Interview Chat with Louisville University Cardinal baseball player Phil Wunderlich. Phil is a standout player and the #1 hitter for the Cardinals. His outstanding play helped Louisville make it to the Super Regional of the NCAA Division I Baseball Championships.

Where: The Athlete’s Sports Experience

When: Sunday July 12th at 6:30pm central time (7:30 eastern)

Come join Phil and I as we discuss his baseball experiences in youth and high school Baseball, as a Division I college player, his future aspirations, along with other important issues facing high level athletes today. It should be an enjoyable evening as you will get to join in on the conversation and interact with Phil during and at the end of our interview.

How often do young athletes, parents, and coaches get a chance to listen and interact with a top level athlete as they go through the ups and downs that elite college sports encompass? It should be a great night. Hope to see you there.

And stay tuned in to my blog to find out who and when the next athlete will be to appear on The Athlete’s Sports Experience.

The first half of this post’s title takes direct aim at something I have spent a good deal of time referencing in many of my articles pertaining to youth sports. What I would like to do here is step back from that environment for a moment, taking a look at this idea of process over outcome, and the loss thereof, as it relates to the “big picture” – our society as a whole. Before I go ahead with my rant on this topic, it might be a good idea to define these two terms as they pertain to the relationship I am about to draw between them and what I see as a shift in American ideals.

What I mean when I refer to the term “process” is the actual work and/or effort that one essentially puts into a task. It is demonstrated by a clear and organized path that takes into account what is to be done today, tomorrow, and in the future. One who focuses more on the process takes great care in clarifying for themselves how what they are doing today will build on what they want to do tomorrow. “Winning” today is not as important to one who prioritizes the process as is building toward consistent success down the road. It is more of a long-term approach that lends itself to continued gains and achievement through time rather than immediate gains in the here and now. Making sacrifices now for possible future successes later fits well with the idea of “process” type thinking.

Conversely, the outcome is the end result, the “reward” so to speak. It is the “gains” one has or gets after the work has been completed and/or choices have been made. It is characterized, at least in reference to what I am discussing here, as more of a short-term approach. Concentration and focus is weighted toward ways to achieve that outcome in the shortest and most efficient way possible – this is of utmost importance. “Winning” today is of high priority, even if it may negatively impact the future. The impact on this future that today’s decisions have 2, 5, 10, or 20 years down the road is looked at as something that can be dealt with later, when or if those impacts materialize. It is not of primary concern at this immediate juncture. Making sacrifices now that would limit current gains is not something indicative of outcome-type thinking, rather it centers on accomplishing short-term-type goals.

Now that we have those clarifications and definitions to work with, let’s take a look at how things have changed. Most of you reading this post are either 3rd, 4th, or maybe even 5th generation immigrants, meaning that you, as I (3rd generation), come from descendants who came to the United States to make a new life for themselves. Many did this with little or nothing but the clothes on their back, building their lives and supporting their families from the ground up. They were a hard working lot who focused on the “process” of putting in a full day’s work, and then some, building something from nothing. Their approach exemplified the definition I am using for the term “process” in this article. Sure they were concerned about future outcomes. It was (and is) impossible not to be – it is part of the equation, but their attitudes and work ethic were most certainly weighted toward the idea of process over outcome.

As we move forward through time to today, we see a gradual but definite shift from the focus just described to one where behavior and attitudes become more outcome-centered. Gaining immediate gratification or short-term access to success has become a top priority. Many are willing to seek out shortcuts toward what they want to “achieve” as concentration, focus, and effort move in the direction of the ends over the means, and all too often with little or no consideration of the risk or cost to oneself or to others.

