Is your son learning to be confident and empowered?
With over 20 years of coaching experience and as a parent myself, this is best advice I’ve heard regarding parenting young athletes for success in sports and life. – Coach Kalisher
Sport provides your child with many opportunities for life lessons such as learning how to compete, commitment, physical and mental stamina, communication skills, self-esteem and teamwork. Perhaps the most important lesson sports offer our children, according to Sports Psychologist, T.C. North Phd, is whether or not your child is learning to be confident and empowered or one of life’s victims?
After all, how kids learn to participate in sports is how they play the game of life. Kids are taught how to participate in sports and life by their role models. The most influential role models are parents.
*Modeling the example. Which type of child are you raising?
Raising a confident/empowered child:
– Focus on fun and the process of learning
– Support an empowering player/coach dynamic by encouraging players to talk to their coaches.
– Focus on the big picture
– Let the coach do the coaching – being a parent is hard enough
– Teach kids to focus on what they control – their own “thoughts and actions”
Raising a victim
– Yelling and blaming refs, coaches, administrators, the system
– Critiquing coaches and/or intervening for your child regarding playing time, positions, tactics, practices plans, games
– Critiquing kids – yours and others
– Yelling instructions at your child and other’s
– Being overly concerned with winning. Having winning be the measure of success
– “Hovering” over practices
*Phases of Parenting an Athlete:
Practice:
– Encourage commitment
– Proper nutrition
– Punctual
– Abdicate during practice
Before Game:
– Be calm by example
– Don’t play the role of the coach with playing advice
– Keep it light (Jokes, laughter)
– Avoid giving a pre-game scouting report
– Good meal and hydration
– Good rest
– Have fun
– “I love you”
During the game:
– Detach from results
– Keep a low profile
– Cheer for both teams
– Set an example of sportsmanship with refs and other parents
– Avoid being over protected
– Avoid being win focused
After the game:
– Detach from results
– Supportive
– Avoid creating a “fearful ride home” by analysis the game, players, coaching, refs, or result. Don’t initiate a post-game talk. Players will initiate if they are interested.
– Good sportsmanship
– Good food and hydration
– “I love you”
Reference: T.C. North, Phd (303) 665-8920 (Specializes in confidence and mental toughness coaching for athletes and their parents, high-performance coaching for motivated individuals)
Practices
ALL PRACTICES FOR ALL TEAMS ARE MANDATORY. ALL BHS SOCCER PLAYERS ARE EXPECTED TO HAVE 100% PRACTICE ATTENDANCE RECORDS. THIS INCLUDES THE FRESHMEN.
Most common unexcused reasons for missing practice:
• Dentist appointments (Best to schedule these in the summer or winter)
• My sister/brother is in town from college and my parents want to have an early family dinner (All the players and coaches make sacrifices and miss family time to be a part of the BHS soccer program).
• I have to work. (Not during soccer practice)
• My old coach let me just show up for games. (Clearly they had low expectations)
• Academics are very important in our family, my son needs to study today. (Academics are very important to the coaches too. Please study before or after practice. If you need assistance finding a tutor, feel free to contact the Coach Kalisher for a recommendation.)
• But it was a holiday. (No holidays for the players or coaches until after the season.)
Examples of consequences of missing practices, team meetings , events and games:
• “Old School” Methods – The whole team does extra running and conditioning
• Suspension from game participation
• Movement to a lower level team
• Suspension from the program
All student-athletes are responsible for knowing the practice and game schedule. There are last minute game changes during the season. These are posted “I DIDN’T KNOW” is not an acceptable excuse.
Players must bring soccer shoes, running shoes, appropriate training attire and shin guards to all practices. BHS soccer training attire is required for practice when distributed to the players.
As with all high school student-athletes, BHS soccer players will need to manage their time appropriately. We will train on holidays including Labor Day. Players who miss practice during holidays may face discipline action (see above).
The coaches reserve the right to make changes to the practice schedule during the season — including such as adding practice before school in the morning or night practices.
