Readers respond, offer suggestions

I have enjoyed the experience of writing for the Daily Herald and hope I have provided some insight for readers.

I received some interesting feedback and suggestions for future articles.

Jeff of Antioch responded concerning his son Brett, who was not just a three-sport athlete but a four-sport athlete in high school.

Not only did he play soccer, but also football (same season as soccer for boys), basketball and tennis.

And he was not just "on" the teams. He was all-conference, all-area, and special mention all-state in soccer, the starting point guard in basketball, and the No. 1 singles player in tennis.

In addition, he also played club soccer with the Chicago Kickers during all three seasons.

Needless to say, his summers also were busy. Most important, Brett was an honors student. Now in his freshman year in college, he continues to play soccer.

Tim H. of Palatine, who works with youth basketball players in the area, feels that there is too much pressure on athletes to specialize too early. He tries to encourage his players to participate in multiple activities for as many years as possible. He hopes that I can write an article on "The comeback of the three-sport athlete" in the future.

I received interesting comments from Robert H. of Arlington Heights. He felt that my article on good parenting of athletes might best be broken down into four parts: elementary, middle school, feeder (club), and high school (AAU) levels.

I believe that my article applied to all levels, but the expectations on each level are different. Thus, taking his suggestion might generate more specific articles on the subject in the future.

He also had some interesting insights on choosing a college as an athlete, making the observation that many area athletes have found their niche at Division III instead of a higher level. He felt that school location should be emphasized more since some athletes become homesick and also because of consideration of future job location after college.

Steve B. of Prospect Heights agreed with me that today's athletes are bigger, faster, and stronger and, therefore, better. He wondered if a future article might discuss whether today's athletes appreciate sports as much, have as much fun, and learn life lessons as did former athletes.

Chuck M. of Arlington Heights also agreed that today's athletes are better but felt they might have some advantages because of the way the game is officiated. He observed that he sees many ball handlers carry the ball as a natural part of their dribble which gives them an advantage.

I might also add that, because of the officiating, there is a place in the today's game for the less skilled, more physical player, which might have not been true previously.

William D. of Arlington Heights reinforced my idea about the athlete involved in multiple activities with conflicts. His words, speaking from experience, were "communicate, communicate, communicate!"

Finally, Cheryl G. of Palatine had some interesting suggestions for future articles: advice for three-sport athletes (avoiding burnout, down time), developing positive motivation and confidence building in athletes, starting travel levels of sports at too young an age, injury prevention for athletes, and keeping family balance in the midst of athletic schedules --especially when there might be more than one athlete in the family at the same time.

I appreciate the feedback and hope my articles gave insight into high school athletics based on my 40 years experience.

Hopefully, I will continue the discussion next year using some or all of the feedback I have received along with other topics that will certainly surface.