Ask the Coach Guidance for those lost in sports

Dear Coach: As a high school basketball coach, how do I tell my
shooting guard that I want to move him to small forward so that I
can replace him with a better player?
TRADING PLACES

Dear Trading: Don't be shy about making the switch, just
tactful. "It's essential to be honest, but there's no need to
overemphasize the obvious," says Michael Pfahl, executive
director of the National Youth Sports Coaches Association.
"Players at that age know their skill level, and they know how
they match up with their teammates." Frame your decision as a
challenge to the player to learn a new set of skills. Most
important, control your team's reaction by making your motives
explicit. "If you're underhanded or uncommunicative," says
Pfahl, "players will draw their own conclusions."

Dear Coach: After being pushed in a jogging stroller for seven
years, my daughter wants to get out and run with me. Is she too
young?
THE RUNNING MOM

Dear Running: To paraphrase the movie ads, walk, don't run. "The
most a parent should expect a seven-year-old to run would be a
quarter mile, and even that's a lot," says Dr. Eric Small, a
pediatric sports-medicine specialist at New York City's Mount
Sinai Medical Center. "Kids run the risk of injuring their growth
plates or suffering stress fractures in their shins or feet if
they are pushed to go long distances." Start your daughter with
brief runs, and let her do them only two or three times a week.
When she starts getting used to running, you can begin stretching
out the distances, but don't add more than 10% each week.

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