Wayne Goldsmith’s Post

Rediscovering the Joy of Sports: Supporting Your Child's Athletic Journey Dear Parents, Do you remember why you started playing sports as a child? It was for FUN! We all began our sports journeys with joy and excitement, eventually branching off in different directions. Now that you have children, are you letting them forge their own paths, or are you guiding them based on your dreams or today’s trends, like playing travel sports? This holiday week, take a step back and ask yourself these questions. At the same time, ensure the athlete in your life has the opportunity to step back, decompress, and reflect. It's crucial to remember why they are playing; only they can answer that question, not you. Regardless of their decision, be there to support them, even if they choose to change directions. As Derek Jeter wisely said, “You’re playing a game, whether it’s Little League or Game 7 of the World Series. It’s impossible to do well unless you’re having a good time. People talk about pressure. Yeah, there’s pressure. But I just look at it as fun."   #collegesports #sportsdevelopment #athletesupport #parentalsupport 

Support Your Child’s Passion in Sports As parents, the words we use with our children before and after their sports activities can have a profound impact on their enjoyment and self-esteem. Psychological research shows that simple, positive statements are incredibly powerful. Before they play, encourage them with: - Have fun. - Play hard. - I love you. After the game, reinforce the positive experience: - Did you have fun? - I’m proud of you. - I love you. Remember, it's their game, not ours. Our role is to support and encourage, not to relive our own aspirations. Ask them about the parts of the game they enjoyed, not just the score. This approach helps kids love the sport and grow with confidence. Let's nurture their love for the game by giving them our support and positivity to imitate. #golf #juniorgolf

#snsinstitutions  #snsdesignthinking #designthinkers Sports day Sports day emphasizes the importance of regular exercise and a healthy lifestyle and brings people together regardless of their background, language, or beliefs. Sports day teaches discipline to students. Sports days include track and field events, as well as other games and activities. Sports day promotes physical activity and encourages students to get involved in sports. Sport is a vigorous physical activity which involves physical exertion and skill, generally played by two teams against each other by following the set number of rules in order to win or defeat other team. A sport is a contest or game in which people do certain physical activities according to a specific set of rules and compete against each other.

I grow evermore condeming of Competitive Sport. We too often overvalue it to the detriment of our youth. Having raised two higher level athletes grassroots folks at our soccer club sometimes ask me for advice. Hindsight being a real liability sometimes I have realized I moved them each from recreational sport "upward" to Competitive levels seeking Better Sport. My girls each have a passion for motion and ease with physical literacy - agility balance, coordination and speed - they always have had. I actually think it's been the language of origin at our house. It stood out when they were wee so when they were old enough to start participating in organized sport they were often outliers. They soon became restless and even critical of teammates...and eventually recruited. Having been their first coach I participated in as much, and for as long as it worked for us, so I was available to temper their influences more than average. I safe guarded their mentorship for as long as possible giving each of their coaches copies of the 1990s Catch Them Being Good as we journied the perils of pre-LTAD youth sport. What struck me was always the amount of poaching over coaching in youth sport; it's disgusting really - but that's another story.... With both in their 20s now I can only say that we needed a pathway for elite level athletes more than we needed Competitive Sport. Running a grassroots soccer club now keeps my nose in the LTA(P)D progress of it - going on 10+ years now for LTPD. Our club runs PSO and NSO required coaching courses annually. The content extolls it's virtues but it's still not reaching enough Camp Chair Coffee Clutches. Too many are not happy until the BEAT their opponent such a word,..."beat". As I roam the fields watching my winters work roll out every team still has adults yelling at 8 year olds like they're watching a dog fight. I see well intentioned coaches give in and start up too. Likely influenced by the pressure on the facing sidelines or from other benches they slowly amp up to Joystick Coaching even when they know better and can recite the liabilities to the youth player of it. So what I offer parents who ask now is that I wish I could have just found my kids sport pathways that offered them a higher level of participant more so than a Pathway of Pressure. I ask them to put down their cups (I've been watching you; you don't need more caffeine) and participate. Give up their point of view and adopt their childs'. One of discovering boundaries of their own instead of seeking out the limitations of the opposition so they can Beat them.

Latest blog is up with Output Sports! Wanted to showcase some movements we love to utilize to open up the fascia and get our athletes feeling and moving better as part of their prep time. Be sure to check it out and let me know what you think! 🚀 https://lnkd.in/e_iHa7X7

🚨 Did you know 70% of kids stop playing sports by age 13? 🚨 The biggest reason? It’s no longer fun. Coaches, it’s on you to keep the game exciting. Make fun a priority—it’s the spark that keeps kids coming back. Parents, finding the right environment for your child matters too. Where they play can make or break their love for the game. At our leagues and teams, fun is at the core. Yes, we want to win, but not if it means losing a player to burnout. We push players to stay focused, but we approach practice and games with a fresh, fun mindset. If we want to "Change the Game," we need to do things differently. Join the Mondo Movement. #youthsports  #youthsportstraining  #youthsportsperformance  #youthsportscoach  #youthsportsmatter

Want to encourage a lifelong love of sport? It all starts with play 🤸 According to Sport England's recent Active Lives survey, children cite 'fun' as their primary reason for taking part in sport and physical activity. Often the reason children and young people fall out of love with sport can relate to sessions being too serious with a heavy emphasis on skills and competitive success. Addressing these barriers requires more focus on holistic well-being and development, including supporting young people to have the freedom to develop on their terms. Join the #PlayTheirWay movement: bit.ly/3KrLIp2

(Sports) Parenting is about so much more than the wins and losses, what team your kid is on and how far they may go in their sports “careers”… It’s about the lessons we all learn along the way. Here are a few of the parenting lessons I’ve learned the last 20+ years raising athletes. #sportsparents #parents #mom #dad #youthsports

Ever been part of a sports team but felt invisible? This post is for YOU. Imagine a team where every athlete feels valued and appreciated, not just at year-end banquets but every step of the way. Yet, many schools face a silent crisis: a lack of meaningful recognition for their athletes. Generic acknowledgments leave them feeling undervalued. But it doesn't have to be this way. Today, let's revolutionize sports programs by embracing the power of personalized recognition. Let's uplift and motivate our athletes every day, driving success like never before. Ready to join this movement? Like, share, or drop a comment with your thoughts on boosting recognition in high school sports! #RecognizeToInspire #HighSchoolSports 🏆👏