The Key to Success in Sports and in Life

“Success is peace of mind, which is a direct result of self-satisfaction in knowing you made the effort to become the best of which you are capable.”—John Wooden, former UCLA basketball coach



During a 12-year period from 1963 through 1975, John Wooden’s teams won 10 NCAA championships. To accomplish this legendary feat, you might think Wooden and his Bruins had to be single-mindedly focused on winning games. And yet, where Wooden was concerned, this was not the case. Rather, as indicated by his definition of success, he placed an emphasis on the process of striving for excellence.

Mastery vs. Ego Climates

Coach Wooden’s perspective on success may be the most important reason he deserves the title “Wizard of Westwood.” His coaching approach stressed the creation of what is now known as a mastery climate.

In a mastery-oriented motivational climate:

• The goal is to foster positive growth as an athlete and as a person.


• The emphasis is on effort, learning, and personal improvement—doing what it takes to be your best.


• Without a doubt, winning is highly valued, but well-informed coaches realize that winning takes care of itself if athletes are having fun, improving their skills, and giving maximum effort.


• Mastery climates foster an atmosphere of mutual support and encouragement, and everyone, regardless of ability, is made to feel an important part of the team.

In an ego-oriented motivational climate:

• Coaches often focus their attention on the most talented athletes, who have the greatest influence on winning.


• Effort and improvement are not emphasized as much as performance level.


• Rivalry among teammates may be encouraged by comparing them openly with one another.


• Inadequate performance or mistakes are often punished with criticism, teaching athletes that mistakes are to be avoided at all costs and thereby building fear of failure.


• Coaches show the willingness to win at all costs, even if rule-breaking is required to gain a needed advantage.

Scientific Evidence Supports a Mastery Climate

Which approach is best for youth sports? Research conducted at the University of Washington has shown that a coach-created mastery climate:

• Promotes higher mastery-oriented achievement goals in sports and in school.


• Fosters positive coach-athlete relations and greater mutual respect.


• Increases the amount of fun that athletes experience.


• Creates greater team cohesion and a more supportive athletic setting.


• Increases athletes’ self-esteem.


• Reduces performance-destroying anxiety and fear of failure.


• Reduces dropout rates.


• Produces equally positive effects on boys and girls teams.

Prominent Athletes and Coaches Endorse a Mastery Climate

• “A winning desire should be stressed at all levels of sports, but it shouldn’t be a life-and-death situation. Simply give your best and have fun doing it.” —Gordie Howe, NHL Hall of Famer


• “Doing your best is more important than being the best.” —Forest “Frosty” Westering, College Football Hall of Fame coach


• “I have no control over results. All I can do is play to the best of my abilities. Success is me giving everything that I have” —Ichiro Suzuki, MLB All-Star outfielder


• “The bottom line in youth sports should not be based on pressure to win. Instead, it should be on the enjoyment of competing and the opportunity to develop positive attitudes toward other people through that competition.” —Lute Olson, Basketball Hall of Fame coach


• “The only successful youth sport program is the one with coaches who will accept losing along with winning, last place in the league along with first place, and still be able to congratulate their team for their efforts.” —Roger Staubach, NFL Hall of Famer


• “You cannot find a player who ever played for me at UCLA who can tell you that he ever heard me mention ‘winning’ a basketball game. He might say I inferred a little here and there, but I never mentioned winning. The last thing that I told my players, just prior to tipoff, before we would go on the floor was, ‘When the game is over, I want your head up, and I know of only one way for your head to be up. That’s for you to know that you did your best. No one can do more…You made that effort.’” —John Wooden, Basketball Hall of Fame coach

The “Bottom Line”

• All athletes can achieve success, because this relates to the effort put into realizing one’s personal potential.


• Coaches who create a mastery climate never lose, regardless of the score!

Editor’s Note: Thank you to Frank L. Smoll, Ph.D., and Ronald E. Smith, Ph.D., for this article. Drs. Smoll and Smith are sport psychologists at the University of Washington and co-directors of the Youth Enrichment in Sports program. To see previews of their Mastery Approach to Coaching and Mastery Approach to Parenting in Sports DVDs, visit www.y-e-sports.com.

Recognizing, Preventing and Stopping Bullying

As we know from our mail, if there’s one thing that keeps hockey parents—and really, parents in general—up at night it’s bullying. At school, in the locker room or on the ice. Whether their kid is the perpetrator, witness or victim. It’s hard to get out of your mind. And there’s a fine line between helping your child deal with a dangerous situation and being an interfering helicopter parent. How do you handle it? The Children’s Medical Center of Dallas, Texas, is here to help.

