Sports Talk Show Pillot Episode Testimonials

Sports talk Show Pilot Testimonials

Our Pilot episode. A different kind of sports talk show. Changing the culture. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UpiNdZAVlD8

Steven Fineron VJ and Steve, I just watched your short, and loved it!!! Coach Armstrong @ Rush Hen. had the same way of teaching and COACHING!! @ the same time. Never beat Irondequoit. the Whipple bro's killed us, but what said at the locker room meeting was... did you give it your all? Look inside, take inventory, and be satisfied with it , if not Find a new course. Thanks!! Old mem's are the best .

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Steven Fineron Loved the show, that's sports!

Ralph Tetta Great show. I have to tell you, that in my second year of coaching U12 Recreational League soccer, I am TERRIFIED about being a bad coach. I worried first year about parents complaining that the team didn't win enough, their kid didn't play enough, etc. etc. Vj, you gave me a copy of your book, and after reading the first few chapters, I started to understand what was REALLY important. When I worked with you on standup comedy, I told you that the first rule was HAVE FUN. If it isn't fun, why do it in the first place? And yet, the expectation I put on myself was 180 degrees away from that attitude when it came to coaching sports. You changed my whole perspective. I have a 4th grader, and equal numbers of 5th, 6th and 7th graders on my team this year. I'm sure no parent expects their kid to be Abby Wambach. But they do expect me to keep it fun, let the kids play, and encourage them to continue developing skills at their pace and to whatever their ability. I look forward to further episodes of your show. I would recommend leaving time at the end and perhaps a graphic to communicate the services you offer, instead of shoe-horning it into the conversation. I really liked what you and Steve had to say based on your experience and I will continue to watch the segments you post. THANK YOU for sharing this information, and hopefully the movement will pick up steam!

Truth and Consequences

Recently I had a parent tell me after one of my talks that his son was driven to get an athletic scholarship to college. He understood that some athletes could  “afford” to play multi sports, but they were very few. The multi sport athlete path to a scholarship was only good for the truly gifted athletes. 

His son needed to play one sport year round to get the DI athletic scholarship.  The extra time and private lessons would allow him to get better faster. He also said that the other athletes on his son’s club team were playing one sport year round. They were getting “full rides.” His son was every bit as good as those other boys who were getting athletic scholarships.

He then reiterated that since recruiting had gotten to be for younger and younger kids that his 15 year old son could fall behind them if he didn’t concentrate on one sport year round. Besides, his son loved his sport. It was the only sport he wanted to play. Why would he take that dream away from his son?

As he walked away I was struck by the thought : Who was he trying to convince, me or him? You could see the angst in his tone and body language. This whole process was stressing him out.

Was it because deep down he truly did not know if this path was best for his son? Could it be that now that his son was 15 years old and there were no offers he saw that a lot of time and money had been spent on a pursuit that was slipping away? Now, he had to do everything in his power to justify to himself and his family why he embraced this race that does not exist?

Or was it simply true that he had been fed so much false information over the years that he did not know who to believe. He did not know who to turn to. He did not know who to trust.

This is why we do what we do at Frozen Shorts.

MOM

Of all the gifts we can give our Mom on Mother’s day the best gift, and by far the best gift, is time. It is the one thing that cannot be bought but has incredible value. Actually, it is priceless. It is the one thing that shows commitment, thoughtfulness, and love. Every MOM desires, wants, and needs your time because they have wrapped their heart and soul into family. The time you give to them makes them feel good. The time spent with them creates memories. Moms live for experiences that are turned into memories. It is the one gift that keeps on giving. Your MOM knows that time can never be replaced or duplicated. It is finite and slipping away by the day.

 BUT time keeps on giving as she will have memories of your time together that will far outweigh any material present. There may be reasons that I do not understand that make it difficult for you to reach out to your MOM and tell her you love her, and I am truly sorry for that. But if you can find it in your heart to reach out, it will make her day, now and forever. I know, I can’t say I love you to my MOM today and I think about it every day. Miss you MOM. Love you forever. At 60 I am still a MOMAS boy and proud of it. PEACE

The NFL Draft, Multi Sport athletes and THE OHIO State

THE NFL Draft, Multi Sport Athletes, and THE Ohio State

When the NFL draft was over many of us looked with interest as to the athletic background of the players drafted. USA football actually posted the results. In fact 28 of the 31 first round draft picks played multi sports.

 If you follow me on twitter @VJJStanley you will have read my interaction with Shelley Meyer on that social media, the wife of head coach Urban Meyer and her support for our project.  She let us know about her husband’s propensity to recruit multi sport athletes, character and quality kids.

What you may not have known, or seen was Urban putting the plan into action along with the rest of the NCAA Division 1 coaches to recruit multi sport athletes. In fact in this recruiting class alone He and his staff recruited 48 players of which 42 were multi sport athletes. Why is that important? THE Ohio State University football team set a record for players drafted in the current 7 round draft in 2004. This year Ohio State had 5 picked in the first round, 2 more in the second round, and 3 in the third. They completed their run with 2 more in the fourth round for a total of 12.

