From Disabled to Super-Abled: Redefining Being Physically Challenged and Human
I recently was invited by the Huffington Post (for whom I blog weekly) to write a post about a TED talk by Aimee Mullins, a double-amputee who has received world-wide acclaim as an athlete, actress, model, inspirational speaker, and an innovator for the physically challenged. How we look at so-called disabled people is certainly changing […]
Read MoreRaising Generation Tech Workshop and Q & A Now on YouTube
Not long ago, I gave a keynote address and participated in a Q & A based on my latest parenting book, Raising Generation Tech: Prepare Your Children for a Media-fueled World. Both are now available on my YouTube channel.
Read MoreAre Youth Sports Controlling Your Family Life?
This article is a must-read for any parent struggling to maintain control over the runaway train known as youth sports in their family’s lives. This is a topic that is near and dear to me because it is something that my wife and I are facing with our two daughters who are now 9 and 7. Like […]
Read MoreWhy Isn’t Mental Training Treated the Same as Physical and Technical Training?
Not long ago, I completed what has turned out to be a three-week international tour of sport psychology. During my trips, I have worked with athletes and coaches from the U.S., Australia, Sweden, Switzerland, and Russia in Argentina, California, Oregon, and Switzerland. One question that has emerged during my travels involves the role of mental preparation in athletic development. But before I get to that question, let me provide some back story. Whenever I speak to athletes and coaches, I ask them how important the mind is to sport success. With few exceptions, the response is that the mind is as or more important than the physical and technical side of sports. I am obviously biased given my work in sport psychology, so I won’t take a position on which I believe is more important. But I will say that the mind is an essential piece of the sport performance puzzle. Consider the top-10 athletes, male or female, in any sport. Are they all gifted? Yes. Are they all in exceptional physical condition? Yes. Are they all technically sound? Yes. Do they all have the best equipment? Yes. So, on game day, what separates the best from those who are close, but can’t quite get to the top? All of these other factors being equal, it must be what goes on in their minds.
Read MoreThe Power of Words to Teach Compassion to Your Children
Words have a powerful influence on children. What we say and the words we use impact their thinking, emotions, and behavior. Early in children’s lives, emotions and behavior are the dominant forces that guide them. But as they develop their cognitive and verbal skills, words begin to play a leading role in their internal and […]
Read MoreWake-up Call for All Sports Parents
A compelling article in the New York Times titled All Played Out, written by an orthopedic surgeon and sports father, nails the problem with youth sports directly on the head. Every parent of a young athlete should take a long and hard look in the mirror at why they have their children participating in sports. […]
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