What can parents do if they suspect their child is being bullied or is a bully? And better yet, what can be done to prevent it? We asked three experts at Children’s to weigh in. Here are excerpts from our conversations with them.

CC: Are certain types of children or teens more susceptible to bullying?

• Jane LeVieux, Ph.D., licensed professional counselor and registered play therapist: Anybody could be bullied. For kids with a medical illness, it could be their overall appearance that makes them a target. There’s also research that says kids with low self-esteem may be targets, and some kids may not have the social skills to say, “Leave me alone.”
• Crista Wetherington, Ph.D., pediatric psychologist: There’s some literature to suggest that rejected children, such as children who are difficult to get along with or have poor social skills, are more likely to be bullied than the quieter, shy child.
• Gabriela Reed, Ph.D., pediatric psychologist: There are usually two types of kids who get singled out to be bullied. There are the kids who come across as anxious, insecure and cautious, and then there are the kids who are easily emotionally aroused and perceived by their peers as aggressive, argumentative and annoying. Bullies are like sharks in that they “bump” their targets before deciding which to choose. Kids who have better social skills and who know how to assertively set limits with their peers are often not chosen to be bullied.

CC: What makes some kids want to bully others?

• LeVieux: There’s a nonprofit group in Dallas called the Bully Suicide Project, and they’ve interviewed kids about this. They’ve found that a lot of kids who’ve been the bully said they didn’t understand the person they were targeting, or they thought of their targets as different from them. Also, if children or teens are being bullied at home or by their peers, bullying others is a way to take it out on someone else.
• Reed: It is a common bullying myth that bullies have low self esteem and are loners. In fact, most bullies have average to above-average self esteem and usually have little trouble making friends. It’s important to remember that bullying is not a form of conflict, it is a form of victimization. Bullies often act out of a feeling of contempt toward their victim, whom they feel is somehow inferior.

CC: If a child is being bullied at school, what steps should parents take with school representatives?

• Reed: Parents should contact their child’s teacher or school counselor to ask for an in-person meeting, and emphasize that they want to work with the staff to find a solution. Set a follow-up appointment to talk about any progress that’s been made. Make it clear that you expect the bullying to stop.
• LeVieux: If the parents have already talked to the school and nothing’s being done, then use other approaches, such as going to the school principal. If that doesn’t work, then go one step above and talk to the school district.

CC: For those who have been bullied and have thought about suicide, what tools do you provide them with?

• LeVieux: We help them write down the triggers that cause the emotional distress. That way, when they have these thoughts, they know some things they can do to alleviate the feelings. We teach children deep breathing techniques, or we find out what they can do physically to alleviate those feelings — like bouncing a basketball or kneading some clay or doing artwork.

CC: How can parents help their child who has been bullied?

• Reed: It’s important to try to empathize with your child. Don’t blame your child for being bullied, and don’t minimize your child’s feelings. Kids who have been bullied need to know that the bullying is not their fault and that you intend to do everything in your power to make the bullying stop.
• At the same time, parents can also help kids figure out what, if anything, it might be that makes them less socially successful. For example, if the child has trouble with interrupting people, it would be great for a parent to say something like, “I’ve noticed that sometimes when your friends are talking, you jump in and interrupt them. Do you think that maybe that bothers them? Would you like it if someone interrupted you when you were talking? What can we do together to help you to be better about not interrupting people?”
• Parents can also role-play assertive ways for kids to communicate with bullies. When approached by a bully, parents might recommend walking away to a friend or safe person, laughing it off, directly telling bullies to “knock it off” or, if the bullying persists or becomes physical, telling a trusted adult that you and your child have identified ahead of time. Assertiveness and strong social skills will help kids now and in the future.
• Most importantly, make sure your child has a safe and loving home environment where he or she can take shelter physically and emotionally. Parents can help make this a reality by eliminating sibling bullying and by keeping lines of communication open with their kids.

CC: Is there a way to prevent bullying?

• Wetherington: This really comes down to changing the culture of schools and other environments where children are to not tolerate bullying. It requires a strong commitment from school staff, school administration, and from parents.

