Parentally Speaking

By Cal Ripken, Jr.

Editor’s note: Each month in this space, Cal will address issues of concern to parents of young athletes. We hope that coaches, many of whom are parents, will find the information enlightening when it comes to working with their own children and dealing with the parents of the players on their teams.

Updated Feb 20, 2008

• As a parent, what should yo do if your child complains about the coach?

• What do you tell a lefthander who wants to play in a "righties" spot?

• What pointers can you give coaches or parents who are working with youth pitchers?

Updated Jan 8, 2008

• Parentally Speaking - December 2007

• T-ball - How to determine if your child is right- or left-handed?

• 17 year old athlete had an opportunity to take a school sponsored trip, but his coach told him no

• How can parents ensure that their children are participating in athletics for the right reasons

• Do you think its okay for the athlete to participate in a sport if they have an injury?

• How do you help a player who has been hit by a ball?

• It can be costly to outfit the kids from a large family with athletic equipment

• What is the best way to handle short attention spans?

• Diciplining your child for home or school incident

• Is it okay to play with an injury?

• Is it possible to cheer too much during a game?

• Travel teams recruiting from other areas

• What about pitching lessons

• When kids see athletes being bad