Archive for March 2012

High School: Nine Attributes Necessary For Athletic Greatness, Plus One, Makes Ten

That first half of the title above, Nine Attributes Necessary For Athletic Greatness (Part I, Part II), comes from a two-part piece I did last summer for Weplay Moms. Its purpose was to help identify some of the important characteristics athletes need in order to reach some level of athletic excellence, or championship form. I... Read more »
By Kirk Mango,
March 30, 2012 at 7:00 am • 

Sports Parenting: A Parent’s Role in Raising Athletes in Today’s Youth Sports Culture-Part II

Guest Post by Brie Isaacson In continuation of Part I:  A Parent’s Role in Raising Athletes in Today’s Youth Sports Culture, here are the last two “pieces of the puzzle” for parents of young athletic offspring. Middle Phase – Middle School Aged Children Effort and Attitude are the most important!  It is the only thing... Read more »
By Kirk Mango,
March 28, 2012 at 7:00 am • 

Sports Parenting: A Parent’s Role in Raising Athletes in Today’s Youth Sports Culture-Part I

Guest Post by Brie Isaacson Time changes everything! Last week I took my son Wyatt (7) to baseball practice. I couldn’t help but smile to see what a difference one year makes. It was just last season that a simple bug, airplane or blade of grass could distract an entire team. I stood in amazement... Read more »
By Kirk Mango,
March 26, 2012 at 7:00 am • 
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Make No Mistake, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell Not Playing Around―Saints Penalized Harshly

So how many of you saw the movie “Thor” last year? Remember that enormous mallet Thor carried around with him devastating anything and anyone he swung at. Well, it appears NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell has one of those babies, and it looks like he is not  afraid to use it. He swung that sucker down... Read more »
By Kirk Mango,
March 23, 2012 at 7:00 am • 

WADA: It’s Still a Cat And Mouse Game With PED’s, Athletes, And WADA

So the game continues. A recent article in Reuters, Doping-Undetectable new blood boosters available says expert, discusses the fact that new ways to fool PED tests and testers are always on the horizon. In fact, with EPO like substances increases oxygen carrying red blood cells), it is not just on the horizon, it is here.... Read more »
By Kirk Mango,
March 21, 2012 at 7:00 am • 

Spectator Takes Page Out of Mike Tyson Playbook, Bites Ear Off of 6th Grade Basketball Coach

I have certainly come across some pretty irrational and unscrupulous behavior when researching material that supports the need for positive change in our current sports and youth sports culture. Whether it be from parents behaving badly, athletes engaging in unsportsmanlike, unethical, and/or even illegal conduct (at all levels), or coaches being involved in some type... Read more »
By Kirk Mango,
March 19, 2012 at 7:00 am • 
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High School: J. Kyle Braid Leadership Foundation Making a Difference

I recently had the honor and privilege of being a part of the selection committee to help choose our high school representatives (two sophomore boys and two sophomore girls) for the J. Kyle Braid Leadership Foundation (JKB). As a second-year member of this committee, it never ceases to amaze me the quality and high caliber... Read more »
By Kirk Mango,
March 16, 2012 at 7:05 am • 

Things Your Kids Didn't Learn in School And Our Current Sports Environment (Repost)

Full Disclosure: This article is a re-post of a piece I did back on May 22, 2009 for my personal blog (moving it to my ChicagoNow blog on March 4, 2010) . As I near retirement, and wonder what direction our current educational system (and sports & youth sports culture) will take, I still see the aspects highlighted... Read more »
By Kirk Mango,
March 14, 2012 at 7:00 am • 

Saints Bounty on NFL Players Creates Quite a Stir: Suspensions, Fines, Loss of Draft Picks Possible

The Center for Ethical Youth Coaching (CEYC) is very much up in arms over the recent purported “bounty” [reward] system for injuring opponents, associated with some of the New Orleans Saints players and coach Gregg Williams. A PRWeb.com article (The Center for Ethical Youth Coaching Calls for Ban on NFL Coaches Who Set Bounties for... Read more »
By Kirk Mango,
March 12, 2012 at 7:00 am • 
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THE POST-GAME HANDSHAKE

The “Post-Game Handshake” has come under a lot of fire recently due to some confrontations, poor acts of sportsmanship, disrespect, or simply the percieved lack of sincerity in the process. Some organizations and leagues have discussed and/or actually eliminated the practice. A nice discussion started on Twitter after my friend @ClarenceGaines2 shared that @CoachFinamore had... Read more »
By Coachlok,
March 9, 2012 at 7:00 am •