Why Do Good Coaches Build Kids

Good Coaches Make Build Kids (rough draft)

On average 35 million children play youth sports each season and 85% of coaches are parents coaching their own kids. It can be basketball, soccer, baseball, or softball. If it involves players, parents, referees, and a ball. If it is played as a game, in a tournament, or has practices, it will require a coach. This single figurehead will often be the deciding factor as to the level of satisfaction everyone involved receives from the experience. Coaching youth sports can be a balancing act between developing good players and cultivating great kids.

By knowing your sport, you are on the path to gaining your players and parents trust. As a youth coach I have vast experience: 1 season coaching basketball, 2 seasons coaching softball, and 10 years coaching soccer.

I had played basketball and baseball in the yard but had never touched a soccer ball until the day my oldest signed up to play. As was the case with me, coaches are often only coaching because nobody else would step up. As admirable as that is, the job does not end there. I am not saying that you have to become a sports deity, however, learn the rules of the game at least as they pertain to the level you are coaching. Also find resources to learn practice games and drills but be careful to make them age and skill appropriate. If you keep the players engaged and they see you are committed to them, then they will be committed to you.
Earning player trust is vital and sometimes easier than gaining the support of their parents.

As a general rule, parents are much more competitive than they lead you to believe and even in those instances where a score is not kept you can bet it is in the minds of the parents. I learned early on that parents can be your biggest ally or your worst nightmare. I remember when I drafted my first softball team. Sitting at the table with all the other coaches, they kept pushing a particular player towards me and said she was an excellent pitcher but that her parents were a “little difficult”. I needed a pitcher so I took her and after the first practice I found out that “a little difficult” was an understatement. So how do you deal with parents like that? Easy, you get them involved. Have them keeping stats during the games and at practices. Stress how important it is to the development of the team. Everyone likes to feel important and parents are no exception. The best advice though for keeping positive parents is for them to see a positive coach. Even in the face of defeat your attitude should be one that will be admired by parents and players

alike.
Probably the most crucial part of coaching a youth team is preparation. If you want to keep your team invested in the season then be prepared from beginning to end. Have a plan for everything but don’t be afraid to ask for help. If you have parents that are willing to help then get them out there. The best practice strategy I have implemented is to keep the kids busy. At my practice there is no standing around because by maximizing a player’s “touches” with the ball, they can only improve. Set up several stations and divide the players into groups so they can practice skills together then integrate the stations into a game situation and let it progress until it’s a full-on learning experience. This philosophy can also be used during the regular season. Have everything from the beginning organized and I highly recommend that you get parents involved here. Have one organize snacks and another setup pictures while a third can work on the after season party. Taking the time to organize in the beginning will make your job as a coach more rewarding and less stressful which means that your players and parents will enjoy the team and return the following season.
As I have asserted, coaching is far more than winning or losing. A coach is an essential cog in shaping qualities such as sportsmanship, competitiveness, and work ethic. A quality coach can build a player up while a bad coach can tear them down. My goal as a coach was to always leave the player striving to be the best they could be. A good coach does this not through instructions but by setting an example to follow. If done correctly, the coach can have a positive impact on not just this moment in the child’s life but many more to come.