Monday, March 25, 2013
Wrestling inspiration...
BALL doesn't (yet) have a wresting module. We do, however, have a passion for all sports-related inspirational stories. HERE is one that Wooden would have loved...
"Don't let what you can't do, dictate what you CAN do."
- John Wooden
Thursday, February 21, 2013
Multiple or Single Sports and Athletic Scholarships
About this time of year, the subject of "single sport vs. multiple sport" seems to come up every year with parents and kids I teach through BALL or various sports leagues. In essentially all cases, I am in favor of youth experiencing multiple sport, multiple interest development. Let the kids have fun! Don't promote the idea that their self worth is defined by how good they are at a particular sport. If you talk to other college coaches and professional scouts, they will essentially tell you the same thing (like this guy does here...Franco ROCKS).
Here's an idea: instead of playing one sport all year 'round, take 4 months of travel ball expenses and teach the kid how to study the 3 R's and develop emotional intelligence though experiencing multiple sports and multiple interests rather than learning the nuance of throwing a superior curve ball. In almost all cases, the good grades will get Little Johnny/Jolene a better scholarship than sports ever will. An example? At our university, a freshman student with a 3.5 GPA can get a $15,000 academic scholarship. That doesn't count any needs-based grants like the Cal grant or the Pell grant. And it will pay even bigger dividends once they are left to their own devices when they go away to college.
This point of view is often met with chagrin by many folks who have young kids that have a demonstrated talent in a certain sport (baseball, softball, basketball, water polo, etc.). Invariably, the parent brings up that the reason to play the sport year-round comes down to getting a scholarship. I cringe at this logic. They've spent thousands of dollars following the advice of private coaches and "select" or "travel" or "club" coaches, sometimes since the kids were 7 or 8 years old. Added up, that amount can be as much as $50,000 or more. That's a lot of private education or tutoring.
I've learned to try to respond tactfully about this topic, because it's a sensitive subject. I truly believe that the parent believes that he/she has the best interest of the kid in mind. But in all honesty, in 49 out of 50 cases, there needs to be a stronger message sent: many who advise parents about this topic have a vested financial interest in keeping the kid locked into a year-round sport. And many parents have been conditioned to trust someone they pay versus someone who is on the "outside" for that very reason. And in the mean time, the kid gets inflated expectations, and often burns out of the sport before graduation.
In addition, multiple sports/interests teaches valuable life skills that a single sport mentality cannot. We, as coaches and scouts, ultimately value that more highly than sports proficiency. If given the choice between two kids that perform equally-well, coaches generally choose the kid who has the most upside potential. All other things equal, that usually means that we go with the kid with more raw talent but less polished skills. In other words, multiple-sport, multiple interest students.
Now, please understand...I'm no big shot in my sport. But I am a college baseball coach at a school that offers several athletic scholarships in many different sports, not just baseball. The college is not unlike hundreds of others nationwide. We all recruit and sell our schools and talk with scouts about our kids and...well, generally dedicate ourselves to the sport and the program. And by-and-large, the opinions are the same: multiple sport athletes are preferred.
But your kid has another level of competition that you probably haven't considered.,.because it's not as obvious. The competition? Your kid, but three or four years older.
Here's the flow of logic:
1) Academic and fine arts scholarships are much more lucrative and plentiful than athletic scholarships.
2) Freshmen get better academic scholarships than JuCo transfers.
3) JuCo athletes get MUCH better scholarship opportunities than high school seniors.
Why?
First, consider the university's coach. Ultimately, the coach's goal is to put the best team on the field that also meets the school's stated mission (each school has a different take on this). And that comes down to recruiting athletes that can help the team perform now, not two years from now. Attracting these impact players takes scholarship money. Most top notch high school kids, while dominant at their level, cannot compete against top notch 21 and 22 year old athletes with 4 or 5 more years of experience and the same raw talent. There is simply a world of difference in physical strength and speed. And for scholarship purposes, there is a difference between making the college team and being one of the top players on the college team.
Added to this is the level of competition. While travel teams may have a slew of really good high school players on it, that team couldn't hold a candle to an average college team. So the athletes are unproven at the level of competition at which they will play in the next year. This makes a high school senior a risky athletic scholarship proposition...especially when there is a viable option (at a higher level) in the JuCo circuit. Since scholarship money is finite, JuCo transfers are generally more highly sought after.
The bottom line? Let your kids be kids. Let them play multiple sports. And if you're going to make them do anything, make them hit the books.
Here's an idea: instead of playing one sport all year 'round, take 4 months of travel ball expenses and teach the kid how to study the 3 R's and develop emotional intelligence though experiencing multiple sports and multiple interests rather than learning the nuance of throwing a superior curve ball. In almost all cases, the good grades will get Little Johnny/Jolene a better scholarship than sports ever will. An example? At our university, a freshman student with a 3.5 GPA can get a $15,000 academic scholarship. That doesn't count any needs-based grants like the Cal grant or the Pell grant. And it will pay even bigger dividends once they are left to their own devices when they go away to college.