In order to clarify and add credibility to the statements listed above, let me take a moment to list some fairly recent events supporting my conclusions:

a. Auto Manufacturers – whether they want to admit it or not, the American auto industry has placed themselves in a position of possible non-existence due in large part to their inability to see the “big picture.” While their counterparts focused on the longer term process of building high quality automobiles that gave owners better gas mileage and provided an in-road to a more solid future for themselves, our short-term outcome-based automakers concentrated their efforts on gas-guzzling SUV’s and luxury vehicles (something the short-term outcome-based American consumer helped support). In the end, it all boiled down to making money now over making consistent money over time. It is not to say that those types of vehicles should not have been offered, there was and is a limited need; however, it is difficult to argue with the idea that our countries automakers had their eyes on the immediate $$$$$ that could be made. At least much more so than on a “process” that would guarantee future success and longevity.

b. Enron Scandal – a situation where a company’s (and/or executives within that company) greed and focus on making money - the outcome, came before anything else. And at a big cost to many.

c. Other Big Business Scandals – if you Google “scandals in big business” the list that comes up is wide and varied. Most all causes eventually boil down to finding ways to circumvent the “process” in order to quickly get to an “outcome,” or $$$$$.

d. NCLB & Schools – as partially inferred in my last blog Things Your Kids Didn’t Learn in School and the Youth Sports Environment, our schools are heavily focused on the end result. Emphasis is moving away from counting efforts put forth for practice and homework – “process,” and being placed only on test scores, especially standardized test scores – “outcome.”

e. PED & Steroid Scandals – even though major league baseball is currently getting the brunt of publicity regarding their use, I can assure you that these illegal substances are used as a means to gain access to success for too many in professional, Olympic, and elite level sports. The outcome-based focus here – fame, fortune, glitzy lifestyles, winning at all costs, and (false) achievement.

f. U.S. Government – often times uses a “band aid” approach to addressing financial issues borrowing from Peter to pay Paul. How long can we actually borrow from funds saved for other means, and from other countries, to build roads, pay bills, or any number of other things, and not dig a hole so deep that we cannot ever recover. Making things better for the short term without truly considering the long-term risk is central to an outcome-weighted approach, at least as to how I have defined it here.

g. Youth Sports – the emphasis in youth sports today that places winning as the #1 priority and/or the scholarship as the reason for sports participation, both of which lend themselves toward the less rewarding aspects of an outcome-based foundation.

I am sure there are other aspects I am not aware of that many could add to this list; however, the items above help to prove my point inferred in the title of this blog. That we, as a society, may truly have forgotten an important foundational principle; one that was part of an internal strength that Americans and America had at its core.

So even though this blog, and my general focus, centers on youth sports and positively impacting its participants, this issue of placing more emphasis on outcomes rather than the process seems to be symptomatic of a bigger problem affecting our society as a whole.

From my vantage point, when our approach to gaining success and achieving goals becomes so heavily weighted toward the “end result,” or outcome, with little consideration for the consequences of that approach, or process used, then trouble usually follows. Looking at the list I provided certainly helps to justify that conclusion.

Whether in work, sports, or life in general, focusing in on the process with the understanding that the outcome is a byproduct of this process, gives advantages not easily seen from the outside. It is central to the intrinsic value one receives and pride one feels when true and real accomplishment is achieved, creating the type of success that lasts from generation to generation.

I was surprised and humbled by a phone call I received from a former professor, Dr. Hubie Dunn, at Northern Illinois University this past Thursday night. He had called to inform me of my selection by the Northern Star (the NIU official newspaper) as one of the Top 50 of All Time who have competed for the Huskies. I was in even more shock when he told me that I was chosen #8 on a list of athletes that included the #16th round pick in the 2009 NFL draft Larry English and former NFL player and Heisman trophy candidate LeShon Johnson. This is in addition to other current/former NFL players, basketball greats, and a slew of other well-deserving athletes from a variety of sports.

It was very unexpected and I would like to personally take a moment to thank the University, the Northern Star, and anyone else associated with the selection process. I am honored that all of you would consider me one among such a prestigious group of athletes. The opportunity that NIU gave me, not only as an athlete but as a student, was extraordinary as it holds a special place for me as one of the best experiences in my life. I will never forget my time at Northern and can only wish that every collegiate athlete has an experience as positive as the one I had there.

Thanks for the memories NIU!!!

And to all parents of young athletes who might read this post, make sure to keep everything in perspective. The process will always outweigh the outcome.

In my article, Specializing in Youth Sports, Good or Bad, I touched on the current increase in injuries to young competitors playing sports. Just the fact that the sheer number of young athletes participating has gone up over the last several decades, would automatically cause an upswing in the number of young sports enthusiasts having to seek medical attention. There is just an inherent physical risk in competitive sports that cannot be denied.

