In coaching my daughter's softball team, I've tried to vary the activities/drills we work on during our weekly practice. My daughter Olivia, though, has been urging me all season to have a scrimmage between the parents and the kids.

At our last practice on Friday, I decided to take Olivia's advice. I e-mailed the parents a few days before to let them know, and the moms and dads came ready to play. The kids were very excited when I told them what we would do at the beginning of practice, and were clearly ready for the challenge.

Right from the start I knew this was a great idea. The kids liked the idea of taking on their parents, and the parents enjoyed being more involved with their kids during practice. The best part is that we worked on all the same skills we would have during a normal practice, but with many more smiles. There was plenty of good-natured trash talking from both sides, and the hour practice just flew by.

The parent vs. child game is something I'll definitely do again, as will asking my daughter for her thoughts and ideas on practice. After all, I got into coaching to spend quality time with her, and I've realized that part of the fun for her is to have some input.

Olivia's input this season included choosing the color of our uniforms (purple), suggesting practice ideas (she liked working on popups in addition to proposing the scrimmage) and helping to make the lineup (she never wanted to bat in the top two spots, and one week wanted to bat last). 

This was truly a special practice, and I'm already looking forward to working with Olivia to plan our first practice of next season. 

Posted by Chris Lindsley at 09:19 PM | Permalink | TrackBacks (0)

The 2008 U.S. Open golf championship will be remembered for Tiger Woods winning his 14th major while playing through knee pain. Despite making four double bogeys, Tiger made three amazing eagles, and a 12-foot birdie putt on the 18th hole on Sunday to force an 18-hole playoff Monday with Rocco Mediate.

What I will remember about this riveting tournament is Rocco. The 158th-ranked player in the world, Rocco had to go through qualifying just to play in this year's Open. Despite being one of golf's shortest hitters -- his drives were routinely 30 yards or more behind Tiger's -- Rocco outplayed Tiger on Sunday, coming from behind to tie him to force the playoff.

Then going head-to-head with Tiger on Monday, Rocco overcame a three-shot deficit after 10 holes to actually take a one-stroke lead after 15 holes. He led by one going to the 18th hole, where Tiger made a clutch birdie putt to extend the match another hole, where Tiger's par would good enough to win.

Rocco proved to give Tiger all he could handle, to the surprise of the golf "experts" who predicted a big Tiger win in the 18-hole playoff on Monday, What really impressed me about Rocco, though, was how much fun he was having. His ever-present smile, his playful gestures during the action and his post-round comments all gave you the sense he was truly enjoying himself, which was great to see.

The fact that he did this in such a pressure-packed situation of a major championship, one which Rocco, who is 45, may never be in again, was all the more refreshing. It's no wonder Rocco was such a crowd favorite. In fact, the Let's Go Rocco cheer was the first time I've ever heard a golf gallery do that, and it was a deserving tribute to a player who remembers that golf is, after all, a game.

Posted by Chris Lindsley at 09:45 PM | Permalink | TrackBacks (0)

Growing up, my father and I bonded over sports, and that remains the case today. Following this example, I've tried to use sports as a way to spend more time with my two kids, and I'm glad that I have.

With Father's Day tomorrow, I've thought about how fortunate I've been to share the love of sports and the many benefits they provide with my children. The benefits are many, which include exercise, teamwork, hand-eye coordination, independence, commitment, determination, sportsmanship and having fun.

To me, though, the best part has been spending time together doing something we all enjoy. Whether playing in the yard, coaching one of the kids' teams, taking them to college or pro games or watching sports on TV, we are creating memories while developing common interests that I hope last a lifetime.

Unlike when I was a kid, today's youth have an endless selection of sport options. My kids have some similar and some different interests, and it's been really fun for me to learn about certain sports like gymnastics, skateboarding and bmx from them, as they know more about the fine points of these than I.

I've also exposed my kids to sports that I really enjoy, like basketball, tennis and golf, and it's a real joy to do these things with them. I can remember tagging along with my dad to play golf or softball, things I still remember fondly 30 years later.

One of the great things about sports is that there are always new ones to discover, and new memories to create. There is nothing better than having one of my kids ask me to throw the baseball, football or frisbee; I used to bug my dad to do the same things, and to me it's one of the best parts about being a dad.  

Posted by Chris Lindsley at 02:03 PM | Permalink | TrackBacks (0)

When I think of Father's Day, I think of the many things I've done with my dad over the years, many of which are sports related.

As a kid, my dad and I spent countless hours throwing baseball and football, kicking field goals, hitting golf balls, bowling and much more. He taught me how to do all these things, and we also watched a lot of sports together as well, both in person and on TV.

Dad and I still play golf several times a year and plan other sports-related events as a reason to get together (we live 350 miles apart). Future plans include going to Tiger Woods' golf tournament in the Washington D.C.-area in early July and to a Penn State football game in the fall.

My dad is the reason I enjoy sports so much, and I find myself thinking of him and all the fun we've had together while watching the U.S. Open golf tournament, which always ends on Father's Day.

I've tried hard to recreate these father-child memories with my two kids, with some success. We've tried all kinds of sports and ourdoor activities, I've coached some of their teams, and we've gone to a lot of games at the University of Maryland, which is just down the road from our house.

Sports is a great way to spend time with family and friends. We've had a few instances recently where my dad, my kids and I have thrown the football or played catch. To my mind, it doesn't get any better than that -- a flashback to the past and a look ahead to the future.

Dad, thanks for the memories. I look forward to our creating many more.

Posted by Chris Lindsley at 08:43 PM | Permalink | TrackBacks (0)

ESPN's baseball wrap-up show Baseball Tonight devotes a section of its show each night to highlight the best defensive plays, which is refers to as Web Gems.

This is a good thing, as what ESPN deems popular or cool has a trickle down effect on today's youth. Most baseball highlight shows focus mostly on offense, but defense is a big part of the game as well, and good defensive teams tend to be the teams that make the playoffs.

Defense, perhaps more than hitting and pitching, is a skill young players can improve through hard work and practice. Everyone wants to bat, so those kids who work on their defense have a chance to make their mark and increase their playing time. The fact that ESPN is highlighting this may help encourage kids to focus on their fielding.

Posted by Chris Lindsley at 09:39 PM | Permalink | TrackBacks (0)