This point of view is often met with chagrin by many folks who have young kids that have a demonstrated talent in a certain sport (baseball, softball, basketball, water polo, etc.). Invariably, the parent brings up that the reason to play the sport year-round comes down to getting a scholarship. I cringe at this logic. They've spent thousands of dollars following the advice of private coaches and "select" or "travel" or "club" coaches, sometimes since the kids were 7 or 8 years old. Added up, that amount can be as much as $50,000 or more. That's a lot of private education or tutoring.
I've learned to try to respond tactfully about this topic, because it's a sensitive subject. I truly believe that the parent believes that he/she has the best interest of the kid in mind. But in all honesty, in 49 out of 50 cases, there needs to be a stronger message sent: many who advise parents about this topic have a vested financial interest in keeping the kid locked into a year-round sport. And many parents have been conditioned to trust someone they pay versus someone who is on the "outside" for that very reason. And in the mean time, the kid gets inflated expectations, and often burns out of the sport before graduation.
In addition, multiple sports/interests teaches valuable life skills that a single sport mentality cannot. We, as coaches and scouts, ultimately value that more highly than sports proficiency. If given the choice between two kids that perform equally-well, coaches generally choose the kid who has the most upside potential. All other things equal, that usually means that we go with the kid with more raw talent but less polished skills. In other words, multiple-sport, multiple interest students.
Now, please understand...I'm no big shot in my sport. But I am a college baseball coach at a school that offers several athletic scholarships in many different sports, not just baseball. The college is not unlike hundreds of others nationwide. We all recruit and sell our schools and talk with scouts about our kids and...well, generally dedicate ourselves to the sport and the program. And by-and-large, the opinions are the same: multiple sport athletes are preferred.
But your kid has another level of competition that you probably haven't considered.,.because it's not as obvious. The competition? Your kid, but three or four years older.
Here's the flow of logic:
1) Academic and fine arts scholarships are much more lucrative and plentiful than athletic scholarships.
2) Freshmen get better academic scholarships than JuCo transfers.
3) JuCo athletes get MUCH better scholarship opportunities than high school seniors.
Why?
First, consider the university's coach. Ultimately, the coach's goal is to put the best team on the field that also meets the school's stated mission (each school has a different take on this). And that comes down to recruiting athletes that can help the team perform now, not two years from now. Attracting these impact players takes scholarship money. Most top notch high school kids, while dominant at their level, cannot compete against top notch 21 and 22 year old athletes with 4 or 5 more years of experience and the same raw talent. There is simply a world of difference in physical strength and speed. And for scholarship purposes, there is a difference between making the college team and being one of the top players on the college team.
Added to this is the level of competition. While travel teams may have a slew of really good high school players on it, that team couldn't hold a candle to an average college team. So the athletes are unproven at the level of competition at which they will play in the next year. This makes a high school senior a risky athletic scholarship proposition...especially when there is a viable option (at a higher level) in the JuCo circuit. Since scholarship money is finite, JuCo transfers are generally more highly sought after.
The bottom line? Let your kids be kids. Let them play multiple sports. And if you're going to make them do anything, make them hit the books.
Thursday, January 31, 2013
Robinson and Ryan...
Happy Birthday to two of Ball's greatest role models (for completely different reasons): Jackie Robinson and Nolan Ryan!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ILIA20AqA5I
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tygDNh79CC4
Tuesday, January 15, 2013
On POISE...
"When Poise is present, you'll perform at your own personal best because Poise precludes panic. You'll understand what you're supposed to do, and do it even when the odds are against you, even when the experts say you'll fail." - Coach Wooden
Sunday, December 23, 2012
Cressey STILL rocks...
John Wooden knew that one of the keys to success was the physical component of each sport. Part of that is knowing what to do during the off season.
Segue to Cressey Performance in Massachusetts, one of the nation's premier elite training facilities....
Followers of BALL know that we're huge Eric Cressey fans. We use his advice and guidance for several BALL lessons. MLB recently did an article on off-season training in which Eric was heavily quoted. The article is here.
It's worth the read...
Segue to Cressey Performance in Massachusetts, one of the nation's premier elite training facilities....
Followers of BALL know that we're huge Eric Cressey fans. We use his advice and guidance for several BALL lessons. MLB recently did an article on off-season training in which Eric was heavily quoted. The article is here.
It's worth the read...
Wednesday, December 19, 2012
Friday, December 7, 2012
Jesse is an Eagle Scout...
I was humbled to ask to speak on behalf of a former high school athlete of mine for his Eagle Scout induction. If you don't know what that is, it's kind of like speaking for someone as they're inducted into a Hall of Fame.
In preparation for the talk, I re-researched the Scouts and what they teach young men. I never quite bridged the gap prior to tonight, but what struck me most was how similar Wooden's Pyramid and maxims are to the Boy Scout motto, creed, etc.
It turns out that BALL had very little effect on this young man. It simply reinforced the solid parenting and positive modeling that his scout leaders had been feeding him since he was 7 years old.
How cool is that?
In preparation for the talk, I re-researched the Scouts and what they teach young men. I never quite bridged the gap prior to tonight, but what struck me most was how similar Wooden's Pyramid and maxims are to the Boy Scout motto, creed, etc.
It turns out that BALL had very little effect on this young man. It simply reinforced the solid parenting and positive modeling that his scout leaders had been feeding him since he was 7 years old.
How cool is that?
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