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IHSAA Student-Athlete Tip of the Week (9-21-2020)

 "Promoting education based athletics in Indiana"

This past week a Major League Baseball player was ejected from a game after hitting a home run. How can that be? He kicked dirt on the plate after crossing it because he was upset about a previous call a few innings earlier.

How do you treat officials/umpires/referees? Do you respect them? 

In my humble opinion, it would be wise to treat officials like you would a teacher in the classroom or a coach during practice. In those cases, you listen, you don't talk out loud or out of turn, and you respect authority.

Officials are human.  Just like you, they make mistakes and will miss a call from time to time. Remember, it's a long game and one call does not determine the outcome.

It's very important that you keep your composure after a tough call or a controversial play. But more importantly, being  kind and respectful to officials won't protect you if you do something blatantly wrong, but it could help you when it comes to questionable calls.

Showing respect is always the right thing to do!

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IHSAA Student-Athlete Tip of the Week (9-14-2020)

"Promoting education based athletics in Indiana"

The PGA Tour recently named Zack Johnson the winner of the 2020 Payne Stewart Award for character and sportsmanship.

For those of you who have never seen or heard of Zack, he is known for his grit and fight, even though he is small in stature. He has been an underdog  throughout his career and wasn't highly recruited even though he has won 12 times on the PGA Tour including the 2007 Masters and the 2015 Open Championship.

To achieve his success he stated that he has “ out thought and out fought and out putted and out gutted” his way throughout the tour.

Most high school athletes face the same challenges that college and professionals faced when they were in high school. It's not always the most talented athletes who succeed. There's something to be said for those who are willing to out think and out work those who you are competing against!

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IHSAA Student-Athlete Tip of the Week (9-8-2020)

"Promoting education based athletics in Indiana"

The 2020-21 school year is officially under way and it is anything but normal.  Some students are attending school full time, while others are on a schedule of virtual learning. Regardless of your situation, things have changed. With change comes the added responsibility of doing things the right way during this Covid 19 transition.

Playing sports and attending school live now becomes a privilege. It's no longer a given. We can no longer take it for granted.  Make sure you do your part. Sacrifices are required. Your normal routine from past years has changed. To ensure safety and the greatest opportunity of continuing to play sports, follow those rules and guidelines that your school and coaches have put in place.

Last school year, many student-athletes faced the sad situation that their sport was cancelled because of situations (pandemic) out of their control. We now have guidelines in place that give us a fighting chance to return to the routines that we truly missed over the past six months. Sports, now more than ever, requires everyone to do their part!

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IHSAA Student-Athlete Tip of the Week (5-25-2020)

"Promoting education based athletics in Indiana"

The 2020 school year is officially over for most. What a change we have seen over the past two and a half months. While it was different and unforeseen, we all are getting through it and it's time to look forward to summer and the challenges still facing us in the months ahead.

Will things be different next school year? You bet. What will it look like? Who knows for sure. Should you be worried? No, because people are resilient and adapt to change. How can you help? Be positive and confident that those in charge will make the right decisions.

While we don't know what school and sports will look like this summer and fall, we do know that it's not going to be the same as in the past.

As a student-athlete, now is the time to start training for the challenges ahead. Coaching supervision may not always be available. Working out on your own or in small groups will become the norm. You are going to be faced with more responsibility and accountability. 

Make this summer count!

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IHSAA Student-Athlete Tip of the Week (5-18-2020)

"Promoting education based athletics in Indiana"

This past weekend was the first time a sporting event in America had been broadcast live since sports were suspended over eight weeks ago due to Covid19. It was a PGA event featuring four of the tour's top players.

Things were different. Play by play announcer, Mike Tirico, provided live coverage from his home outside Detroit, while the match was being played in southeast Florida. There were no spectators, only a few cameramen, and no caddies as the players carried their own bags. It was a much different look than normal, but sports are slowly coming back.

Every community and school wants to provide youth and high school sports in a safe and healthy environment. There will be many adjustments over the next year for all these events.

It is not too soon for the student-athlete to prepare mentally for the changes ahead. Your focus and mental toughness will continue to be tested as you start competing again.

While the rules of your sport won't likely change, the environment in which they will be played could be totally different!

All content property of Billy Shepherd Sports