Summer is the time to build your kids' games

I just spent a great weekend in Providence, R.I., with my son, who had the opportunity to go there to play in an extra lacrosse tournament one week after his summer season had officially ended. His club ran the tournament, and apparently they needed one more team to fill out one of the brackets. So they invited a number of players from my son's team and some of the club's other teams to go to Providence as a combined unit and play.

All of the parents I talked to understood that the combined team wasn't likely to win many -- or any -- games. How could it, when the players only met one another and their coach an hour before the first game? But all of us just thought it was nice to get one more opportunity for our boys to play, have fun, and develop their games a little more. The scores ended up being pretty ugly, but I think the boys had a good time playing lacrosse and spending the weekend in a cool city with neat stuff to see and do.

For all young athletes, summer is the time when they can make big improvements in their skills by working on them on their own, or with a friend, or even with you! And if they spend time polishing old skills, learning new ones, or trying to eliminate their weaknesses, that may pay off big time next season.

Many kids have the option to attend various sports camps in the summer, where they can spend a week or more immersing themselves in a particular sport. My youngest son has been playing in a weekly organized pickup lacrosse game and one of his friends who also plays in the games has shown himself to be a much better player since the spring season ended because he's been going to a lacrosse camp. But even if your kids don't go to any camps (mine didn't, because, frankly, we couldn't afford it), they can still help themselves by spending some time every day working on their individual skills.

They don't have to shoot 500 shots every day, like some college or NBA basketball players do, but even a few minutes a day may be enough to help improve their games while keeping them from getting bored. Today, on one of the hottest days of the summer so far, my little guy went outside to throw a lacrosse ball against the wall. Many other days, he's out shooting baskets in the backyard. And as soon as we find his football, we're going to go play catch with that, too.

And this is where you can help, parents. Take advantage of all the daylight you have in the summer and play catch with your kids. Or kick a soccer ball around with them. After all, there's no reason you can't have fun, too!