However, it does appear (even with the greater numbers participating) that the number of young athletes being injured, and the severity of those injuries, is quite large. If my memory serves me correct, I believe there were about 6 out of the 18 soccer players (or 1/3rd of the team) on my oldest daughter’s club soccer team (sophomores) that had torn their ACL. And 4 of those 6 eventually went on to tear the ACL of the opposite knee as well. These are some pretty serious injuries requiring major reconstructive surgery, something I never even heard of when I was competing in high school. I mean you did hear of the occasional male athlete blowing their knee in football, but that just did not seem to me to be as common as it is today. Even walking the halls in the high school where I teach I see more athletes on crutches, in casts, boots, and/or ace wraps (both male and female) than I can ever remember from my day. Sure you did see or hear about it at the professional levels of some sports, but that was expected.

The question then becomes, “Why?” I am sure there is more than one answer to this question. First (as I mentioned in the first paragraph), the large increase in numbers participating today compared to years past would suggest an increase in the number of injuries sustained. It is just a matter of percentages; more people equals more injuries.

Secondly, the continuous repetition of the same muscle groups doing the same thing all the time, especially when athletes specialize in one sport, can and does cause imbalances in muscle groups (around joints) if consideration is not given to proper training for this possibility. Now I do not want to give anybody the idea that specializing in one sport is a “bad” thing (my feelings on both sides of this issue are detailed in my 3 part article, Specializing in Youth Sports, Good or Bad), just that it is a factor needing to be considered when discussing the increase of youth sport injuries.

There is also research that demonstrates the increased risk to females, most notably at the knee, over males due to anatomical, neuromuscular, and biological differences. Years ago, before women engaged in the intense type training that you see today, how would anyone have known about this risk? Now both men and women are training, playing, and performing at maximal levels.

Another factor is the increased level of intense type training, in addition to the amount of time this type of training takes, that young athletes are putting in, in order to improve their abilities, has to be a consideration. Athletes are bigger, stronger, quicker, and faster (even the average athlete) than they ever were. This all amounts to more stress on body parts and thus, more risk of injury. This, in addition to the body not getting enough rest and/or time to recuperate, and not spending enough time keeping muscles flexible enough to move through wide ranges of motion, certainly seems to lend itself to increased risk of injury.

There are probably several other possibilities that I have not covered which may also be contributing factors in this issue. However, my purpose in this article is not to just list them all, but rather to give some food for thought as to why youth sport injuries are increasing, point you in the direction of some good articles that help support this (something I will do at the end), and give some alternative possibilities that may help in decreasing this risk.

Now the body is an amazing piece of machinery; able to heal, get stronger, and better if trained, fed, and treated properly (sleep, rest, etc.). That is why I strongly encourage any athlete to spend a good deal of time on proprioceptive (unconscious joint & limb awareness) training and preventive-type conditioning. The purpose of these types of exercises is to balance strength levels on all sides of a joint and help the body develop a more keen sense of internal subconscious awareness regarding limb and joint movement. This, coupled with functional sports specific type training, flexibility work, proper rest and diet, can and does help to decrease the risk of sustaining athletic injuries. At least that is what any level of logic would tell us. So, with some effort, thought, and research on your part, or the coach’s/trainer’s part, an athlete can increase strength and flexibility, and prevent injury all at the same time. It is worth the effort.

I will attempt to expand on the issue of injury prevention, as described above, and supply references to articles that will help in giving more specific information on decreasing the risk of injury to young athletes in my next article. In this way the athlete will be able to take more control over what happens to them, always a good thing, rather than giving up this control to chance.

