Starting at 7:01 on Sunday night, once the NCAA men's basketball tournament field was announced, coaches of teams who felt like they should have been included started complaining. These coaches include Syracuse's Jim Boeheim and Drexel's Bruiser Flint, both of whom had a right to be upset, as these were the two teams most of the experts felt were the most deserving not to be invited.

In interviews these coaches talked about how shocked and upset they were, and in general were very bitter.

There were many other teams, though, that had a legitimate beef as well, one of which is Kansas State. The Wildcats were 22-11 overall and 10-6 in the Big 12 Conference. They also beat Texas Tech, who did get a bid, handily in the Big 12 Conference Tournament before losing a close game to eventual tournament champion Kansas.

Kansas State Coach Bob Huggins, when asked the same questions about why his team didn't make it, took a different and refreshing tact. He said that the NCAA Selection Committee had a very difficult task, and that if his team had won a few more games, it would have gotten in.

It's easy to blame others and complain, and harder to blame yourself. I applaud Huggins for his comments, and wish other coaches would react with similar class in the future. 

Posted by Chris Lindsley at 08:45 PM | Permalink | TrackBacks (0)

When I was growing up, my dad was big on instruction. He wanted to make sure I did things the right way. Looking back on it I think this approach worked well for me in the long run, as I'm pretty decent at many sports, but I wasn't crazy about it at the time.

Fast forward 30-plus years to when I'm introducing my kids to a variety of sports. My tendency is heavy on instruction, but I'm learning from my kids that a little instruction goes a long way, and what's really important is that they are having fun.

Today, for example, my son and I went to a golf course to chip and putt. My son had never chipped before, but was eager to try. I had him watch me chip two shots while I explained the basics, and then I let him loose to try it on his own. After about 10 minutes he came back to ask how to get his chips in the air.

I started what was to be a long explanation on this, but after my first point, about moving the ball back in his stance, he said "Dad, that's all the instruction I need." Sure enough, he soon hit a few chips with the right trajectory, and was thrilled.

So was I, both at his success and for the lesson he taught me. The best part is, he's more interested in golf than ever, which is what I was hoping for in the first place.

Posted by Chris Lindsley at 10:05 PM | Permalink | TrackBacks (0)

Golf is known as a sport that players often call penalties on themselves, penalties that usually have not been noticed by anyone else. These examples of sportsmanship usually receive some media coverage, in part because they are growing ever more rare in sports today.

In last week's PGA Tour event, the Honda Classic, golfer Mark Wilson's caddie broke a rule when he told another player's caddie what club Wilson used for a particular shot. Doing so is considered giving advice, which is a rule violation. Wilson immediately told a tour official, who assessed Wilson a two-stroke penalty for his caddie's actions.

Undeterred, Wilson overcame the penalty to finish in a four-way tie for first at the end of 72 holes. Of course, one could say that Wilson would have won his first PGA title, and more than $900,000, if he didn't assess himself the two-stroke penalty, but Wilson didn't look at it that way.

Instead, Wilson made a 10-foot birdie putt on the third playoff hole to win the title, the oversized check golfers always get and the respect of his peers and sports fans everywhere for his honesty and sportsmanship in the heat of competition.

Calling the penalty on himself reduced Wilson's chances to win, but he didn't consider any other action because it was the right thing to do. We as parents and coaches of youth sports athletes would do well to share stories like this with our kids, and to act this way ourselves.

Posted by Chris Lindsley at 11:12 PM | Permalink | TrackBacks (0)

One of the great things about being part of a team are the bonds you form with your teammates. You quickly learn that, as the saying goes, there is no I in team, and that teamwork, and counting on your teammates, increase the team's chances of success.

These bonds and friendships often extend long after the games end. Take the case of former Dallas Cowboys Everson Walls and Ron Springs.  The two were teammates from 1981-1984, and have been friends ever since.

Walls knew that Springs suffered from severe diabetes, and had been on a national kidney transplant waiting list for three years and would die without a kidney transplant. When two of Springs' relatives were not able to donate, Walls stepped forward to be tested.

It turned out that Walls was a match, and he was determined to do all he could to help his friend. He literally gave him the gift of life. Just days after the procedure, the two former teammates announced that they planned to start a donor-awareness foundation to capitalize on all the media attention their case has received.

This, to me, is another reason for parents to consider exposing their children to youth sports, as the lessons they learn and friends they make can last a lifetime.

Posted by Chris Lindsley at 10:20 PM | Permalink | TrackBacks (0)