Fan Conduct • Showing Mustang Pride through positivity! Please read our philosophy on Fan Conduct at our sporting events.
The Secret to Sports Parenting Success – If you could help kids stay in sports with a simple social media post, would you? Today some 70% of U.S. children quit sports by age 13, often due to parental pressure. Once they’re done, they miss out on all the important life lessons and health benefits that sports have to offer. We get it – parents just want their kids to do well. Turns out the best way for that to happen is counterintuitive: Studies show that kids enjoy sports more, play longer, and even perform better when their parents relax and let youth sports be their kids’ thing. That’s why, thanks to a grant from the Daniels Fund, Positive Coaching Alliance-Colorado is spreading word about a movement of parents who are brave enough to back off so their kids will stay in the game. Your help in making sure parents get the message through our fun new campaign can have a positive impact on the youth we serve. #DareToChill
https://www.thunderclap.it/en/projects/47341-do-you-daretochill
Booster Clubs • Five teams on campus have their own booster clubs and more are being developed every year. Current Booster Clubs (Football, Men’s Basketball, Women’s Basketball, Baseball, and Women’s Volleyball) which team will be next? Get involved now!
Parent Involvement • All parents should be involved and informed with their kids. We firmly believe that you parents should be fully knowledgable of our process. We want you to understand and we want to answer your questions before the tryouts begin. The best place to start learning about the process here is to read the EGUSD Athletic Handbook 2014.07EGUSDStudent-AthleteParentHndbk14-15
Is your student eligible to be an NCAA student-athlete? • The NFHS and NCAA have joined forces to present an online course detailing the process of advising student about the NCAA’s initial eligibility requirements. (Learn more here.)
Please help us reach your student-athletes with this information!
- Did you know that the NCAA’s initial-eligibility academic standards are changing for student-athletes enrolling at an NCAA Division I university on or after August 1, 2016 (this year’s high school sophomore class and younger)? A brief summary of the changes can be found here.
- To assist in getting this message out, we have developed the Initial-Eligibility Resource Index , a new electronic tool that contains links to the NCAA Eligibility Center’s resources and presentations available free of charge. Please share these materials broadly with students, parents, coaches, etc.
Key Reminders
- Additional high school-specific resources are available on the High School Portal Resources page. The NCAA Eligibility Center receives thousands of calls each year regarding hardcopy transcript receipt due to the two- to three-week processing time needed to mail, log, scan, and post transcripts to student accounts. You are strongly encouraged to submit transcripts through one of the approved e-transcript providers (Docufide/Parchment, Scrip Safe, ConnectEDU, National Transcript Center/Pearson Edustructure, USMO ET, and XAP) as these transcripts usually appear in student accounts within 48 hours.
Grade Reporting Schedule • We are very serious about the “scholar” in Scholar Athlete.
Feed Your Active Body • Learn more about the proper nutrition for athletes. (USDA Pyramid)
The Role of the Parent in Sports (NFHS) • As a parent of a student who participates in athletics, you make a huge difference in the quality of your child’s sport experience, as well as what is being taught and learned by our youth. The NFHS has provided information and resources to help educate you on the importance of proper behavior by parents in school sports. (online course available)
PCA Parent 2-minute drill article Right After a Competition.
A Resource from Positive Coaching Alliance’s PCADevZone.org
EGUSD Voluntary Athletic Contribution • The Elk Grove Unified School District (EGUSD website) has long been known for its excellent athletic programs. The district is proud of this reputation and recognizes that athletics support students’ physical, social, and academic development. Unfortunately, due to the financial crisis in the State of California and the reduction of funding for public education, the district has been forced to cut over $60 million from its 2010-11 budget (see EGUSD website for more info) * 2014.09MTHSVACphilosophy*
The Coach-Parent Partnership
Three steps to developing a great Coach-Parent Partnership:
• Recognize the commitment the coach has made. The coach who puts in long hours for little or no pay deserves your support. (read the entire article here.)
Playing Multiple Sports
Competing in a variety of sports can help you develop different senses of leadership. For example, in a sport where you are less skilled than your teammates, you may become more of a vocal, emotional leader, while in your stronger sport, you might be able to lead more by physical example.
In sports and beyond, both forms of leadership are valuable, and you will find yourself in situations that call for one or the other…and sometimes the need to smoothly transition back and forth in the same day.
Observe “Cooling Off” Period PCA • Wait to talk to the coach about something you are upset about for at least 24 hours after a game. Emotions, both yours and the coach’s, are often so high after a contest that it’s much more productive if you wait until a day goes by before contacting the coach about a problem. This will also give you time to think about what your goals are and what you want to say. Note: There are exceptions to the 24-hour cooling off period. If the coach’s behavior puts your child’s safety at risk, appears unethical, or exemplifies poor sportsmanship, speak to him or her as soon as you can safely do so.
