NHL Commissioner Pleased with Increased Hitting in the Playoffs

Submitted by Hal Tearse on Sat, 04/21/2012 - 21:40. | comments

The Stanley Cup playoffs bring out the best and worst in professional hockey. The quest for the Cup and the bragging rights that go along with it intensify the game and bring it to a higher level each year after the regular season. There have been some really exciting games and, as a fan, former player and coach of the game, it is a thrill to watch, most of the time.

But I also wonder why we have to wait until the conclusion of an 80-game season before we get to see the good stuff? I think something is wrong here.

And then there is the bad stuff, and plenty of it.

The Stanley Cup playoffs bring out the best and worst in professional hockey.

Emily Cohen

Do Players On High School Varsity Deserve At Least Some Playing Time?

Submitted by Emily Cohen on Sat, 04/21/2012 - 01:36. | comments

I'm writing this blog under the protestations of my 15-year-old son. He would prefer that I don't write this at all, or that I write it anonymously, so that he doesn't suffer the playing-time repercussions from his coach, but it can't get any worse than it is. And, frankly, I will be completely quiet if someone - anyone - can explain to me the benefits - to the coaching staff, the team record, AND the kids - of having an entire group of players (say, 5 or 6) ride the bench the entire season and see no playing time.

Is it okay for bench-warmers on a high school varsity baseball team to get no playing time whatsoever, even when their team is way ahead? One sports mom is looking for answers.

Five Ways To Support Your Child In Sports

Based upon her experiences as a daughter and mother, a sports psychologist offers five tips for parents to avoid getting caught playing the expectation game in youth sports and to support their kids in positive, constructive ways.

National Youth Sports Safety Month

Dan Newman (Athletic Trainer): His Favorite Calls From Athletes Are About Nothing

Submitted by National Youth Sports Safety Month on Sun, 04/15/2012 - 18:50. | comments

In recognition of April as National Youth Sports Safety Month, MomsTeam asked 30 experts in 2012 to write a blog answering two questions: first, how or why did they get into their field, and second, how have they made a difference in the life of a youth athlete in the past year.

Today, we hear again from Dan Newman, head athletic trainer at Union High School in Tulsa, Oklahoma.

By Dan Newman, MS, ATC, LAT

An athletic trainer says his favorite calls or texts from an athlete who he helped recover from post-concussion syndrome are not about his injury, but about nothing.

Teens More Vulnerable To Lingering Effects Of Concussion On Short-Term Memory

Teenage athletes are more vulnerable to the lingering effect of concussion on short-term memory than younger athletes and adults, a new Canadian study finds. While all concussions need to be taken seriously, the study suggests that they should be managed differently for different age groups.

Baseball Safety Equipment: More Than Just Helmets and Catcher's Gear

There's more to baseball and softball safety these days than batting helmets and catcher's gear. Here's a list of some other important safety equipment, some of which should be mandatory.

Melanie Johnson , M.A.

Controlling Your Inner Coach

Submitted by Melanie Johnson , M.A. on Wed, 03/14/2012 - 20:36. | comments

So now that baseball is in "full swing" I have mixed emotions as a parent. My younger two sons decided after a family meeting not to play as we agreed that football and basketball were enough for the year. We would do some one-on-one instruction to help the 11-year- old pitch better, and for my 8-year-old, just playing catch in the backyard would have to do.

A single mom realizes the need to control her inner coach when she finds herself caught in the age-old battle of the sexes with her son's baseball coach, feeling a need to compete with the coaches for no other reason than they are men and because she had a hard time resisting the thought that, in the back of their minds, they think she is clueless about how to teach her boys how to do the hard stuff like pitching and quarterbacking,

Spring Break: Fun Outdoor Adventures For Entire Family

Looking for ideas on how to keep your kids busy over spring break. Ask your kids to put away the hand-held electronics for a day, get some exercise, and have some fun on an outdoor adventure.

Emily Cohen

Development Academies: Elite or Elitist?

Submitted by Emily Cohen on Mon, 03/12/2012 - 13:17. | comments

The United States Soccer Federation's (USSF) recent mandate that ‘elite' soccer players who play for Development Academy teams will not be allowed to play for their high school soccer teams after this season simply frosts me. I've read volumes in the last few weeks, from Soccer America's initial news article and the seemingly unending comments from readers and the soccer experati to The New York Times piece this past Sunday by Sam Borden, that really brought "Soccer's New Way" into the collective consciousness across America.

The United States Soccer Federation's (USSF) recent mandate that elite soccer players who play for Development Academy teams will not be allowed to play for their high school soccer teams after this season is wrong and misleading.

Hal Tearse

Player Safety Summit Offers Ideas

Submitted by Hal Tearse on Fri, 03/09/2012 - 05:52. | comments

This morning at the St. Paul RiverCenter, the Herb Brooks Foundation assembled a panel of the leaders in the hockey community to discuss issues and solutions surrounding player safety in ice hockey at all levels. The purpose of the event was to raise awareness in the hockey community about the issues facing the game and to discuss possible solutions. Each of the 13 panelists introduced themselves and provided a brief history of their invovlement in the game.

Minnesota Governor, Mark Dayton, made the opening remarks and told about his experiences playing hockey as a youth, high school and Division 1 player at Yale College.

Player safety takes the spotlight at the Herb Brooks Foundation Safety Summit as part of the boys sate high school hockey tournament in St. Paul, Minnesota.

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