| Having a successful athletic
program requires an environment that supports, nurtures,
recognizes and rewards personal growth. Coaches, players
and parents must work together to achieve a series of common
goals. The foundation of these goals must be shared values
and principles based on integrity, respect and regard for
individual well being. While it’s true that athletics
can teach important lessons that add to the quality of
life for all involved, it’s
also true that this response is not automatic and does
not happen unless every one involved in the program works
together to create it.
 In
high school and clubs, student athletes often encounter
the following:
- Personal pressure — the need
to excel
- Outside Pressure
from parents, coaches and peers
- Schedule Intensity — overload
and too much to do
- Schedule Imbalance — lack
of sleep and having an unstable mix of rest and relaxation,
work and play
- Lack of Support — not
filling the need for various types of guidance and
counseling.
In college, student athletes often encounter the challenge
of accepting a new environment, a new level of competition
and all of the responsibility that goes with living the
college life.
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Student athletes should be taught the principles
of Total Person Education which include mental toughness,
emotional awareness, physical focus and spiritual resolve.
These character traits allow the individual to set
goals, work hard, and focus on the portion of the performance
that can be controlled... When the focus is created,
it enables the person to understand and embrace the
results which then creates the ability to identify
the risks, handle the pressure, and focus on the intrinsic
value of the individual experience. In other words,
the student will learn to be inner-directed: to be
fully present for all of the experiences, to embrace
the inherent challenges while having fun, and to get
value from the efforts both as an athlete and in other
aspects of life.
I understand the issues, and I can help your coaches, teams and athletes to
be more competitive, to play together, to avoid distractions and have more
fun. I can also help all of those involved to be clear about what they
want to achieve, aware of what they need to do to accomplish this and committed
to producing these results. I offer performance evaluations, presentations,
team bonding exercises and a comprehensive plan for improved performance. |
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