Communication with coaches
The soccer coaches enthusiastically supports the philosophy of positive relationship building. Healthy and appropriate communication with coaches is key to a successful and positive experience for each student-athlete. Rarely does a student-athlete suddenly begin to communicate with the coaches (or other adults) in their senior year. In our age of text messages and emails, verbal communication has become a real problem for our student-athletes on and off the field. This can effect team chemistry, quality of play and the ability to communicate intelligently and clearly with teammates and coaches. Let’s work together to help the student-athletes in the BHS soccer program to be confident and empowered communicators.
All the coaches encourage the student-athletes to communicate directly with the coaches regarding schedule and soccer related issues. Learning to effectively communicate directly with their coaches is one of the more important “life lesson” a student-athlete can learn from participation in high school sports. As a high school student you son should be confident and capable of communicating with their coaches. It might be easy for the parent to simply email the coach about a schedule issue but in reality they are doing a disservice to their son. Again, please empower your son to speak with the coaches.
There are important times parents are encourage to talk to coaches directly. For example regarding academic, health, safety and social concerns that players may hide from the coaches. Parents are also encouraged to discuss with the coaches how they can support the soccer program and athletics at BHS. Parents often have questions about what they can do to help support their sons interest in playing soccer in college. Please consider the Coach Kalisher an experience resource regarding college soccer recruiting.
Parents should encourage their son to speak directly to the coaches in regards to soccer specific issues such as playing time, tryout results, pre-tryout evaluations, positioning, roles on the team, development, tactics, practices and games. Coach Kalisher is available to meet with any player in the program regarding their aspirations in the socccer program, how they may achieve their goals and for specific evaluation.
Exams and homework
Student-athletes must schedule their study and homework times around practice and game schedules. Players are not excused from participation to study for exams and do homework unless they are on academic probation. Student-athletes must maintain the required academic standards to participate in high school sports. Learning to schedule study time around practice and game time is an important life skill to learn.
Two A Day Practices
Two a days push the players physically and mentally out of their comfort zones. It is important that the players are well fed, hydrated and rested during these training days. Each players must bring soccer shoes, running shoes, shin guards, and a water bottle to every training session. Two a day practices may be added as needed during the season.
Team Events
Team event participation during the season is mandatory and treated like practice attendance. The coaches may organize “soccer program” events out of season such as our annual spring college soccer day at the University of Denver, or community service days. Participation in these out of season events are optional but contribute to the success of the program and quality of experience for all soccer players in the program.
Athletic Trainer
BHS provides a certified trainer. All injured players must be seen by the BHS certified trainer or bring a note from a doctor to be “excused” from training. Injured players are expected to attend practices and games and act as assistants to the coaches and program as needed.
Team Gear Packages:
Each player will be required to purchase a BHS Team Gear Package (i.e. training shirts, game socks, etc.). An order form will be handed out during the first week.
The BHS Boy’s Soccer Program needs the active support and participation of it’s parents and families to achieve its goals. Contact Coach Hardy Kalisher after team selections to offer your help. Your support is appreciated.
Where can you help?
• Video “VERY IMPORTANT”
Shoot video of Varsity games for team tactics, college scouts and end of season highlights. Volunteer needs to provide a digital video camera and make a post game DVD of the game.
• Game Photographers:
Shoot in game action pictures of team and players for post season awards night.
• Panther Club Representative
• Team Parent for each team.
Organize communication with other parents, ‘game day’ snacks for players, assist with postseason awards program
• Game Management Crew
(1 crew for Varsity and 1 crew for JV)
Assist with the set up and break down of goals, corner flags, team benches.
• PA Announcer for Varsity Games
• End of the Season Awards Night
We need a few parents to help organize the preseason dinner for all BHS soccer players, coaches and families.
Thank you.
Coach Hardy Kalisher
BHS Head Coach, Boys Soccer
Phone: (303) 250-8343
Email: coachhardy@gmail.com