When it comes to youth sports, coaching can make all the difference. If you are fortunate enough to have a great coach, your child will likely have a lot of fun, learn sport skills, make new friends, and maximize his or her talents. If, on the other hand, your child’s coach is shortsighted about the responsibilities and expectations that come with being a coach, your child’s experience may end up compromised — and possibly one that drives your child from the sport much sooner than expected. So how do you know if your child’s coach is a great one, or one not well suited for the job? Today we will explore some of the more commonly seen differences between the two, and things to look for the next time you sign your kid up for a sports team.
Comparing coaches
Great youth sport coaches can have an amazing, positive impact on the kids they coach. Conversely, unprepared coaches can negatively impact the youth sport experience, and even drive kids to quitting if the experience isn’t fun. In order to size up your child’s coach compare the different approaches below:
Great coaches
- Bring a positive attitude every day, are prepared, and always look for ways to make the experience fun.
- Make it a point to find ways for all kids to participate, and provide ongoing feedback to kids who do not play a lot so that they can continue to improve.
- Talk to kids about the life lessons they are learning while competing, and show them ways to apply the skills they use in sports to become a better student, friend, and future employee one day.
- Place value on the overall team experience, friendships and off-field experiences, and not solely wins and losses.
Unprepared coaches
- More or less wing it when running practices, often with no practice plan to follow.
- Plays only the best kids, and believes that youth sports should always separate kids by talent regardless of age/maturity.
- Hyper-focused on winning, with little focus on growth and learning life skills through sport participation.
- Takes on a very authoritarian approach with kids, and will not hesitate to embarrass or humiliate kids who fail or appear to not be trying their best.
People often ask me if it’s really a big deal the type of coach makes a difference, and the answer is a resounding yes! Since only a very small percentage of kids will ever play college sports (and an even smaller number go professional), it is important that we use youth sports in the best developmental ways possible. Great youth sport coaches place an emphasis on keeping it fun, educational, and an experience that kids will cull from the rest of their lives when faced with stress and life challenges. Additionally, these coaches fully understand that it’s not the wins and losses, but the day-to-day moments when kids reach personal goals, cheer for one another, display integrity and sportsmanship, and learn how to handle adversity and losing. Coaches who disregard these ideas and approaches not only miss golden opportunities to help kids grow and mature, they also usually drive kids to quitting well before they might have with a better, more tuned in coach.
Final thoughts
Great youth sport coaches take the job seriously, and they work hard to help kids grow as people, not just athletes. These coaches have a great impact and influence on the kids they coach, and often help kids develop the self-confidence needed to excel in life far beyond the sports field. Less prepared coaches, comparatively, tend to overly focus on winning at the expense of a more holistic experience for kids, leaving a lot of the value of youth sports behind when the games eventually end. While you may not always be in control regarding who coaches your kid, when you do have influence, it is important to look at the big picture and seek out coaches who appreciate the importance of helping kids develop by using sports as an important, holistic life experience.
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