The holiday season is a time when gifts are given and received, when people attempt to put the wants and needs of others over their own.

Trinkets and packages, however, often don’t address things that people desire deep inside.

The 2021 Utah Valley prep sports wishlist will attempt to dig a little deeper, to look at things that athletes and coaches really want as they compete in their respective events.

Here we go:

The perfect amount of parental involvement

It’s a tough balance for parents to strike as they try to support and encourage their athletes.

At the one end of the spectrum, you have the parents who aren’t involved at all. Some, for various reasons, rarely even attend the events. That can be difficult for high school athletes if they feel their passions don’t matter.

At the other end is the over-involved parents who decide their perspective is more applicable than that of the coaches or the players themselves. They often damage relationships by being too demanding or pushing their athletes too hard.

Most coaches and athletes would love to have parents hit the Goldilocks zone: not too much involvement, not too little, but just right.

Fairness and clarity from coaches

The reality is that in team sports not all athletes can get the same amount of playing time. That means someone has to make the decisions about who has what roles and that is the job of the coaches.

Now that’s rarely easy and it often results in disappointment.

The best coaches, however, find ways to express both the expectations and the reasons why the decisions were made how they were made.

That doesn’t mean athletes or their parents will always choose to understand but it at least gives them a baseline to work off of.

That provides incentive for athletes to decide what they are willing to do to earn more opportunities.

Passion and dedication from athletes

Parents and coaches can encourage and even push their proteges to be their best but the bottom line is that true success will be determined by the athletes themselves.

They are the only ones who know what work they will put in beyond what is required by the program.

That may be in the weight room, in watching film, in building endurance or in getting a greater appreciation for their teammates.

Every coach loves to have the kids who have the inner fire that drives them to be the best they can be without needing to be urged by the coaches.

It also provides the most satisfaction for the athletes themselves when they reach their goals.

Understanding of the value of teamwork

Whether in a team sport or one that is more based on individual performance, one of the benefits of high school athletics is that rarely does everyone have to do alone.

They have each other to lean on, but that also results in frictions and conflicts. The best teams maximize the former and minimize the latter.

That requires leaders who have their sights set on succeeding as a group more than as individuals. It also requires that the athletes buy in and sacrifice some things they want for something better.

Appreciation for community support

In this day and age of club sports, when so much talent development happens outside of the high school competition, sometimes athletes fail to appreciate the benefits of competing for their schools.

It’s different to represent both your peers and your community.

The most recognizable examples are often the fire-engine processions after teams win state championships but it is far from the only instance where that makes a difference.

There are the friends and neighbors who show up at games or meets.

There are the teachers and administrators who add to their workloads to be their for the teams.

There are the companies and individuals who spend money to sponsors the teams.

High school sports is about more than just talent (or who has the money to pay for elite training). It’s about the schools and neighborhoods coming together under the auspices of athletic competition.

All players and coaches deserve to have a deep appreciation for everyone they are representing.

Happy Holidays to all Utah Valley high school athletes, coaches and supporters.

Newsletter