Write your search in the input below and press enter.
Esc to close.

The Sports Doc Chalk Talk with Dr. Chris Stankovich

Peak Performance:
Not Just for Sports, for Life

  • Products
    • Toolkits
    • Audio
    • Videos
    • Books
    • Apps
  • Services
  • Chalk Talk
    • Recent
    • Athletes
    • Coaching
    • Sports Parenting
    • Sports Administrators
    • Life
    • Administrators
  • About Dr. Stankovich
  • Testimonials
  • Contact
  • Products
    • Toolkits
    • Audio
    • Books
    • Videos
    • Apps
  • Services
  • Chalk Talk
  • About Dr. Stankovich
  • Testimonials
  • Contact

Hello. Sign In

My Account
  • Login
  • Register
0
The Sports Doc Chalk Talk
Subscribe
The Sports Doc Chalk Talk with Dr. Chris Stankovich
  • Recent
  • Athletes
  • Coaching
  • Sports Parenting
  • Life
  • Administrators
Home / Blog / Examining the Effects of Coaching Kids by Fear and Intimidation

Examining the Effects of Coaching Kids by Fear and Intimidation

By: Dr. Chris Stankovich | @DrStankovich | Mar 26, 2019

No Comments

It is not uncommon to see coaches yell and scream, but what effect does leading through fear and intimidation have – especially with kids?  Does the intimidation approach provide better overall outcomes, including improved on-field performance and stronger emotional and mental states?  Or has the yelling, screaming coach prototype who scares his players become an antiquated way of coaching, one that actually causes more harm than good?  While coaches are tasked to build winning teams, it’s important to examine the means in which positive outcomes are attained — as well as what approaches lead to problems.

Does fear and intimidation actually work?

When it comes to coaches who use fear and intimidation to maximize team results, assessing whether the approach works is a nuanced question.  For example, you might see an immediate spike in motivation when kids fear their coach (suggesting intimidation is “working”), but how long will a performance boost last when it’s driven by fear and scare tactics?  And even if the team performs well because they fear being humiliated if they fail, is this the right way to lead a team?

There are a number of important questions to ask when using fear/intimidation approach to coaching, including:

  • Is it safe to lead kids through fear?  Are kids more at-risk for physical and/or emotional damage because they feel bullied and intimidated by their coach?
  • Is leading by fear the best way to improve performance?  Or are there other more positive, constructive, and effective ways to lead?
  • Are there other negative issues and problems (sometimes unforeseen) that commonly develop when leading kids through fear?  Do kids develop increased anxiety always working to please the coach and steer clear of being humiliated?

Active and passive aggression

When coaches deliberately use active intimidation and fear tactics (i.e. yelling at a kid in front of the team) there are potential negative consequences (outlined above).  But what about coaches who engage in passive-aggressive leadership techniques?  These subtle, less obvious coaching moves might include deliberately not playing an otherwise deserving player, or replacing a player with a reserve when there was no reason to do so.  While these decisions seem tame compared to active fear tactics, they deliver a very similar result for kids in that there is always the threat of losing playing time if you don’t ascribe to the coach’s philosophy and decision-making.  In fact, it can be argued that passive aggression can be equally, if not more damaging to kids when they feel like their every move is being examined and scrutinized, sometimes leading to a paralysis of anxious thinking and behaving.

Final thoughts

Kids, especially when they’re young, are vulnerable to quitting sports when they experience a coach who thinks fear and intimidation is the best way to lead.  While yelling, screaming, and playing subtle passive aggressive games might seem to “work” when you witness short-term success, there are many negative, long-term consequences that may occur as a result.  Youth sports should be fun, and when kids feel as though the fun has been replaced with an intimidating atmosphere where kids are regularly humiliated, it should be of no surprise when efforts decrease — and some kids simply quit.  From my own experiences I find that people respond much better to positive reinforcement and support rather than fear and intimidation, and this approach works especially well with kids.

drstankovich.com

Coaching, kids, leading, mentoring, philosophy, psychology, sport, strategy

  • Author
  • Comments
  • Details
Get to Know the Author

Dr. Chris Stankovich

Dr. Stankovich has written/co-written five books, including Positive Transitions for Student Athletes, The ParentsPlaybook, Mind of Steel.

Latest Blog Posts

  • May 23, 2023 Breaking Down the Stages of Youth Sports
  • May 16, 2023 Mental Health Tips to Help Kids Avoid Sport Burnout
  • May 10, 2023 Watch for these Issues with Kids Playing Multiple Sports During Same Season
  • May 4, 2023 Understanding the Importance of a Balanced Athletic Identity for Kids
  • April 27, 2023 Turning Hope into Belief: The Psychology of Success

PREVIOUS POST

Is “Load Management” Something Sports Parents, Coaches, & Athletes Should Know?

NEXT POST

The Top 5 Signs You Might Be a Parent with “Unfinished Business” from Your Sports Career

Category

Amateur , Athletes , Athletic Director , Boys Sports , Coach , Coaching , College , Communicating with Coach , Cuts , Eligibility , Emotional Intelligence , Girls Sports , Leadership , Leadership and Role Modeling , League Operator , Mental Toughness , Parent Training , Performance Enhancement , Uncategorized

Tags

Coaching, kids, leading, mentoring, philosophy, psychology, sport, strategy

  • Recent Posts
  • Most Read
  • Breaking Down the Stages of Youth Sports
  • Mental Health Tips to Help Kids Avoid Sport Burnout
  • Watch for these Issues with Kids Playing Multiple Sports During Same Season
  • Understanding the Importance of a Balanced Athletic Identity for Kids
  • Turning Hope into Belief: The Psychology of Success
  • Morning Sports Practice Before School is Becoming the Norm, but is this Healthy for Kids?
  • Nature or Nurture? Exploring the Psychology of Sport Success
  • 3 Important Tips for Today's Multi-Sport, Youth Sport Athlete
  • Understanding Intelligence: Putting Knowledge into ACTION!
  • Breaking Down the Stages of Youth Sports
  • The Sports Doc on TV

    Catch Dr. Stankovich’s tv, radio, and print interviews and columns here!

    Dr. Chris Stankovich Watch Videos
  • Sport Performance Assessment

    Dr. Chris Stankovich Quickly and accurately test your level of mental toughness in just a few minutes using the Sport Performance Assessment.

    (SPA), an easy-to-use sport psychology system specially designed to help you REACH YOUR FULL ATHLETIC POTENTIAL.

    learn more
  • SportsSuccess360

    Life strategies for performance and character development for coaches, parents, and student athletes competing in youth and interscholastic sports.

    Life Strategies learn more
  • Contact Dr. Stankovich

    1395 Grandview Avenue Suite 6, Columbus OH 43212

    (614) 561-4482
    Media & General Inquiries
    information@drstankovich.com
    Sales & Product Support
    sales@drstankovich.com
  • About Dr. Stankovich

    • Media
    • Blog
    • Testimonials
  • Products

    • Toolkits
    • Videos
    • Books
    • Audio
    • iPhone Apps
  • Services

    • Athlete Performance Training
    • Parent Community Forum
    • Coach Education & Development
    • Athletic Crisis Response and Intervention
    • Drug & Alcohol Assessment
    • Life Success Programs
    • Counseling & Consulting Services
  • Blog
  • YouTube
  • twitter
  • facebook

All rights reserved © 2023 Advanced Human Performance Systems™

↓ ↓