Warning signs that your child is being bullied:

• Disconnects from family and friends
• Seems afraid of going to school, sports practices or club meetings
• Complains of stomachaches or headaches that interfere with his life
• Schoolwork suffers
• Has trouble sleeping
• Seems disinterested in life
• Comes home with cuts or bruises that can’t be explained
• Seems nervous, depressed or emotionally explosive

Steps parents can take:

• Keep an open dialogue with your child about their feelings.
• Ask them about bullying at school. You may have to probe for answers. It may help to ask them first about how other children at school are treated before they are comfortable talking about their own experiences.
• Tell them they are not alone, that they have a right to be safe, and that it is the responsibility of you as parents and their teachers to ensure that the bullying stops.
• Work with the school to identify the bully and ensure measures are put into place to stop the bullying. If your child reports bullying of another child, discuss that with the school as well. Bullies may be targeting several kids.
• Parents and children should be aware of how they treat those around them. Words and actions can be unintentionally harmful. It’s all about character development and how you treat your friends and other people.
• Work to keep your child in school if they’ve been bullied. It’s up to the school to change the environment to one that is safe for all children.

Editor's Note: Thank you to Craig Foster of the Children's Medical Center in Dallas, Texas, for this story.

Practice to Game Ratio: A Healthy Meal vs. Dessert

In today’s version of youth sports we have a very unhealthy ratio of practice to games. In many youth hockey associations the practice-to-game ratio is 1-to-1 or 2-to-1. To me practice is the healthy meal and the games are the dessert. What would serve our young athletes much better would be a healthier ratio of 3-to-1.



Unfortunately, many of today’s players look at practice much in the same way they look at broccoli—with a great deal of disdain. In my mind, the goal of every coach is to make the healthy meal more appealing to our athletes in order for them to attain and build the necessary skills to guide them throughout their journey upwards in the youth hockey ranks.

The ultimate goal is to make practices as much fun as the games, because in the end it is practice that allows our players to develop the skills that will allow them to have the success they desire in the games.

As a coach this can be difficult to achieve. How do I make practice appealing enough and the games special enough to drive the desired outcome? In my mind, you feed them the healthy meal so that when the dessert comes they can really enjoy it and it becomes a special event that they have earned.

So how do we do this? First of all, you have to change the culture and get both the players and the parents to understand how important practice is to their development. The pace, intensity and focus needed in every practice session is critical in order to have positive, productive movement forward.

How do you get your child to eat a healthy meal? Trick them, hide the fact that they are working hard and getting the necessary touches and repetitions through FUN, CHALLENGING and CREATIVE drills and games that takes the mundane aspects of developing a player and masks them.

Kids love to be challenged; they love to compete and they want to have fun. If I can get my players to enjoy coming to the rink, working hard and leaving with a smile on their faces, then I have won the most important challenge I face as a youth hockey coach.

We get so consumed with the games and wins and losses that we lose sight of the real fight. I feel strongly that if I can get my players to give as much as they can and be passionate about how hard they train then I have already won.

As a coach practice is my opportunity and responsibility to make my players better, and games are the player’s opportunity to demonstrate what they have learned from their dedication in practice. As a coach, the practice sessions are mine. That is my world and I take great pride in what I put forth. To the players, the games are theirs and we need to respect that; however, we need to make sure we have given them the tools and skills to have the success they desire.

At the end of the day it comes down to the willingness to fight, to change the way we look at practice. It is about the skills we are developing not about the systems or the positioning or where a kid stands for a faceoff. Consider this: If I am a conductor of a marching band, do I focus as much of my student’s time on marching and where they stand as I do on how well they play their instrument?

It is our responsibility as coaches, administrators and parents to make sure our kids are eating properly so that at the end of the journey we can look back at a healthy young adult who has a strong base of skills and knowledge of the sport, and take pride in the fact that they got to a great place because of the environment we created.

Let's collectively change the way our kids look at practice and together we will have given the great sport of hockey a much healthier, larger and passionate pool of young players.

Editor's Note: Thank you to Roger Grillo, USA Hockey Director-Northeast, for this story.

Master Passing with the PassMaster

The idea of the PassMaster is simple. You pass a puck into it and the puck will be passed back. To use it off-ice, you either need a hockey shooting board to provide a smooth surface for a regular hockey puck to slide on or a Green Biscuit to use on a rough surface. After the PassMaster is assembled, there is no setup time. Just put it in place and you can start passing. But can a metal triangle, three posts and a rubber band really help with all your passing needs, including short and long passes plus hard passes and one-timers? Click here to find out.

What’s That Call? Hand Pass

Hockey is clearly a sport that is intended to be played with a stick. That’s why you’re not allowed to kick the puck into the goal like a soccer player or grab the puck and skate with it like a football player. But you do see players swatting the puck around with a gloved hand from time to time—and occasionally you’ll see the linesman stop the game, or a referee call a penalty or even a disallow a goal due to a hand pass. Depending on your eyesight and viewpoint, it can certainly be hard to distinguish a legal hand pass from an illegal one. After five tournament games with a fair amount of hand action but just one call, we set out to find out the difference.

