Shawn's Blog

What should a coach care about most?

2009-09-24T10:16:00.004-06:00

Winning, teaching, or giving everyone a chance to play? KidsHealth.org asked their readers this question, and hundreds replied.

What They Value

Survey respondents said they respond best to:

· Coaches who understand and motivate their players

· Coaches who are tough but fair

· Coaches who teach life skills along with sports skills

· Coaches who make it a team effort

· Coaches who try to make practice varied and fun.

Importantly, athletes are able to recognize that some parts of practice are necessary and not much fun. They just want the coach to do their best to keep things interesting whenever possible.

What Turns Them Off

Survey respondents said they are turned off by:

· Coaches who focus on only a few players

· Coaches who yell or put players down

· Coaches who can’t teach or don’t give it their all.

Make the choice to never be outworked. Period.

2009-09-23T13:35:00.006-06:00

Whether in the weight room, in practice or in the classroom, make the choice to do everything you possibly can to be the best athlete, student and player you can be.

Make the choice to never be outworked.

Do everything you can to make sure that when opportunity knocks, you're ready to respond.

Don't worry about "getting ready"… "stay ready".

Every day, do everything you can to get ahead and stay ahead of the competition on the ice and in the classroom.

Put yourself in the position to take advantage of every opportunity that comes your way.

Your BIG opportunity to realize your BIG dream could be years away or it could be right around the corner.

And if you are ready to do the work, you’ll be ready to shine.

Work Hard. Dream BIG.

What kind of sports person are you?

2009-09-02T17:27:00.000-06:00

I love this article and since lots of fall team sports are starting up, I thought I'd share it. If more people were just plain "good sports people" life around the rink, field, and gym would be a much happier place to be.

Trying To Fit Into “P” Coat; Student-Athletes’ Parent Walk a Line of Support, Intrusion

Copyright 2008 Plain Dealer Publishing Co. Plain Dealer (Cleveland)
By Tim Warsinskey, Plain Dealer Reporter

For my first 21 years of covering high school sports, I came to understand an unspoken language with high school varsity coaches when they uttered one word:

"Parents."

It spoke gigabytes. I knew what the coach was thinking. We shared an identical image from years on the high school scene: wackos in the stands screaming at officials or stalking outside locker-room doors ready to confront the coach.

Then I became one.

A parent. The guy in the stands with a kid in uniform. It didn't happen overnight, of course. There were countless youth games played, thousands of miles driven and untold drive-thrus visited from the time my son, Ian, was 5 through his senior year at Mentor High. Hockey and baseball were his sports. He became a two-sport starter and earned four varsity letters before graduating in June.

He learned a lot, and of course, so did I.

Here are the 10 biggest lessons I learned from being a high school sports parent:

No. 1. Have no expectations, for your child or the coach. If you go into his or her freshman year thinking "This kid is going to be a star," you have just set the bar too high.

Trophies won from ages 5 to 15 do not mean a thing. What he or she did on the freshman and junior varsity teams is almost as unimportant. So many kids who are young all-stars will fade away. Even among the seemingly "sure bets" as sophomores, some will lose interest, quit, peak early, become ineligible or get kicked off the team.

Conversely, for the little ones, puberty is like a magic bean. It takes them to unexpected places. I'm 5-7. My wife is 5-foot-nothing. My son grew to be 5-10 and a better athlete than either of us ever were combined. It was an astonishing transformation, and you will be amazed at the kids who weren't stars at early ages who stick with it and become valuable varsity performers.

No. 2. Give your kid space. Let her enjoy her successful moments and figure out how to deal with defeat, failure and disappointment. Don't get too wrapped up in the wins and losses. Your job is to make sure your child does not get too high after a win or too low after a loss.

No. 3. Try to have an objective view of your kid's ability and build on his or her strengths. Don't tear him down by telling him what he did wrong unless the child comes looking for constructive criticism. Most of the time, the kid knows it better than you.