Congratulations to Urban Meyer and the other NCAA Division 1 coaches for using science to help their programs and the children. The data is now in. Multi sport athletes have a BETTER chance for a D1 scholarship and a pro career than athletes who specialize.

Congratulations to these young men, and especially their PARENTS for choosing the wise, healthy choice for their children’s future athletic pursuit.

Next week a parent’s response and our answer to him.

The Amusement Park

No one gets better sitting on the bench, no one. There is not one thing sitting on the bench does for an athlete that is not far outweighed by playing. In this ever changing world we live in teaching children fair and honest competition and sportsmanship is only learned by playing. Children learn by internal realization, not external force. Sitting on the bench and not playing scientifically speaking, affects the brain and cognitive ability to learn. Have you ever traveled all day on a plane or car? How tired are you at the end of the trip? You just sat all day. You get to your destination , say an amusement park, and you don’t get to go on any of the rides. That's how the kids feel. That is not a ripe environment to learn. As a head hockey coach in college we had a simple philosophy. If you dress you play. No, not just one minute at the end of the game either. At my company Frozen Shorts, we teach completion to coach’s parents and athletes in our talks and seminars. Survival of the fittest never meant one person. It meant a community. Inclusion not exclusion is the new way to build championship teams. I am a very competitive person but I would bench my mom in the last five minutes of a championship game even if she was my best player. And it wouldn’t faze me. I would make sure I put her back in, along with every other athlete thou. Failing is not failure. It’s not my job to decide when how or even if the light goes on. My goal is to just keep flipping the switch.

 Work at it every day at our Co. there should never be U10 kids sitting. You have to build the base. No one gets better sitting on the bench. For 99% of the kids HS is it. Body doesn’t develop fully until 22, 23, and 24. Most teams have 2 good kids and two not so well. Everyone else is interchangeable, but they don’t all get to play. You always run faster when someone is chasing you

What happens after the bright lights are turned off?

I am certainly happy for the kids on the four teams that have made it to the final four. These kids are living a mostly once in a lifetime dream.   Some parents too. The odds of getting here are very slim.

 Most kids these days play one sport year round. The players on these teams must be in tremendous shape to be able to play at this high level for this long. It is even more amazing because most coaches only play 6, 7, or 8 kids in a close game. Some don’t play more than that even when they are winning or losing big.

These kids’ bodies and minds take a tremendous year round pounding. Their game and travel schedules are imposing to say the least. You combine this with their academics, and you have what amounts to a full time job.

What these kids have had to endure throughout their season and career to get to this point is amazing. The constant travel schedules, the showcases, the many leagues all take their toll on athletes and families.

 The risk of overuse injuries are percentage wise, not in their favor. Yet, they compete. They compete hard for long periods of time for their team, their future, and adult’s glory.  These kids disregard their personal well being in hopes of winning a scholarship and maybe a championship.

The future consequences they face when this is over are massive. For a very few a lucrative NBA payday lies ahead. BUT, even for these few, long term financial security is microscopic at best.

What happens after the lights are turned off? How many of these kids graduate? How many get a meaningful degree? How many have learned coping skills and life lessons they can apply to future endeavors?

 I am not saying that the colleges, the coaches, or even AAU is responsible here. They are businesses doing their thing. They would not have a market if the parents did not want their product, and want it badly. Many products are sold every day all over the worlds that don’t have the consumers’ best interest at heart.

Who picks up the pieces when hearts, bodies, and minds have been broken?

Maybe you should do something else besides coaching kids if:

Maybe you should do something else beside coaching kids if:

You fall into any of these scenarios as a youth and high school coach. Over the last six months I have been to practices and games and have seen more and more of coaches” playing” while their players watch. Time after time I see coaches being the center of attention “demonstrating” when in actuality they are showing off while kids, stand, sit and watch them perform.

Coaches are continually shouting instructions for an entire contest. Over coaching your team when the game is already won instead of concentrating on putting in more children to play have become the norm and not the exception

When did it become acceptable for coaches to lecture their teams for 10 minutes instead of letting them play?

Why are coaches giving 20 minute lectures after games are over?

You are coaching kids in hockey and you take slapshots at the goalie thinking it will be good for them.

You take the puck and skate around kids and score.

You join in the scrimmage and dominate play

You take the basketball and dribble against children and “body’ them as you go to the basket

You block their shots thinking it will be good for them

You take shots at the lax goalie and score. You whip balls at the goalie and try to score in warm-ups

 You take your stick and make moves on the kids and take pleasure in beating them

You shoot at the soccer goalie and try to beat him

You dribble through kids and shoot to score

You and another coach take sideline toe tapping catches before a game of football

You throw to the receivers while kids watch

You catch balls from another coach during practice while kids stand and watch

The adulting and professionalization of youth and high school sports has gotten out of control. Although most have good intentions they are bombarded with professional TV”coaching styles.”

Children, and they are children, are quitting in droves. Parents are becoming more disillusioned and frustrated as they spend thousands of dollars to watch their child “play” in a high stakes game of youth sports.

There are a tremendous amount of excellent coaches out there. They play lots of kids and don’t look for any glory except the faces and memories of the kids they coach. They are humble and don’t yell at kid or referees knowing full well that the journey, and mistakes are part of the journey, are what makes the lasting memories.