Future Stars Camps Blog – Sports, Kids, Camp!

Pitchers create a whirlwind of guessing games as to what pitch will be thrown to get the poorest reaction from the batter.  As a batter, it is important to quickly recognize the type of pitch that is coming at you.  When a ball is flying at you at 60-90 mph that is not easy.  As with anything, practice practice practice is the best thing to help you to recognize and react to the pitch.  CoachUp Nation has some great tips for the hitter to recognize what the pitcher is sending at them.

The expenses for youth athletic sports add up quickly; between fees, equipment, and private lessons, then add in miscellaneous expenses like food, gas and sometimes lodging.

Sports Feel Good Stories shares 15 tips on how parents and coaches can motivate their athletes.  Keeping in mind that motivating anyone including yourself is a life-long process, and that there isn't one magical pill that will work for everyone.

Your softball bat should not just be purchased on a whim.  Your bat needs to bring out the best of your abilities, and that is what should seal the deal.  You need to assess bat length and weight, and balance; then add to the equation, your own strength, your personal preference and the mechanics of your hitting.

Every parent's worst nightmare is seeing or hearing that their child has been injured at a sporting event.  After dealing with the actual injury trauma and treatment, and rehabilitation; then comes the return back to the sport, if your child is so inclined.  This return to sports is a transition for your child, you as parents, the coach, as well as, the team.

It is extremely difficult as a parent to see your children fail at something that they love and have worked hard at. However, it is really important to build up your children's ability to bounce back from situations that do not meet their expectations.  Resilience is defined as the ability to recover readily - it's vital for your child's ability to progress in sports or in other arenas to be able to build their ability to recover, assess their missteps and move on with a new strategy.  As parents, it's helpful to know what to say, what to do and how to do it.

Kirsten Edmonds recalls, "“I was lucky that I was taught by the coaches that I played for growing up and by my mentors that it’s not the mistake – it’s the reaction after the mistake that makes the difference,” says Edmonds, a star midfielder for the Orlando Pride of the National Women’s Soccer League.

Playing a sport, schoolwork, and then a job are often times too difficult to juggle. But we all know that being well-rounded is an important goal.  So how can you squeeze in one more important thing that you should be doing.  Angela Huckles, two-time US Soccer Olympic Gold Medalist shares 7 great ideas on how to weave work experience into your super busy athlete life:

Most kids and that includes youth athletes, at a certain age act like they don't want their parents around them.  But truth be told, many of them really appreciate and need your presence at game time rooting them on.  Janis B. Meredith of team SNAP shares 15 Intangible Ways to Show Support for Your Athlete.  Let's start off with 5:

Parents teach and shape their children, playing sports provides opportunities to do both.  Janis Meredith, sports parenting blogger and life coach, shares on USA Football's blog, Teaching and shaping children: two keys to successful parenting.  Teaching is an important component of parenting, sports playing offers all kind of opportunities to teach skills and bond with your child in the sports arena.