Yesterday as practice finished up, I was talking with one of the moms in the reception area. She wanted to tell me that within the past few months her daughter’s math grade has gone up one whole grade and that she associates the success with her daughter’s gymnastics. This is her daughter’s first year on a competitive team and the skills her daughter has learned in the gym - focus, determination, and patience, have translated very nicely into her academics.

This is not the first time in my 20+ years of coaching I have heard this from a parent. Actually I think I have heard this type of anecdotal support for kids and sports every single year I coach.

At swim practice this week I saw a coach wearing a t-shirt with the best saying I have seen in a while:

When it comes to your goals as a coach, parent or athlete, do you have a plan? Or is it just a wish?

I have long been a supporter of sports for kids of all ages, but there is a new study that reinforces one of the most positive benefits of sports. Researchers at BYU have just released a study that reports that women who participated in high school sports are 41% more likely to be college grads as well.

In my opinion, sports help teach girls (and boys) some of the same life skills that are essential to success in college, including:

• Time management
• How to deal with success
• How to deal with disappointment
• Persistence
• Self esteem
• Team work
• The benefits of a good work ethic

Getting girls involved in sports as children is a great investment in their future!