No. 4. Let your child make decisions that matter, with one caveat. When he or she considers quitting - and most high school athletes have that moment - make the child understand quitting is not the first option, especially once the season has begun. Dealing with adversity and persevering are important lessons.

No. 5. Grades really are the most important thing. The chances that he or she will get a college sports scholarship are almost nil, and even if the stars align and that happens, the kid still has to have good grades.

No. 6. Don't ignore injuries or signs of extreme mental and physical fatigue. If he or she is hurting, find out what it is. Playing injured can hurt the team and your kid's long-term health.

No. 7. Let your child fight his or her own battles with the coach, especially with regard to the No. 1 complaint: playing time. Your kid has to learn how to deal with adults. It's part of growing up. He or she will have to confront professors and bosses, and this is a good place to learn. If it's another issue and you find it necessary to get involved, always wait a day to talk to the coach. Let your emotions subside and think clearly about the point you want to make. If you suspect there is hazing or abuse taking place, report it to the athletic director or principal immediately.

No. 8. Support the team and be a good fan. Volunteer, and don't wait to be asked. Attend booster club meetings. Get to know the other parents. Make your own positive experience in the stands, no matter what is going on below. When you're at the game or event, cheer for everyone on your kid's team, not just your own. Don't be the jerk in the stands, the one yelling at the coach, your team, the other team, and mostly the officials. You are embarrassing your school, your kid and yourself. If you don't have anything good to say, sit down and shut up. If you're not enjoying yourself, stay home. You won't be missed.

No. 9. Understand these are competitive sports. It's not Little League where every kid gets to play. There's going to be disappointment, heartache, unfairness and injuries. Unless it ends in a state championship, it will end in defeat. Your kid is going to make mistakes. The coach will yell at him or her. That's what they do. Let it happen. He or she is not a baby anymore.

No. 10. Enjoy the ride. It will go by fast. Hug your child when it's over.

DWHL Game & Getting Hooked Up With a Sweet CD!

2009-06-11T21:07:00.000-06:00

My friend, Erin, just came out with a brand new CD. She started this project in September, 2008 and the final product is here! I came out to the Apex Center to pick up a couple of CDs from her and catch an Aces (I was an Ace once upon a time) vs. Metros Denver Women's Hockey League game.

I met Erin in 2001 when we both started playing hockey with the Denver Women's Hockey League. Neither of us had ever played. She grew up in the Denver Metro area and is an Avalanche fan. I moved to Colorado from Hawaii and wanted to learn the game and become and Avalanche fan. Fast forward 1 year and we found ourselves going to Vegas for a tournament. In the next couple of years, we traveled to Dallas, Tucson, Vail, Colorado Springs, and Ogden with a bunch of fun girls ranging in age from 21 through 50! In addition to these tournament trips, we played league games year round and of course started and finished many a beer tour at Old Chicago and had fun parties for any occasion at our house. Whenever we'd bust out the karaoke system, we could always count on a tune from Erin. Most of the time she was just messin' with the microphone, but man did she have a great voice!

Erin had a beautiful one-timer in the 2nd with 10:20 left to play, putting the Aces ahead 3-2. In the end, the Metros won, 3-6.

Being Good at Giving Back

2009-01-19T22:40:00.000-07:00

I always knew Anthony Carter was a special person. Watching "AC" play at the University of Hawaii from 1996 to 1998 brought so much excitement to the Stan Sheriff Center. 15 sold out games in 2 seasons, to be exact! He was a leader on the team and gave it everything he had at every game. His humble confidence and charisma enabled him to be a great role model both on and off the court for the young UH fans that attended games.

In 1999, the year we moved to Colorado, AC signed with the Miami Heat. Watching him play against the Nuggets brought back so many memories of seeing him dazzle the crowd in Hawaii. He looked just as confident in the pros as he did at UH. Each time we hear about AC in the news, it's always something great about giving back.

