COACHES, PARENTS TEAM UP FOR LIFE LESSONS OF YOUTH SPORTS.Byline: Mark Kellam Valley News Writer ``How many of your scores have been on ESPN ESPN Entertainment and Sports Programming Network ?'' a high school athletic director Athletic director (commonly, "athletics director") is a position at many American colleges and universities, as well as in larger high schools and middle schools, which oversees the work of the coaches and related staff involved in intercollegiate or interscholastic athletic asked a group of local youth baseball coaches recently. The coaches chuckled. ``How about on any major television station in L.A.?'' he continued. Another chuckle. ``You see, it doesn't matter,'' he said emphatically. Jim Perry There are different people named Jim Perry:
PCA (tool, programming) PCA - A dynamic analyser from DEC giving information on run-time performance and code use. is a national program that teaches the importance of being double- goal coaches. The first goal is to win. The second, and more important goal is to teach positive life lessons. Perry commended the Agoura league because it is one of only 10 sports organizations across the country to make PCA certification mandatory for all its coaches and many assistant coaches. The league has 90 teams. He said youth sports has become too competitive and the blame usually doesn't fall on the players. ``It's become more about the parents,'' Perry said. He quoted Victor Hugo in saying, ``An invasion of armies can be resisted, but not an idea whose time has come.'' To which Perry added, ``Your time has come.'' Perry pointed out that only one in 100 students goes on to play sports after high school, and only one in 100,000 ever plays sports at a professional level. However, some parents act as though their 8-year-old is playing in the World Series or Super Bowl, he said. Therefore, the PCA program doesn't stop with the coaches. Parents are also strongly encouraged to participate. A parents' workshop will be held from 10 a.m. to noon Saturday in the multipurpose mul·ti·pur·pose adj. Designed or used for several purposes: a multipurpose room; multipurpose software. multipurpose Adjective room at Willow Elementary, 29026 Laro Drive, Agoura Hills, said Tim Dalbec, co-director of the PCA effort with the Agoura PONY league. Jim Thompson, co-founder of PCA, said parents play an integral role in the positive ``culture'' that makes the program successful. He started PCA in 1998 at Stanford University Stanford University, at Stanford, Calif.; coeducational; chartered 1885, opened 1891 as Leland Stanford Junior Univ. (still the legal name). The original campus was designed by Frederick Law Olmsted. David Starr Jordan was its first president. . Too many parents put undue pressure on their children and tend to coach from the sidelines, Thompson said. On the drive home after a game, parents all too often criticize their child, telling them they should have done this or that during the game. Perry pointed out during the workshop that, in a survey conducted on youth sports, most boys and girls boys and girls mercurialisannua. said one of the main reasons they participate in sports is to have fun. However, parents listed fun much lower on the survey. They focused much more on winning. At the parents' workshop, moms and dads will be encouraged to form a partnership with their child's coach, Thompson said. ``You should never bad-mouth bad·mouth or bad-mouth tr.v. bad·mouthed, bad·mouth·ing, bad·mouths Informal To criticize or disparage, often spitefully or unfairly: the coach in front of your child. It drives a wedge between the kids and the coach.'' He said parents should talk to their child's coach about their concerns. He added that parents should focus on the second goal in the PCA program - teaching life lessons. One of the most valuable lessons that can be learned through PCA is how to accept making a mistake, Thompson said. During games, teams are encouraged to use a gesture or sound if a team member makes a mistake - not to ridicule, but to show support. One women's softball softball, variant of baseball played with a larger ball on a smaller field. Invented (1888) in Chicago as an indoor game, it was at various times called indoor baseball, mush ball, playground ball, kitten ball, and, because it was also played by women, ladies' team Thompson knew ``shook off'' its mistakes, literally. Whenever a player made a mistake, all her teammates would shake their bodies. It was a friendly way of acknowledging the mistake and then moving on. Likewise, parents are encouraged to drop the criticism and look at mistakes as ways to learn to improve their child's performance in the next game. For example, if a runner is thrown out while attempting to steal a base, he or she should be commended for at least trying. Everyone makes mistakes, no matter what your age, Thompson said. Learning to accept mistakes at a young age will help children the rest of their lives, he added. For more information about Positive Coaching Alliance, visit www.positivecoach.org CAPTION(S): photo Photo: (color) Jim Perry, athletic director at La Quinta High School in Westminster, speaks to Agoura PONY league coaches about the benefits of the Positive Coaching Alliance. |
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