By Andra Bryan Stefanoni

news@joplinglobe.com

PITTSBURG, Kan. — Parents, student athletes and coaches from Crawford County’s schools will have the opportunity to hear former Major League Baseball player Jim Sundberg speak Monday night about playing competitive sports and the role of parents in athletic development.

Sundberg’s free presentation will begin at 7 p.m. at Memorial Auditorium.

Doug Hitchcock, Pittsburg High School activities director, called it a “great opportunity to create awareness that there are different points of view in the world of athletics,” from those of coaches to parents to administrators to student athletes.

“Effective communication is key with youth sports; sometimes it’s easy to have tunnel vision and just one point of view because we as parents get caught up in what kids are doing,” Hitchcock said. “We need to step back and try to look at everyone’s point of view in a given situation.”

Sundberg, the author of “Sports Parenting: Maximizing the Sports Experience for You and Your Child,” spent 16 years playing with the Texas Rangers, Kansas City Royals, Chicago Cubs and Milwaukee Brewers.

In the book, Sundberg and his wife of 30 years, Janet, provide anecdotes about hyper-competitive parents whose own insecurities come to rule their children’s athletic participation.

Positive parents, the Sundbergs counter, allow their kids to participate in sports just for fun, cheer them on without performance expectations, console them without reproach and are always ready to “listen, listen, listen.”

His presentation in Pittsburg will focus on ways of supporting student athletes, instilling character through sports, teaching sports-to-life lessons, dealing with game-day emotions, and tips for parents to do and not do for children involved in sports.

Hitchcock said asking a speaker like Sundberg to raise topics like “sports parenting” with area parents and their athletes is intended as an opportunity.

“It’s meant to be pro-active — because we have some of the most supportive parents in the world and I’m not saying we’re doing this because we have a problem.”

He said he hopes it raises awareness about issues that are common to youth athletics.

Hitchcock said he encourages parents who might be leaders in youth athletics to attend Monday night’s presentation as well.

Sundberg’s presentation is being funded by a grant through the Pritchett Trust.