The Art of Performance
Hey Coach, My 15-year old daughter is playing on a club volleyball team this year, and included with the team is some optional performance training. While I understand that some gym work is necessary, she doesn’t seem to find it helpful, and just wants to play volleyball. Should I require her to do to the training? - Indecisive Dear Indecisive, For many of us, working out is a chore: something we should do, but will avoid at any opportunity. Yet we all understand that working out has benefits that impact our entire lives. So, we go. [...]
How do I Gain a Larger Competitive Edge?
Hey Coach, I have been playing competitive tennis for three years now, and I seem to have hit a plateau. Although I feel like I am doing everything I can to get better, my win percentage seems to stay the same. How do I get better, faster? - Love-30 Love-30, For all athletes, there are times of rapid growth, and times of plateau. This is natural to any area of learning, and is not necessarily bad. But being stuck on a plateau is more likely to be about your routine, and less about your skills or drive. [...]
What Should my Athlete do in the Offseason?
Hey Coach, My son is entering high school next year. He was a starter on his 8th grade team, but the HS players seem so much larger and faster than him. I’m worried that freshman year will find him on the bench. How should I prepare him this summer? - High School High Anxiety Dear HSHA, High school sports mark a big shift in intensity and competition. The stakes are greater, the audiences larger, and the competition tougher. Additionally, many teams will have 18-year-old starters practicing next to 14-year-old freshman. For many young athletes, this can be [...]
Should My Daughter Change Sports?
Hey Coach, My daughter has been playing basketball since she was 8 years old. She started at our local parks department, and rapidly moved into travel ball. The problem is she is now 13 years old, 5’1”, and not going to get much taller. She is a good athlete, but her interest in basketball is ending. I want to guide her into a new sport, although I worry she is going to be too far behind to be successful. Should she continue in basketball or start anew? - Stay or Go Dear Stay or Go, There are [...]