What you need to know about the hand pass: As you might guess from it’s name, a hand pass is when you pass the puck to a teammate with your hand rather than stick. A hand pass is almost always illegal. Batting the puck out of the air and onto the ice, on the other hand, is generally legal. (When you have to use terms like “almost always” and “generally,” you know you’re not dealing with the most clear-cut rule.) Here’s how it works:

• You can’t make a hand pass to a teammate in the neutral zone or your offensive zone; this results in a faceoff. You can, however, make a hand pass to a teammate when you’re in your defensive zone.
• You can stop or bat the puck with an open hand—but you can’t close your hand around it. Closing your hand around the puck results in a faceoff.
• You can’t do anything with your hands that takes the puck out of play.
• You can push the puck along the ice with your hand—but you can’t pick it up. Picking up the puck results in a minor penalty.
• You can’t score by batting the puck into the goal—even if it’s deflected off another player. A goal scored by hand pass will be disallowed.
• Goaltenders have different rules for use of their hands.

To further clarify, Bantam coach Jeff provided this explanation: “The puck can’t touch a player’s hand, intentional or not, then be touched by a player on your own team. A hand pass will be waved off if it is (1) touched first by the player who used his or her hand, or (2) a member of the other team touches the puck. You are free to hand pass the puck to a teammate if you are in your defensive zone.”

When a linesman or referee calls a hand pass, he or she mimics an underhand pass with the non-whistle hand.

What else is there to know? USA Hockey provides plenty of information about using your hands in hockey on pages 72–74 of the 2009–11 Official Rules of Ice Hockey booklet available at www.usahockey.com. See the signal for Hand Pass on page 113 as well.

See it in action: See a legal hand pass and Chris Stewart’s first NHL goal here!

Editor’s Note: Thank you to Kelly Anton with the Grow the Game Initiative for this story.

Do Teens Need Sports Supplements?

It’s easy to see the appeal of sports supplements for young athletes. Pro athletes and body builders endorse them. And they’re marketed as being able to improve athletic performance. But should kids and teens take them? No, says Dr. Shane Miller, a pediatric sports medicine specialist at Children’s Medical Center.

“If young athletes are eating healthy and working out, they don’t need supplements,” Dr. Miller says. “The body makes most of the things in supplements on its own, and we also get them from foods in our diet.” See what Dr. Miller tells a group of middle school football players about supplements and energy drinks.

What are sports supplements?

Sports supplements are pills or powders that contain high amounts of vitamins, minerals and/or amino acids. People usually take them to increase their strength and muscle development or to speed up weight gain or weight loss.

They’ve become increasingly popular in the last 20 years as training among youth athletes has intensified. In the past, even professional athletes avoided training before the season. But today, junior high and high school athletes condition themselves year-round to perform at peak levels. The “any little advantage makes a difference” mentality means some athletes will try just about anything to gain a competitive edge. Getting that supposed edge through supplements is easy for kids or teens to do, since most supplements are available over the counter.

Supplements’ effects on children and teens unknown

However, taking supplements can be risky. Supplements don’t require FDA approval before they hit the market, and no testing has been done to show what they do to the rapidly growing bodies of children. Dr. Miller says taking them isn’t worth the risk. “Young athletes should be able to get everything they need to grow and become better athletes without having to take any supplements,” he says.

Are your young athletes using sports supplements?

Here’s a list of common supplements, many of which are available over the counter:

• Protein Powders are usually sold in whey or soy varieties. Protein powders are not harmful in small amounts, but the average American diet already has two to three times the amount of protein they need. Excess protein can be stored as fat and possibly lead to kidney damage.
• Androstenedione is called a “natural steroid” because the body makes it on its own; may lead to serious side effects like testicular cancer, stroke, infertility, and increased risk of heart disease. Previously used by professional athletes, andro became illegal in 2004.
• Creatine is also naturally made in the body, but its side effects are not as severe as those from andro. Creatine’s side effects include weight gain, diarrhea, muscle cramps and abdominal pain. It is sold over the counter but not recommended for people younger than 18.
• Thermogenics are also known as “fat burners.” People take them to lose weight or increase energy. The main ingredient in thermogenics in the past was ephedra, but ephedra was taken off of the market because people died from it. However, new thermogenics use ephedra-like ingredients, including bitter orange or country mallow, which have similar effects.

For more information on performance-enhancing supplements in children, check out the American Academy of Pediatrics’ policy.

Editor's Note: Thank you to Craig Foster of the Children's Medical Center in Dallas, Texas, for this story.