I have identified several articles that detail what their authors believe to be underlying causes behind this increase of youth sport injuries. They not only give solid reasoning behind the “why” this is occurring, but also indicate that the severity of injuries has gone up, supporting much of what I have discussed in this article. These articles include:

The growing pains of childhood sports injuries by staff writer Erin Allday of the San Francisco Chronicle,

More Kids Are Suffering Sports Injuries by Serena Gordon of the HealthDay Reporter, U.S. Department of Health & Human Resources,

Minimizing the Risks of Organized Youth Sports from the Health Link at the Medical College of Wisconsin,

ACL Injuries In Female Athletes by Dr. Steven Horwitz from experts on the MomsTeam website,

Increase in adult-type injuries among children and adolescents by Dr. Dieter Lindskog pediatric orthopedist at Yale-New Haven Hospital and assistant professor of orthopedics at the Yale University School of Medicine,

All of these articles, in some manner, support the idea of a current trend in increased youth sports injuries, and that it really is a concern needing to be addressed. Some even suggest possible avenues for prevention. I recommend their reading and hope they shed more light on a very important topic involving youth and their sports participation.

Kirk Mango
Becoming a True Champion

In Part I of 40+ High School Athletes Suspended: What’s Changed? I discussed the situation from which the title of this blog was created and referenced an earlier time to show some comparison. In this installment, I would like to actually answer the question posed in the subtitle, What’s Changed?

From my vantage point, the changes I see are more subtle in nature and less visible to those not working directly with kids; yet, in my opinion, they are certainly significant and impactful. Most would fall under the category of shifting parental attitudes. Kids, whether athletes or not, are kids and it is normal for them to try and exercise their independence by pushing limits. However, parental attitudes about those limits, along with other viewpoints, have certainly shifted or moved. And, as an educator, I have seen this movement continue as each decade passes.

I don’t know about you, but when I was in high school parents were not their kid’s best friend. Don’t get me wrong, I was lucky enough to have a great relationship with my own parents and I could talk with them about anything, and/or get honest sound advice when I needed it; however, I, as did most of my friends, had boundaries and limits. We had curfews, expectations, and rules, and if we stepped over the line, something happened. We did not anticipate or expect our parents to appeal an athletic code violation – let alone take it to court to circumvent a suspension and get us back on the playing field. Parents did not automatically take their son’s or daughter’s side when they did something wrong or protect them from the cost of their own choices. If we got into trouble, we were much more concerned about the consequences we were about to experience at home than the ones given out by the school.

It was uncommon in my day to see attitudes indicating that it was never the kid’s fault or that the rules didn’t apply. The rules did apply to us and, most times, it was our fault.

Parents did not call teachers to take a look at the final exam their son or daughter failed; leaving the initial impression that there must be something wrong with the test not with what their kid either did or did not do. It was rare that students, and student athletes, in my day were given money, cars, spring break vacations, and other expensive items just because we turned 16. If the possibility of getting things like this existed, most of us would have had to earn them somehow. If my memory serves me correct, very few things were just given out free, at least not in the world I lived in.

Personally, I remember one winter in junior high school (just before spring) after saving money and coming up one dollar short of purchasing a new baseball glove I wanted. I asked my father if he could help me out with that last dollar and he said “sure, go shovel the walk and I will give you that dollar.”

Life lessons were taught through the experiences we had as kids and parents were far less likely to get in the way of that learning. The sense of entitlement so many young people seem to exhibit today was just not as prevalent or pervasive in my years growing up. But I digress. Bringing the conversation back to the shift in parental attitudes, more specifically their viewpoint and behavior regarding school athletic codes, there is most assuredly a cause and effect taking place. In light of the shift in parenting attitudes, as detailed above, one can see how a situation brought about through an athletic code violation might be viewed differently by parents today.

I have been mystified by conversations with my own kids, and with other parents, which reveal the large number of parents who do not read the athletic code before signing it, do not require their son or daughter to read it and understand it, or who look the other way when violations occur, let alone create an understanding between them and their offspring that signing this code binds them to the rules within that code. That it is a contract of a code of conduct they sign between them and the school and if they do not agree with what is in the code, plan to abide by it, or use it as a means to make good, sound, healthy choices, then they should not be an athlete. And finally, that if they do sign the code making the choice to become an athlete, and then turn around and choose to violate that code, then they will be held accountable (even expected to hold themselves accountable) for the choice they made.

I am sorry to say that I believe, today, many parents and athletes just sign the code because they have to, not giving it a second thought. It is just a piece of paper they must sign and turn in with their physical, a requirement of the process that they are obligated only to do in order for them to play. How sad that is.