News

IHSAA Student-Athlete Tip of the Week (1-27-2020)

“Promoting education based athletics in Indiana”

Super Bowl quarterback Patrick Mahomes was quite the high school athlete. He starred in basketball, baseball and football.  However, the professional sport of football he now plays was not his best sport in his younger years. 

Today, most student-athletes tend to specialize in one sport early in their high school years. According to Mahomes’ high school football coach, he was much more successful in basketball and baseball his 9th and 10th grade years.

He played defensive back in football until his junior year. He wanted to be a quarterback and thought briefly about giving up on football since he wasn’t playing the position he desired.

Multi-sport athletes in high school seem to be a dying breed. I encourage all athletes to play as many sports as they can for as long as they can. Just think, if Patrick Mahomes had chosen baseball or basketball early on, he may have never reached his full potential as an NFL quarterback !

All content property of Billy Shepherd Sports

IHSAA Student-Athlete Tip of the Week (1-20-2020)

"Promoting education based athletics in Indiana"

It's so easy to form an instant opinion of a student-athlete by watching them in a close game or match and how they react to a tough call or a questionable call by an official. How is your attitude when you get a questionable call?  What does your body language say about you?

Composure and self control during tough moments in a game or match is not easy to accomplish. You need to program yourself and make a decision that you won't try to upstage an official, whether you agree with a call or not. 

In those tough moments, will you react in a negative way or will you forget about the bad call and move on instantly to the next play?

There's nothing more impressive than watching a game and not seeing athletes moaning and crying about every call. Common sense tells me that every call is not going to go your way. However, if you are one of those athletes that complains about every call, don't count on getting the call from an official when you really need it!

All content property of Billy Shepherd Sports   

IHSAA Student-Athlete Tip of the Week (1-13-2020)

"Promoting education based athletics in Indiana"

One of the many challenges facing coaches today is how to deal with the egos of the student-athlete.  In individual sports, most coaches would agree that having an athlete with a big ego might be beneficial, but in team sports that big ego could prove detrimental.

Are you playing a team sport? If so, holding your ego in check is essential. We have all heard the saying there is no "I" in team. Egos must be left in the locker room.  While you need individual skills to play team sports, the most important impact you can have is blending your skills with those of the team.

That is the reason coaches spend so much time on team bonding and building a team culture. Getting everyone to buy in and be on the same page can be the difference between a so-so season and a very successful one.

Remember, to earn playing time and the trust of your coach, the most important thing you can do is satisfy your coaching staff!

All content property of Billy Shepherd Sports   

IHSAA Student-Athlete Tip of the Week (1-6-2020)

"Promoting education based athletics in Indiana"

Winter break is over and the new year is here. Did you make any New Year resolutions?  How will you achieve them?  You may have heard the saying that "hope is not a strategy."

To reach your goals you must have a plan-- hope alone will not get you there. 

You have had a break in the classroom but now it is time to come back to school reenergized and focused. Start today. Don't take any days off.

You can make 2020 your best year academically and athletically.   Execute your plan and don't become discouraged along the way. Your dreams are possible!

All content property of Billy Shepherd Sports   

IHSAA Student-Athlete Tip of the Week (12-16-19)

"Promoting education based athletics in Indiana"

Winter break is close and most student-athletes (except winter sports) will have a couple of weeks of free time and vacation. This is a good time of the year to rethink the goals you have set for yourself and your teams. It's also a good time to rethink some of the mistakes you have made and think about things you might have done differently.

Is there a teacher, coach, or teammate that you may have offended by your words or actions? Is there something you would like to take back or apologize for because of something you said or by the way you acted?

We all do and say things that we regret after we have had time to thing about the harm we may have caused someone else.  This is the perfect time to get those things off your chest and start the New Year will a fresh start and clean slate.

If you have offended that teacher, coach or teammate it's time to make things right. On the other hand, for those people that you have appreciated and gone the extra yard for and have had no problem with, let them know how much you appreciate their support and guidance. It's a great time of the year to make everything right with those you interact with on a daily basis!

All content property of Billy Shepherd Sports