Chapel Wood Methodist Church in Houston will host a “Sports, Stress and Kids Workshop” March 25 for parents of athletes designed to help them deal with the issues relating to sports and its impact on families.

The workshop runs from 7 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. and costs $75 per family. Registration for the workshop is available at Chapel Wood Methodist Church, 11140 Green Bay, or by calling 281-320-8499.

Speakers are Jerry A. Duncan, a licensed marriage and family therapist, and Larry Gatewood, a former high school and college coach who has helped hundreds of young athletes improve their skills and pursue their dream of playing at the high school, college and professional level.

"This workshop will address issues and provide solutions for families involved in sports,” says Gatewood, a former all-conference basketball player for Baylor and founder of the Carolina Collegiate sports camps. “Our goal is to give parents the tools to deal with issues such as difficult coaches, building confidence and motivating the child.”

Common issues facing parents of young athletes will be addressed, such as:
• Why are there so many difficult coaches?
• How do I give my son or daughter confidence during a stressful season?
• Am I pushing my child too hard?
• Why does my child have to play a sport year round?
• My daughter does not listen to me, what can I do?
• What can I do to motivate my child?
• How can I make my son or daughter more aggressive?
• Why do sports have to be such a painful experience?

"More and more we are seeing parents who want to know why sports create so much stress for their children and their families," said Gatewood. "One purpose of this workshop is to help families understand what is causing that stress so they can put the enjoyment back in youth sports."

Jerry A. Duncan, M. Div., L.M.F.T.

Jerry is a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist with more than three decades of experience working with parents, adolescents, and older children in psychiatric, clinical and church settings. He received degrees from The University of Oklahoma and Southwestern Seminary in Fort Worth before completing Clinical Internship at the Institute of Religion and Human Development at the Texas Medical Center in Houston. Jerry has worked with hospitalized adolescents and their families for five years in a private psychiatric hospital, for 12 years in churches, and has been in private practice for 19 years.

Larry Gatewood, coach

Over the past 30 years, Larry has helped thousands of young athletes improve their skills and pursue their dream of playing at the high school, college and professional level. A former all-conference basketball player at Baylor as well as a successful high school and college coach, Larry is founder of the Carolina Collegiate sports camps. He currently works with young athletes throughout the Houston area. He offers insight from the perspective of a player, a coach and a parent.