Know Your Role PCA • Let’s say your child has just had an opportunity to make the winning play in a game and blew it. If you competed in this sport growing up (and perhaps even if you didn’t), you may have suggestions for how your child could have made the play. Suggestions from parents are often not well received by their children. Athletes get so much coaching already – from coaches, from teammates, and from the game itself. When parents add to this flood of feedback, it often overwhelms the child, like the proverbial straw that breaks the camel’s back. Rather than obsessing about the skills and strategy of the game, engage your children around the life lessons from their experience. This is your role as a Second-Goal Parent.
Open Ended Questions PCA • When talking with your children about a recent game, use open-ended questions to get them to talk while you stay in listening mode.
~“What was the best part of the game today?”
~“What was the hardest part of the game for you?”
~“What lessons can be learned from a tough loss?” Without downplaying your child’s disappointment, lend perspective and fill their Emotional Tanks by pointing out things that did go well in the game.
~“You were really in the zone for most of the game today. Your hard work at practice is really paying off.”
~“Both teams competed so hard. I hope you can feel good about your effort.” Then come back to the Big Picture.
~“I can imagine it is disappointing to have lost today’s game, but I know you’re the kind of person who doesn’t let a setback keep you down. That kind of resilience will help you rebound from any obstacle life throws your way.”
Targeted Cheering PCA • During one-sided games, it is a good idea to take even more of your focus off the scoreboard, regardless of what side of the score your team is on. Parents often just cheer reflexively whenever their children’s teams score. But Second-Goal Parents go beyond reflex to cheer for the things they want to see happen again – things that reinforce their ultimate goals surrounding their child’s sports experience. If you want your children to value giving their best efforts, then cheer for your children for their efforts regardless of the outcome or scoreboard. Advanced Second-Goal Parents stretch outside the box and cheer for great plays and efforts made by players on the opposing team as well.
Model Preparation for Practice PCA • Sports provide children with numerous opportunities to learn life skills. The power of preparation is one such skill. Preparation routines are one of the best ways athletes can prepare themselves for “peak practice”. How can parents help develop this skill? The first way is to model the behavior: develop and use routines to help you prepare for work, meetings, errands and sports practice! Think of everything you will need to be totally prepared and present for the activities in your life—consider meals, clothing, equipment, notes, maps etc. Remember, we get what we prepare for. Next, work with your child to develop his own pre-practice preparation routine. Help himcreate a checklist that includes everything he will need to have his best practice.This list can include everything from thinking through when he needs toleave home/school to get to practice on time (or even a little early!), to making sure he’s gotall needed equipment and water ready to go. Learning the skill of preparationthrough sports will pay huge dividends down the road for your child.
Pressure is a Privilege –
| Between playoffs, all-star tryouts and finals week in school – all coming soon, if they are not already underway – coaches, parents and student-athletes may be feeling a little extra pressure. No worries. Our top coaches, sports psychologists and other experts have your back. LEARN HOW TO COPE |
You’re the kind of person who… PCA • As parents we have great power to shape the way our children think about themselves. Through the thoughtful use of you’re-the-kind-of-person-who statements, we can help them begin to think of themselves as capable people with positive character traits. This phrase can also work beyond the athletic field. If you want to raise a child who loves reading, you can look for an opportunity to catch her reading something and later say, “I noticed you reading that book on falcons. It’s great that you’re the kind of person who likes to read for pleasure.” After an athletic contest in which your child made a great effort, you can say, “That long run you made after the ball near the end of the game was a great effort. I’m proud that you’re the kind of player who doesn’t give up easily.”
The Magic Ratio… PCA • Research shows that about five Emotional Tank-fillers per criticism is optimal for motivation. Keep track of the tank-fillers and criticisms you deliver to your child over the course of a day with pluses and minuses on a piece of paper. You will be amazed at how many criticisms you hand out. Once you get to 5:1 (truthful and specific praises), you’ll see why it’s called the Magic Ratio. Your child’s emotional tank will be so full they’ll do things you would have thought were impossible! Remember, the kinds of things that fill tanks are praise (truthful and specific), reinforcing positives, listening and nonverbal actions (nodding, clapping, smiling). Criticisms, corrections, ignoring and nonverbal actions (frowns) are things that tend to drain tanks.
“When I Become Coach” (The Double Goal Coach by Jim Thompson) PCA • What if you know more about the game than your child’s coach? Even some of the best coaches – professional and college coaches who have kids in youth sports – resist the temptation to give advice to their child’s coach. If these elite coaches who know so much about their game refrain from giving advice to their child’s coach, so can we! If you do have some really wonderful tactical advice for your child’s coach, write it down and put it in a folder labeled “When I Become the Coach.”
College Recruitment • click here to read the Top 10 Realities of College Recruiting
Rules for Parents of Athletes • click here to read a gathered list of rules for parents of student-athletes.
Self Control Routine PCA • No matter how much you intend to Honor the Game, there will be moments as a coach, parent or player when you feel yourself losing your temper. Having a specific routine that you have rehearsed in advance can help you keep your cool. (Athletes read more)(Parents read more)
Unconditional Support PCA • Perhaps the biggest fear athletes have is making a mistake in a crucial situation that hurts their team. Standing by your children in this embarrassing situation ist eh most effective way of demonstrating that your love and support for them in unconditional. (read more)
