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Elite Level Club Soccer Axes Player Opportunity For High School Play

About two years ago (actually March 7, 2010), I wrote a piece titled Club or High School Sports: Why do I have to choose?. In it I discussed the trend of some club and high school coaches (programs) pressuring athletes to play their sport for them exclusively. I drew a distinction between:  (A) a coach... Read more »
By Kirk Mango,
Wednesday at 7:00 am
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Tim Tebow’s Example Inspiring, Just Ask New York Nicks Jeremy Lin

And now there are two. Two who, or two what you may ask? Two elite level professional athletes, stars, that appear to understand the importance their role can play in other peoples’ lives. Individuals who seem committed to setting good examples, who actually view the “position” they hold in sports as a means to make... Read more »
By Kirk Mango,
Monday at 7:00 am
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Playing Time?

In the many Positive Coaching Alliance Workshops I present, the topic of the Coach-Parent Partnership is discussed. This is not always the smoothest of relationships, yet should be. As my friend , Brian McCormick always says, “they both want the same thing – for the player to play well!” We know that when Teachers and... Read more »
By Coachlok,
February 17, 2012 at 1:37 am
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Conquering Cancer: Donna's Good Things St. Baldrick's event on Valentine's Day - Making a Difference!!!

This past September (2011) a heartbreaking story was published at ChicagoNow on the Mary Tyler Mom blog titled Donna’s Cancer Story. It was a continuing chronicle (31 installments) portraying the emotional and trying ordeal of a family and their young child’s battle with cancer. Sadly, her fight against this unrelenting disease ended on October 19th... Read more »
By Kirk Mango,
February 14, 2012 at 7:00 am
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High School: Youth Sports - Keeping it Real!!!

Guest Post by Brie Isaacson Thanks Brie!!! I have been involved with the game of volleyball for the past 20 years on several different levels. I have been a player, coach, club director and parent to a child who is actively involved in club volleyball.  Over this time I have noticed a definite change in... Read more »
By Kirk Mango,
February 13, 2012 at 7:00 am
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Guest Writer, Naperville Central Coach Brie Isaacson, Adds New Dimension to The Athlete’s Sports Experience

It is my pleasure to introduce to you a new guest writer to my blog. Her name is Brie Isaacson and she is the head volleyball coach at Naperville Central High School in Naperville, Illinois and the club volleyball director at Club 1 volleyball in Plainfield, Illinois. Her athletic experience includes playing high school volleyball... Read more »
By Kirk Mango,
February 10, 2012 at 7:00 am
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High School: Process Over Outcome, Has America Forgotten?

Full Disclosure: This article is a re-post of a piece I did back in June 4, 2009 (and moved to my ChicagoNow blog on March 3rd, 2010) for my personal blog. I thought it timely as it is still something I see continuing in 2012 and beyond.   The first half of this post’s title... Read more »
By Kirk Mango,
February 8, 2012 at 7:00 am
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The Growing Trend of “All Are Winners” in Youth Sports: Is it Really a Good Thing???

Lisa Lagrou’s article Should every child get a trophy? does a good job of presenting the current push toward the “everyone gets an award” mentality. Using her own daughter’s recent soccer sports experience, where their team (a team that had won only one game all season long) was awarded the same trophy as the best... Read more »
By Kirk Mango,
February 6, 2012 at 7:00 am
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Sports: The Day My Daughter's Sports Life Took a Terrible Turn

It was a long drive to the WAGS soccer tournament out in the Washington D.C. area back in the Fall of 2001. My oldest daughter had just come off of a solid high school soccer season, as a freshman on varsity, along with a successful prior summer camp experience with her club team out in... Read more »
By Kirk Mango,
February 3, 2012 at 7:00 am
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Olympics: Steroid Cheats Big Time Targets at London 2012 Olympic Games

There have been a good number of articles written about how extensive and sensitive performance-enhancing drug testing will be at the 2012 Olympics this coming summer. According to many reports, not only will the numbers of athletes tested be greater, some say 50%, but advancements in testing procedures have increased the ability of testers to... Read more »
By Kirk Mango,
February 1, 2012 at 7:00 am
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