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YOUTH SPORTS

Pre-season practices swamp summer schedules

Sean Spath loves sports. The 15-year-old, a sophomore at Bishop Maginn High School in Albany, was on both the junior varsity football and baseball teams last year. This fall, along with playing football, Sean is also in a travel baseball league.

Meanwhile, his 17-year-old sister, Eileen, is a cheerleader for Bishop Maginn.

"I do spend a lot of time in the Maginn parking lots," joked Anne Spath, Sean and Eileen's mother.

With the upcoming fall sports season approaching, many teams have already begun practicing. But for many families, it may be a stressful time: Between practices, work, summer vacations and the eventual start of the school year, how do the students and their parents balance everything?

For the Spath family, years of experience and organization are key.

"We put a lot of stuff on our calendar," said Mrs. Spath. "That kind of reminds me of everything so I can plan around it."

Ed and Anne Spath are also the parents of Meghan, 21, and Coleen, 19. As hectic as it may be for them now, they say it actually has gotten easier: In the past, both Mr. and Mrs. Spath had to balance all four of their children taking part in other activities. 

Help, kids!
Now that their children are older, the couple has two extra helpers.

"It's gotten much easier now," Mr. Spath confirmed. "And sometimes Meghan or Coleen can help with transportation, which eases it a bit."

Transportation is often one of the biggest problems.

"Preseason stuff does cut into my parents' work time," admitted Katie Amato, a 15-year-old Catholic who plays tennis for Columbia High School. "Most practices are in the morning which makes it difficult to get a ride to where I need to go."

Dan Cogan coaches girls' cross-country at Saratoga Central Catholic High School, as well as youth soccer. To him, it is about developing an understanding with both the kids and their parents.

"I listen to my kids and I find out what's important to them," he explained.

To play high school sports, an athlete must have eight individual practices before he or she can compete for the team. With many families using the month of August as vacation time, this may cut into some of those practices as well as their conditioning. 

That's why Mr. Cogan makes it a point to make sure the kids he coaches keep up with their work regimen.

"Kids can work out on their own," he stated. "If they're going on vacation, I'll tell them what I expect them to do during that time just to keep up and get ready."

One of the Spaths' biggest peeves is unannounced practices. "It throws us off," Mrs. Spath complained. "As long as we know ahead of time we're okay, but when something comes up last-minute, it changes everything."

Family meals can also become a problem: "Because the schedule is so messed up, dinners are hard," Mr. Spath said. "Dinner's a big thing with us. We like to all be together."

To avoid circumstances like this, Mr. Cogan makes sure to get in touch with parents before practices even begin.

"I'll email the schedule to the parents and ask what times are best for them. Generally, in the preseason we like to meet in the evening, giving parents more time."

For some kids the scheduling is not a big deal, but for others it can get a little tiresome.

"During the season, I usually don't get home until 8:30 [p.m.]," said Katie. "And by then I just want to eat and go to bed."

Tag-team time 
For the Spaths, time does not become an issue until school begins - but, even then, they've learned to manage.

"Sometimes I'm rushing to finish my homework," said Eileen. "But there are breaks during the day where I can get some of it done."

Sean added: "I just take advantage of my free time and do it then."

Coaches have to deal with the time crunch, as well.

"My wife is not a great fan of my schedule," Mr. Cogan remarked. "But we try to work it out."

Families and coaches all try to keep the different elements of their lives in perspective. "It all comes down to scheduling accordingly and being a tag-team," Mr. Spath stated.

"My philosophy is, this is all fun," said Mr. Cogan. "I never want to pressure a kid unnecessarily. There's enough pressure on kids today without it coming from a coach."

(08/20/09) [[In-content Ad]]

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