Christina: Questioning everything is a big
one. Coaches want kids who buy into the hard
work, and are willing to listen and learn and
work hard. Excuses and laziness will never
make it at the college level. Coaches want kids
who are selfless and put the team above their own
egos and pride- that is a big characteristic coaches are looking
for in kids today. Check the ego at the door, because egos cause
a lot of kids to miss out on great opportunities to be recruited
by good schools because they can’t get past thoughts that they
are too good for schools or programs. Scholarships are limited,
rosters are limited, opportunities are limited, so don't take things
for granted.
What advice would you give to help both athletes and their
parents make the best impression?
Christina: Learn how to love the game and
play with a pure heart. Take responsibility for
all your actions, whether good or bad, and
work to make them better, from your skills
and attitude to dealing with adversity. Life is
hard and sports can be a great way to teach teens
how to be better people and work through obstacles. Hustle and
attitude are two traits that need to be instilled from an early age,
regardless of whether you want to play in college or not. You
need these traits so that you can make the most of all that life
throws at you.
Mark: A parent’s role in their athlete's/kid's
career should consist of being there to support
them at every turn, on the good days and the
bad. Parents need to provide the resources for
their kids to develop. Camps, private lessons,
or travel teams, at an appropriate age, are all ways
to help them grow as athletes. The greatest gift a parent can give
is time in the back yard or on a field practicing what has been
learned (but not critiquing each move!).
Christina: Educate yourself on the recruiting
process from NCAA standards, ACT/SAT test
scores, and eligibility, to the whole recruiting
process. Make sure you start preparing early
and be open minded to all opportunities. Having
an opportunity to play in college is a privilege that
is earned through hard work, sacrifice, and dedication. Once
you get that chance, you have to keep growing and developing
and working hard to make it last. To quote my favorite movie, A
League of Their Own: "It’s supposed to be hard. If it wasn't hard,
everyone would do it. The hard is what makes it great.”
Mark Fuller is an Auburn University graduate, former college
baseball player & coach (Auburn University and NC State) and
former professional baseball player (NY Mets and CO Rockies)
with over 25 years of playing and coaching experience. He is also
a Certified Personal Trainer (CPT), National Academy of Sports
Medicine (NASM) Certified, Co-owner and Director of Baseball
at Sports Academy in Opelika, and Sports Performance Specialist
at RehabWorks of Auburn/East Alabama Medical Center. Mark is
married to Lori and they are the proud parents of Brooks and Brady.
Chris Steiner-Wilcoxson enters her fourth season as Alabama
State University's softball head coach for the 2017-2018 academic
year. In her 11-year collegiate coaching career, Wilcoxson has
posted a 389-272-2 record. This past summer she had the privilege
of coaching against Team USA, leading a group of college all-stars
against the national team. She guided Alabama State to a 28-win
season. A 1994 graduate of Robertsdale High School in Roberts-
dale, Alabama and two-time team captain at Auburn University,
Wilcoxson was a three-year starter for the Tigers during the AU
program’s first three seasons in existence. She led Auburn in home
runs in 1997 and closed her playing career in 1999 by leading the
team in at-bats, triples and stolen bases. She currently ranks third
in the Auburn record book in career stolen bases and triples. She
transferred to Auburn following her freshman year at Huntingdon
College, where she played varsity softball and volleyball.Wilcoxson
is the proud parent of three children, Easton, Auburn, and Rylee.
Is there anything else you'd like to share that you think
might be helpful?
Mark: Being a parent is a privilege. Ultimately,
we should be focused on raising kids that will
become productive, impactful adults, not just
successful athletes. An athlete's success will
depend on the amount of God-given talent
they have, not how hard their parents push them.
Brought to you by
Be the parent who is supportive and a team player, and avoid being
unnecessarily negative. Don't put your teen's coach in the position
of asking, "Is this player worth having to deal with their parent?"
www.potentialmagazine.com
Winter 2017 |
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