Before leaving Hawaii to sign as a free agent with the Heat, AC promised coach Riley Wallace that he would make it a point to give back to the school if "I ever made it". Giving back just seems to come naturally for AC Going into his 2nd year in the NBA, AC was already giving back to his college and its fans by attending the UH Youth Basketball camp in August, 2000.

2002 brought a $12 million contract with the Heat, another volunteer appearance at a UH Youth Basketball camp, and a $100,000 pledge to fund the AC Carter Scholarship Fund at UH Manoa. Professional sports are filled with talented athletes that pledge to and promote charitable causes. Few complete pledges to fund scholarships within 6 years of leaving college as a way to thank fans, coaches and all of the people that never stopped believing.

In 2004, AC became the first national spokesperson for the "I Have a Dream" Foundation. The foundation helps children from low-income areas attain their education and career goals through mentoring, tutoring, enrichment and tuition assistance. AC was a freshman high school dropout in Atlanta when the "I Have a Dream" Foundation helped him earn his high school equivalency and enter junior college.

Now in his 3rd season with the Denver Nuggets, AC will donate funds for breaking records to the "I Have a Dream" Foundation in Denver, "I Have a Dream" of Boulder County, and the national "I Have a Dream" Foundation.

AC will donate $5,000 for each of the following team and individual records that are broken in the Nuggets' 2008-09 season.

Most teams wins for the season (54 in 1987-88)
Carter achieves 6 steals in a game (record is 5, 2 times in career)
Carter achieves 16 assists in a game (record is 15, once in career)
Most Carter steals for a season (105 in 1999-00)
Most Carter assists for a season (434 in 1999-00)

In addition, each time he achieves 10 assists or more in a game, he will donate $1,500, and he will donate five percent (5%) of all playoff bonus money.

Last season, AC donated over $27,000 to the "I Have a Dream" Foundation for breaking records.

Some never get a second chance and most don’t appreciate the ones they get. Anthony Carter is giving back to create second chances for others.

Ei Nei...we go Ft. Collins!!!

2008-12-12T12:40:00.000-07:00

Calling all UH Alums in Colorado! Aloha has arrived in Fort Collins. We'll be on site rooting for our beloved Wahine in Moby Arena....will you?

Here’s to our dear Hawai'i

Here’s to our Green and White

Here’s to our Alma Mater

Here’s to the team with fight

Rah! Rah! Rah!

Here’s to old warriors calling

Here’s to old battles won

Here’s to Hawai'i's victory

Here’s to each valiant one

* Pukui/Elbert's Hawaiian Dictionary says ei nei is short for e ia nei, meaning "you, you there; the one here (sometimes affectionately)."

2008-12-06T21:04:00.000-07:00

With sweeps over Belmont and USC in the first round of the NCAA Volleyball Tournament in Los Angeles, the 6th ranked Rainbow Wahine are bound for Colorado to take on 17th ranked Purdue. Looks like an opportunity to indulge in Johnson's Corner cinnamon rolls to and from the games! Oh yeah...woot woot!

2008-12-04T23:59:00.000-07:00

The CSU Rams will be hosting the NCAA Women's Volleyball Regionals for the first time in their program's history. Games are at Moby Arena on 12/12/2008 and 12/13/2008. There are high hopes for the University of Hawaii Wahine to win their first two matches in California so they can come to snowy Colorado to enjoy support from their fans residing there!!

I'm all for change!

2008-10-02T14:29:00.000-06:00

It's the new frontier! :)

Hawaii Football Has Begun!!

2008-09-05T14:01:00.000-06:00

Tough start for the Warriors for 2008. But at least they had the guts to travel clear across the Pacific Ocean and "da mainland" to take on a top 10 team for their season opener. This year will definitely be one of rebuilding...stay tuned for the home opener against Weber State with Funaki leading the charge in the QB spot!