter performs best when she is yelled at by the coach.

I told her, “Well, I won’t be doing that.”

She went on to give some examples of coaches who yelled at her and how it seemed to work, or something like that. I wasn’t really listening. My mind was occupied imagining what a miserable experience this girl must be having with soccer.

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