Carolyn is participating in a student-athlete development project as a nutrition, cross-training and wellness mentor. Read some of her quick responses to wonderful questions pitched by the group.

Questions – Coaching and Development

1) In youth sports, should winning be stressed? Winning is an important part of having a competitive nature, but it is not the first area to stress. Improvement is the first area to focus on. Playing against much better teams is great and even if you may not win in the process, you are getting better with each match-up. I use to play my older brother all the time and this made me a much better player. I would rather play against better talent and improve then beat up on talent that is not going to help enhance my skills. I am also very competitive , so naturally I always wanted to win. I in fact did end up beating my brother a few times (in the sport I love basketball)…eventually :).

2) When should kids be introduced to competitive athletics? I came out of the womb wanting to be athletic, run and just interact in active ways. I think all sports (a sampler) can be introduced early. I also believe in watching what children gravitate towards naturally and encourage passion and love of the game as being the reason to play.

3) How should coaches develop younger athletes? Skill development, nutrition, promote not drinking alcohol (to teens) as I never have and never will, ample sleep, hard training that is AGE appropriate and includes all aspects of strength, flexibility and endurance/cardiovascular.

4) Is there a benefit to non-competitive youth sports? yes for those children seeking just exercise and making new friendships through non-competitive play.

5) What are some of the positive effects of having a child participate in sports? team building, character development, life skills, physical activity they love, new friends, all around social development.

6) Can there be some negative effects? yes poor coaches that do not encourage or coach well according to personality traits can really hinder a child’s development. Good coaches are key in the process.

7) What can coaches do to help a young athlete get the full benefit out of participating in a sport? Be fully aware of every athletes’ needs. Educate themselves on sports nutrition, exercise themselves, don’t drink, be responsible and a great example for youth all around.

Questions – Parenting / Family

1) There are more AAU and travel teams now, do they help or hurt young athletes? Too much traveling can cut into individual development time that is essential off-season. This includes the weight room, education on sports nutrition, yoga/cross-training, rest/recovery and amount of time traveling can be used to play pick-up, individual skill development and other very important facets of the game. I do believe you want to see the best in the world/U.S. to compete and I won the National Championship on my AAU team, but I was very careful to also invest in my physical development too.

2) How can parents better prepare their kids for being a part of a sports team? Talk to them about team dynamics, go through different scenarios and how they would react given each situation, be there to listen, be open, don’t judge but offer options and supportive advice. Having been a pro athlete myself and traveled around the world with USA B-ball I have seen a lot. This will definitely help me raise my future children, which I am looking forward to as well.

3) What should parents do if their child can’t keep up with schoolwork while playing in sports? School always comes first- always. So get extra help, take the time you need to study more and stay balanced in that process. Extra study time, rest, focus on the weekends. Student-athletes have fewer hours in their day, so I sacrificed and put homework and studying first when some non-student athletes had time for other things. I would not change it for anything. I personally love structure and routine. Time management is essential. To this day, I watch very little TV and workout early morning before work and manage my time in a very structured way.

4) Can coaches and parents develop better plans to help less gifted youth athletes get something out of sports? yes- make it about the fun of meeting new friends, the joy of exercise and movement as well as setting goals that are fitting for that individual. Any child can feel accomplishment as it is all relative to where they start and the progress they make.

5) What is the number one thing parents should stress to their kids when they are playing a sport for the first time? Be patient with your progress. Nothing easy comes overnight. It is okay to be challenged and not get something right away. Hard work will pay off and hard work should be fun, as you love what you do!