Lessons to live by in high school sports for 2026
A long plane ride helped a sportswriter put together some standards to strive for in 2026 for high school athletes, coaches and parents.
(Eric Sondheimer / Los Angeles Times)
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While cruising along at 35,000 feet on vacation, it was the perfect time to write down some lessons for players, coaches and parents to live by and standards to strive for in 2026:
- Before using a cuss word, think what it would be like using when your son or daughter was 4 years old and learning how to speak and spell. You’d think twice for fear of teaching them a bad word.
- Before deciding to transfer, write down your priorities and see which coach/school can provide the best guidance, the best inspiration, the best journey even if you never got to start or never played for a championship team.
- Before deciding to take a drink of alcohol at a party so you can look cool to friends, think if that’s the kind of friend you want or do you want someone to empower you to do what’s right, something your parents and coaches taught you.
- The next time you get mad at an official because of a foul, a pitch that was called a strike instead of a ball or a pass interference penalty that you thought was wrong, take a moment to ask is that a big deal in your life or is that one of those moments to accept and move on to the next play, the next pitch, the next game?
- When an opposing player tries to start a fight or lure you into losing your cool, remember they’re testing you, looking for an advantage, seeing if you crack under pressure or forgot what your coach always says: Don’t lose your focus.
- When the game is over and you line up to shake hands, you might see and hear opponents who don’t know how to win with class, so don’t take the bait to do the same. There’s always video, and someone will see you and recognize a leader and peacemaker among the chaos.
- When a coach has to plead to clean up a bench, clean up a floor, clean up a locker room, show that they don’t have to ask by being a leader and initiating a culture that everyone will embrace.
- When an underclassman or teammate looks alone or lost walking around campus or sitting in the bleachers, a small act of kindness can change their world with a simple hello or smile.
- Before yelling at a player for making a mistake, think whether their personality will be better able to move forward with positive feedback instead of negative.
- When you learn someone is criticizing you behind your back, recognize it for what it is — jealousy, and not worth a second of your time because the way you live your life is always the best response to someone wanting to take you down with false narratives and cowardice.
- When making the decision whether to study for a test or first play a video game, think how you will feel after you got an A and showed it to your parents and they realize all your hard work paid off.
- When you’re deciding whether you’re playing just to make friends or playing to earn a scholarship, think which decision will have a bigger impact on your life if one doesn’t work out.
- When you become jealous that a teammate gets more publicity and more playing time even though you think you’re better, find something you do better that your coach will surely notice and begin the process of reversing perceptions by using your own super powers of persuasion during practice, bus rides and locker room talks.
- Don’t be afraid to come up to a sportswriter to introduce yourself if you have a story to tell. No one really knows your story unless you respectfully speak up. What’s the worst thing that can happen? Nothing.
- When a teacher is making you work hard in class, don’t get mad, get even. Turn a C into a B. Turn a B into an A. The chance to say to the teacher, “See!” is priceless.
- Be careful when you’re in a hurry to finish high school. It’s your last chance to have few or zero responsibilities and savor memories, moments and friends that will last a lifetime. Your parents tried to tell you but as teenagers the message sometimes isn’t received. When one of the scouting services decide you don’t deserve any stars next to your name, write down the date, time and place. Post it on a wall. Read it every day as motivation to prove it wrong. And one day when you make it to the place you wanted to reach, have it framed and show it to a sportswriter to put together your story of perseverance, dedication and triumph.
