One of the most frequent requests I hear from my students’ parents is, “Can you make him a major leaguer?”
I always respond with a laugh and “Only he can do that.” My point is that parents and coaches can help players immensely, but ultimately it will be up to the players themselves to reach their potential.
Many factors, including God-given talent, love of game, dedication and luck, are just a few of the necessary ingredients to make it to the top. Parents and coaches can help athletes develop, but there comes a point when athletes have to take control of those factors and it will be up to them to reach their potential.
However, at a young age parents and coaches will be the player’s early and most important influence. They can set players on the path to athletic success, especially when they teach and reinforce the correct things. I encourage parents to be mindful of the following if they want their young players to have a chance of reaching their potential, and maybe even reaching the professional sports level. Following are 10 of the top lessons that parents and coaches can pass on to youth athletes.
Parents and coaches should emphasize:
1. The importance of the correct fundamentals, as well as the necessity of refining them with practice. For long-term success in any sport, there is nothing more important than good fundamentals. Additionally, it is easier to create new habits than break old ones, so learning the correct fundamentals at a young age helps. Correct fundamentals lead to early success, which is usually vital for developing a love of the sport.
2. That practice does not make perfect. “Perfect practice makes perfect.” Having knowledgeable coaches to work with can make a huge difference so as close to “perfect practice” is achieved.
3. Age appropriate strength training, even for young athletes. Many potential star players drop off before reaching their growth or strength spurt, so athletes should not neglect the bigger, stronger, faster mentality.
4. That practice must be fun and engaging. A lack of laughter and boredom is the beginning of the end for many potential star players. Adults, who can make playing fun, are crucial for keeping athletes involved with a sport.
5. The importance of being coachable. Very rarely does a player who has the reputation as a “know it all” advance very far in sports.
6. That talent will show up in the long run. Over-playing and over-sporting at a young age can burn out an athlete. Finding the right balance of play and other activities is crucial to long-term enjoyment of a sport.
7. That negativity rarely, if ever, impresses; but truthful evaluation is always necessary.
8. That athletes, who have short-term memory loss, are usually the most successful in the long run. Being able to overcome adversity and erase memories of bad games quickly is necessary because of the amount of failure in sports.
9. Having self-confidence is important but confidence comes and goes. What can stay constant though is an optimistic life attitude. Hanging out and surrounding themselves with positive, up-lifting people are often a key to eventual success.
10. That players continue playing as long as they still enjoy it and should not let others tell them when to quit playing.
Finally, there is no absolute way to help athletes reach their potential, but doing it with positive coaching lessons like the tips mentioned above, helps parents and kids maintain a positive and healthy relationship that will last a lifetime.
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Jack Perconte played 12 years of professional baseball. After retiring from professional baseball in 1987, Perconte opened a baseball training academy in Naperville, Ill. The hitting drills, mental training and coaching tips found in “The Making of a Hitter” (www.themakingofahitter.com) were culled from the 60,000 hitting lessons Perconte estimates he gave while operating the academy. He has also written “Raising an Athlete,” and writes for the blog http://positiveparentinginsports.com.
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(c) 2010, McClatchy-Tribune Information Services.
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