Article — Susan Fotovich McCabe
For many baby boomers, hearing mom yell “time for dinner!” often signaled the end of a very long day of athletic activity—whether that was baseball in a sandlot, football in the backyard, or kick-the-can through the neighborhood streets.
Back then (let’s say the 1970’s), kids were outside anytime they weren’t at school or church. They cut their teeth on sports the old fashioned way—with neighbor kids and through trial and error. There were very few structured athletic teams before high school, and certainly even less jockeying to find a place on a premier team. That’s the way Dennis Still remembers it. Still is a former professional basketball player, who played internationally, and is the owner of ‘Ol School Basketball Sports (Olschoolsports.com) in Overland Park.
“In my day, when we were in fourth and fifth grade, we were outside playing,” says Still of his nine siblings, which includes former Kansas City Chiefs Defensive End Art Still and former professional women’s basketball player Valerie Still. “We just learned as we went along. It was a very different time.”
Jump ahead to 2010 and local families look at sports a little differently. Today, organized soccer, baseball and football teams are the norm in the early years of elementary school. Some of those teams are recreational. Others are more competitive and lay the groundwork for a more serious shot at high school, college and even professional sports. At ‘Ol School Basketball, Still admits not every student who comes through the door will make it to the “big time.” Yet, he says they’ll leave with something even more valuable – confidence.
“Competition is good, but getting the kids to develop self esteem and confidence is so important. I don’t ever want to burst a kid’s bubble about his or her potential because you always want to have a goal to work towards,” says Still.
Still, who greets everyone with a big grin and a fist bump, works with students from elementary school through college, training them through a mix of basketball fundamentals, strengthening/ conditioning and drills. He has a gentle, encouraging way of bringing timid students out of their shells, while using his much stronger coaching voice to light a fire under the kids when necessary. His goal, he says, is to get the students to “play up” two grades, always getting them ready for the next transition. He trains students one-on-one and in small group settings.
“I want them to enjoy the game, but I work them hard,” says Still. “You should see the face of a kid who just made a layup. You can just see it in their eyes that they like it and they’re hungry to come back again.”
Still believes that while kids should try a variety of sports at a young age, they shouldn’t be forced to participate in one they don’t enjoy. Likewise, he says participating in one to two sports a season is an ideal number of commitments for young students.
Like Still, former Kansas City Chiefs Offensive Guard Will Shields remembers spending his youth outside with friends instead of in training with coaches and organized leagues. “We were pushed outside when the sun came up until the sun went down,” remembers Shields. “Today, you have the ‘play date,’ where everything is controlled by the parent. We used to get our own games going.”
Despite Shields’ own carefree days as a child, he admits he sees the value in providing young athletes with opportunities for formal training and coaching. Not only does it hone their skills, it teaches discipline, he says. “There’s going to come a day when kids will have a schedule – and not necessarily the schedule that’s best for them. They’ll learn that maybe there’s something they have to give up in order to meet their other commitments,” Shields says.
Today, Shields owns and manages Will Shields 68 Inside Sports (68insidesports.com), an Overland Park fitness center and sports training academy. The academy focuses on football, baseball/softball, basketball, soccer, lacrosse and volleyball. In addition, 68 Inside Sports offers an introduction to sports with their future stars program for kids, three to six. This program allows them to try several different sports from an early age in a fun, non-competitive environment. Shields recommends introducing students to a variety of sports, and says what athletes learn in one sport often carries over to another. Take for example, he says, soccer, which can help an athlete who later chooses football.
Certainly, the business of sports has opened up some great opportunities for student athletes who demonstrate talent and passion. And they’re looking for ways to get noticed. To help those students, as well as college recruiters, another former Chiefs player, Mark Collins launched his business, 2xChampSports.com. The website features the profiles of student athletes from around the country looking for college scholarships. Collins, who says a lot of good talent goes unnoticed, started the business three years ago. Several months ago, Collins’ website listed 600 student athletes. Today, it has grown to include more than 7,000 athletes. There is no charge to students or colleges. The website is supported through corporate donors, such as Nike, Juice Plus and others.
“This is great for families and athletes, and it’s free,” says Collins. “It also allows coaches to sit down at their computer at a time that’s convenient for them to review these profiles.”
According to Collins, while the profiles help students get noticed, he speaks to high school students around the country and offers this back-to-basics advice. “Do your best on the field, in school and get all your ducks in a row if you want a shot at a college scholarship.”
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