Concussions stole young Nathan Fraser's memories, but after some hard work he's on the road to recovery. Learn more in this special report featured on Canada's TSN. WATCH VIDEO #stopconcussions
Whether searching for new ideas, or looking for insider tips, Twitter is an amazing and global resource. This is especially true for #youthsports. Coaches can connect for best ways to run practice; parents can easily find safety tips or simply join conversations on how to get your kids into the game.
To help guide Weplayers I will start calling out insiders or new #hashtag conversations that I feel can really assist our young athletes. Check out this starting line-up...
For Coaches: @PositiveCoachUS - Positive Coaching Alliance (PCA) is a national organization committed to providing all youth and high school athletes a positive experience. PCA offers valuable tools, webinars and articles for coaches. @CoachHarriman – Listen, hustle and have fun is the model for this hoops coach. Follow for regular perspective on the latest court side topics.
For Parents: @InsideYouthSprt - Jeffrey is the author of, The Joy of Youth Sports. Follow him for blogs and great feedback. @SportsDadHub - A fun and topical twitter handle from a Dad’s perspective. @RickNadeau - Rick is all over fan development with the New York Rangers, he has a great insider perspective from a professional sports team.
Keep the conversation going with hashtag #youthsports.
Game on! Craig
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NHL.com - Life as a hockey parent isn't easy.
In addition to the rising expense of equipment and ice time, there's a commitment to travel and setting alarms for early-morning wakeups every weekend during the travel hockey season.
It's an unforgiving process, but one that can be extremely rewarding for our sons and daughters if done properly.
"I always tell parents the one thing they should expect out of their kids is attitude and effort in the early stages of learning the game," said Jon Greenwood, the director of hockey development at the Maritime Hockey Academy in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia.
Author and youth hockey advice columnist Christie Casciano Burns admits there are two areas every hockey parent should take into consideration in the early stages of youth hockey development.
"Punctuality and selflessness in practices and games," Burns told NHL.com. "And nagging parents need to chill … seriously. Let the coaches coach, referees ref, and let the kids be kids."
Burns' son, Joe, began playing hockey when he was 8 years old with the Lysander Youth Hockey program in Lysander, N.Y. READ MORE
CHARLOTTE, NC (WBTV) - There's a cheerleading and dance competition in Charlotte this weekend. It's part of the youth and amateur sports market that cites are competing to win.
Organizers say The Spirit of Hope Cheerleading and Dance National Championship at the Charlotte Convention Center is attracting people from "15 states - as far north as Pennsylvania, all the way down to Florida and over to Tennessee." 
Adam Thomas, President of Universal Spirit, says "252 teams, 6,000 athletes, 18,000 attendees will be attending throughout the weekend."
Experts say cities are targeting the youth/amateur sports market as a 'get' because the competitions and events fill what used to be significant vacant time periods in the hospitality industry.
"Like summer, weekends," says Mike Butts, Executive Director of the Charlotte Regional Visitors Authority. "Those are times hotels are typically slow or restaurants are slow. That's great business in these periods that maybe corporate meeting don't happen."
Officials say youth competitions have become like "family vacations, family events so they travel in groups." The CRVA says youth sports market has "grown in Charlotte really dramatically." According to Butts, amateur sports accounted for 53% of hotel bookings in the Charlotte region from July 2011 to June 2012. READ MORE
Hundreds of questions and answers from other parents and coaches!
