Making the team can be a real thrill for children, regardless of whether it’s a varsity high school squad or a park-based youth league. And once they don a uniform, youngsters are taught valuable lessons in teamwork, leadership and personal integrity that they can carry through life.
So what does it take to get kids ready to step out onto the field or court?
Some answers might seem obvious – a child needs to understand the game and develop the right skills – but coaches say the fundamentals of being a team player begin at home with parental involvement and support. Parents can do plenty to help (or hurt) their children’s chances.
Youth Leagues to Middle School
The requirements for joining a team are more relaxed when a child is in middle school or younger. There isn’t much competition, and most programs at this age stress fundamentals and having fun. During this time, kids discover which sports they like.
“If a kid wants to play, they’ll play. We’ll find a team for them,” said Larry Kligman, middle school director and coach at Abraham Joshua Heschel Day School in Northridge.
One of the first team requirements students encounter is in middle school: 2.0 — the minimum grade point average needed to participate in sports. Kligman sais keeping up with studies becomes more difficult in middle school because teams play away games, which cuts into class time.
“We take the citizenship and work habits more [seriously] because that’s the kicker for the others,” Kligman said.
This past season, the Heschel coach said he held out a member of the boy’s volleyball team because he wasn’t turning in his homework. When the parents protested, saying the sport was the only thing at which their son was excelling, Kligman said he couldn’t justify letting the student play if his schoolwork wasn’t in order.
Academic problems aside, Kligman said it’s always a good idea for parents to meet the coach. Conversations help parents understand a coach’s approach, which in turn helps ease inevitable disagreements on the court or field.
The most frequent complaints from parents are “My child isn’t playing enough” or “You’re playing my child out of position.”
Coaches are more understanding of these comments through middle school, and Kligman said he’ll talk with the child directly about parental concerns because he wants students to learn to advocate for themselves.
Throughout the young child’s athletic career, parents should watch for an internal drive to increase. If it’s not there, parents should not force a child into doing something he or she doesn’t want to do. If a child doesn’t like the sport the parent played as a kid, experts recommend the parents let go of their own expectations.
High School
Competition for a spot on a high school squad can be intense. Coaches look for three main qualities: skill, desire and attitude.
It might seem obvious, but coaches want to make sure players know the basic skills of the sport. A student wanting to play baseball must be able to hit, catch and throw. A student wanting to play running back needs to be quick and have a good center of balance. For golf or tennis, it’s critical to have a proficient swing. And swimmers need to be fast in the water.
“The cream rises to the top,” said Andrew Yellen, a sports psychologist in Northridge and Agoura Hills as well as a former football and swimming coach at Grant High School in Van Nuys. “You may not impress to start, but every coach will recognize skill. If you’ve got a kid with athletic ability, they’ll find a place for him.”
Tommy Allegood, the fitness and recreation director with the JCC at Milken in West Hills, said parents should also ensure that their child has the proper muscle development for a chosen sport.
A strong core — 29 muscles, mostly in the back, abdomen and pelvis — is paramount for most sports, he said. Allegood also recommends that teens (and their parents) care for tendons, joints and ligaments used in their sport. Basketball players, for instance, had better make sure their knees are up to par, and golf and baseball players need strong hips to power their swings.
In addition, athletes need proper cardiovascular fitness, Allegood said. Cross-country runners need to maintain a pace for long periods of time, while soccer players need to start and stop quickly.
If a child has the skill, next is the desire. That means practice – lots of it. Coaches love players who want to spend every waking hour working on their skills.
“It doesn’t take talent to work hard and hustle,” said Josh Lienhard, head coach of the 2010 City Section champion El Camino Real High School baseball team in Woodland Hills.
A child also needs the proper attitude, which means listening to the coach and doing what he or she asks. Coaches said they don’t make someone do something without a purpose, and the last person they want on their team is the one who doesn’t take the team concept seriously.
Yellen remembered how his first swim team could have won a league championship, but he held out a swimmer who went to the beach instead of school. When parents asked why he did that to the team, Yellen replied, “I didn’t. He did.”
Most coaches interviewed agreed that the best thing parents can do is stay out of the coach’s way — no coaching from the stands, and no heckling.
Coaches also prefer that parents not ask why their child isn’t “playing enough” or “being used correctly.”
“Practice is my time,” Lienhard said. “Parents’ time is when the kids are at home.”
If the player doesn’t make the team, accept it and help the child deal with the loss, Yellen said. Parents need to support their young athletes in good times and bad.
Parents and children should also do an honest assessment of the child’s skills. Chances are the coach is closer to the truth than the parents or child wants to admit. Ask the coach what the child can do to improve skills — but do it before there’s a problem. A great place to do this is at a parent meeting, where a coach spells out expectations.
“Show me a successful kid and I’ll show you an involved parent,” Yellen said.
