Girls in Sports, a group of words some may not realize can mean more than just their daughter participating in a physical activity. Girls in Sports has many benefits, no matter what age you are. To give you a little background, I have been around sports my whole life, from watching older brothers’ play every sport imaginable in the Midwest to myself playing from 6 to 23 years old. I started in local parks and recreation and ended up at the collegiate level. Sports are different both
Oct 9 2019Being a coach certainly has its challenges. It can be tough to keep a dozen 5 year olds engaged and get them to focus on kicking the soccer ball. However, with those challenges comes a multitude of benefits, joys, and perks. Here are four benefits of volunteering as a youth sports coach.Giving Back Think back to your playing days. You didn’t just run around aimlessly, right? Of course not, you had a coach! That coach was there to keep you on task and, more than you may realize, corral you
Sep 25 2019This is an excerpt about the YMCA from the U.S Department of Health and Human Services report entitled The National Youth Sports Strategy that was released in September 2019. The report, a roadmap to increase youth sports participation, features the YMCA as one of the country’s “Bright Spots.” Our own District Vice President Matt Thompson is quoted. BRIGHT SPOTThe YMCA: Engaging Youth Across the NationAs the largest provider of youth sports programs in the United States, the YMCA uses its
Sep 23 2019The article below, which quotes the Gateway Region YMCA’s Matt Thompson, was published in sheknows by Marshall Bright on August 15, 2019.Back-to-school season is also back-to-sports season. While there are summer leagues, many sports time their season to the school calendar. By entering a new grade, many kids may also qualify for a local league or sports team. But before you sign on the dotted line for another season of soccer or basketball, there’s one thing you should do first: Make
Sep 12 2019Summer break is almost over and school is about ready to start. That means kids are already starting to get prepared for fall sports with summer camps and conditioning. The most important step in being prepared for the upcoming season is having the PRE-PARTICIPATION EVALUATION/PHYSICAL (PPE) completed. This is the first step in safe athletic participation. All schools require a physician's certificate stating that the individual is physically able to participate in their chosen activity or
Aug 17 2018Children who play sports in hot weather can be at risk for heat illnesses. There are several types of heat illnesses that range in severity, from heat cramps and heat exhaustion to heat stroke. The good news is heat-related illnesses can be prevented and successfully treated. Children sweat less than adults, making it harder to cool off. Athletes need to get used to the heat and humidity gradually. Coaches and parents need to be aware of temperature and humidity levels. Practice length,
Jun 27 20188 Ways to be a Good Sport Parent A lot has been said about bad sports parents. So what makes a good sports parent, one who helps their child by giving them the best overall sports experience? Here are some tips: Support the coach. The coach’s decisions and ways of conducting practices and games are intended to benefit the kids and the team and your support goes a long way. Criticizing or arguing with your coach does not produce good results. Remember to treat your coach as your ally
Jun 1 2018“Basketball doesn’t build character it reveals it.” James Naismith couldn’t have spoken truer words to this day. The sport of basketball was invented in 1891 at a YMCA in Springfield, Massachusetts by James Naismith. At the time, Naismith was a physical education teacher at the YMCA International Training School.The game of basketball grew so quickly that by 1939 basketball was played internationally at YMCAs, made an official Olympic Sport, and the NIT and NCAA tournaments were
Apr 11 2018As it begins to warm up, people around the country – especially in St. Louis – begin to think about baseball season. People get excited about watching baseball, playing baseball, and it all makes perfect sense – it’s America’s pastime! At Cardinal Glennon SportsCare, one of our main focuses in the spring is to keep our baseball players safe.Baseball is a relatively safe sport, so injuries stemming from baseball are usually chronic, overuse injuries. Repetitive stress on
Apr 10 2018These days, we have cameras in our hands nearly all the time. Taking great photos has become a national obsession. If these photos are of the people that matter most to you and they look like they came straight out of a sports magazine, even better! But how do you get those great shots of your kids in action? Here are a few helpful hints to improve your photo game: 1. Get close! This isn’t always easy during a game unless you have a powerful lens on your camera. However, you can always
Mar 27 2018Here are five of the YMCA’s favorite flag football drills. Do them in your backyard or in a park and improve your skills! 1. Routes At home or in a park, flag football players can practice running different routes on their own. Simple routes such as 5-yard curls, out routes and deep routes are good ones to practice. A 5-yard curl route consists of the player running in a straight line and then turning around to catch the ball. In an out route, the player runs about 5 yards in a
Mar 27 2018Boost your game of volleyball! Here are a few drills to help you or your child who plays volleyball get prepared for the volleyball season! Passing DrillsPassing to YourselfWith this drill, you want to plant your feet and lower your legs like you would be ready to receive a pass from the opposing team. Throw the ball up in the air and pass to yourself while moving back and forth along with side to side. This drill will help you improve your passing along with your footwork as
Mar 27 2018Formal practices are the best way to learn the fundamentals of the game of basketball, but learning things on their own can help a child translate them into practices and games. The key to practicing basketball at home is to focus on drills that enhance or develop endurance, ball handling and shooting ability. Mental drills could be just as useful as the act of doing them. Proper technique is important. Simply go outside, grab a basketball and get started! Cone DribblingThis is a
Mar 27 2018Practice Makes Perfect: Soccer Training for Kids Here are some of our favorite-at home drills to get your child ready for soccer. DribblingThis is a great way to teach kids to focus on controlling the ball while moving. Set up cones in a line or zigzag pattern. Have your child start at one end and kick the ball through the cones to the other end. Have he/she focus on keeping the ball close to them while moving through the cones. Once the player becomes more advanced, he/she can
Mar 27 2018The very first game of basketball was played on December 21, 1891 in Springfield, Massachusetts. The creator was James Naismith, a 30-year-old physical education faculty member at the YMCA International Training School (later to be named Springfield College.) He was tasked with creating a game that could focus young men and be played indoors in the winter. And he was given two weeks to do so. Naismith knew he wanted the game to be interesting to keep the attention of players and yet easy
Mar 27 2018As your child looks forward to getting out on the ball field this summer, you may be wondering how you can help them prepare. Here are some of our favorite at-home sports drills that can be done with minimal equipment. Practice and repetition will make your child a better player, and your involvement will make your family stronger. Let’s play ball! CatchWhile it seems overly simple, playing catch with your child is one of the simplest and most effective ways to develop skills at home.
Mar 27 2018Looking for a perfect gift for your child, one that they’ll love to receive and that will encourage them to be active? How about a ball for their favorite sport, or a new sport they will try next year? While many organizations like the YMCA provide balls in their youth sports programs, kids love to have their own ball that they can bring to practices and use when practicing at home. If you’re shopping for youth sports equipment, here are YMCA guidelines that you may find
Mar 27 2018It's back-to-school time! As we all know, fall sports are in full swing by now and adding school into the mix is hard, whether your athletes are in high school or grade school. It will take about three weeks for your athletes to adjust to going to school all day and then going to practice/games at least a few times a week. Those first few weeks will be tough, but the kids will adapt. As a parent, you can help by: 1. Make sure your athlete goes to bed at a reasonable time.
Mar 27 2018