Empowering Young Athletes
Remember, as a youth sports coach, your goal isn't to create professional athletes but to instill a love for the game, nurture a healthy lifestyle, and teach valuable life skills. Approach your role with enthusiasm, patience, and understanding, and you'll significantly impact your young athletes' lives.
Game On: Crafting Engaging Practices for Youth Athletes to Maximize Fun and Learning
As a coach, it is essential to structure practices to maximize engagement and learning for your young athletes. By creating a positive and stimulating environment, you can help your athletes develop the physical, cognitive, social, and emotional skills necessary for success both on and off the field.
Shaping Tomorrow's Champions
Coaching is more than teaching a sport; it's about shaping character and teaching life lessons. As a youth sports coach, you have a unique opportunity to impact young lives positively. So, coach with passion, wisdom, and compassion, and help shape tomorrow's champions.
Five Ways to Help a Student-Athlete Develop Self-Efficacy
As a student-athlete, learning self-efficacy and making decisions independently is essential. Here are five things I teach throughout the season to help my student-athletes to practice becoming autonomous people.
Time Out or Pause?
Games are high-stress for everyone—players, coaches, parents, and fans alike experience increased heart rates and crazy emotions throughout the game. I often get asked, “How do I make my athletes more mentally tough?”
Every Child Just Wants to be Seen
We can love someone and still be less than present at times. But to “see” someone requires us to be fully engaged and present.
To Scold or Mold
"A coach is merely the extension of a child's dream." Former South African Rugby National Coach Peter DeVilliers leans in, piercing me with his eyes while the echo of his words bounces around in my head. He continues, "At the end of your life, you will be called into account for all the kids who were put under your supervision." Coach DeVilliers raises both hands up high in a victory pose. "These kids are gold! They are precious minerals that can be shaped and formed, and it is your duty to play your part!"
The Zipper Phenomena
This week, look for situations in practice, competition, or life where the child is struggling. Let them struggle a bit before you intervene (so long as it is safe), and the payoff will outweigh the struggle.
Coach the species, not the sport
"Records are deceiving, buddy." He went on, "I won't know how I did as a coach for 10, maybe 15 years. When those young men finish college, start a family, and are productive members of society, then I'll know I did my part well. I have never forgotten that conversation.
Winning with a Mediocre Team
To find more success in youth sports, simplify your playbook, increase your ability to connect with children, and practice in-game situations. But whatever you do, don’t assume the child has learned how to listen and respond. We are the adults, and we are their models for how to be.
Be a great adult.
The Secret Ingredient of Youth Sport Success
When the losses start piling up, it is easy to think a new play or formation will solve the problem. We forget that these are kids, playing a game, and if we could just get out of the way and let them play, we would more often see that beautiful moment of a child doing something they love.
