Great coaches provide so much to kids, from teaching sport skills to modeling success off the field. In fact, some kids actually learn more from their coaches than they do from anyone else in their lives. Coaches are afforded a very unique relationship with kids — they are part teacher, part mentor/advisor, and sometimes just a friend. It is through meaningful coach-athlete relationships where kids not only improve in sports, but gain the tools and self-confidence necessary to experience future school, career, and life success.
The top 5 skills coaches teach kids
While there are countless skills that kids learn from coaches, the following 5 are some of the most important:
- Positive attitude. Yes, the attitude you have right now is a choice made only by you. Great coaches teach kids that you get to choose to be a happy, excited, and energized team player, or you could choose to be sad, mad, and a disruptive element to the team. When we choose to be positive, we become more energized, better focused, and even more resilient — great coaches empower kids to “raise the bar” with their enthusiasm, and this positive energy helps with both on and off field success.
- Developing belief. Most games in youth sports come down to who wants it more on any given day, and the mindset needed for success is built squarely on the belief that the team can be successful. As a result, coaches are regularly called upon to “sell” the idea of success to the team, and this requires getting team buy-in, or belief. When kids feel empowered and believe they can be successful, many amazing things never thought possible can happen.
- Time management. Kids have a lot on their plates these days, from keeping up with school work, sport practices and games, and of course making time for family and friends. Great coaches teach kids how to responsibly manage their time, and how to multi-task when necessary.
- Handling adversity. Every kid who competes in sports will lose, so it makes sense to teach kids how to successfully deal with stress, frustration, adversity, and failure. How do you turn a negative into a positive? How do you learn from today’s mistakes so tomorrow’s outcomes are better? The ways in which kids handle adversity has a direct impact on their level of future success.
- Respecting the game. Coaches teach kids how to respect the nature of the game, the opponent, and the officials working the game. This means playing hard, playing fair, and playing to get the best from the competition so that everyone can benefit from the game. Respecting the game means refraining from cheating, taunting, and purposely trying to injure opponents.
Final thoughts
Great coaches are an invaluable resource to kids, and in some cases the biggest influence in a kid’s life. Teaching the importance of a positive attitude, respecting opponents and the game, and role modeling motivation, focus, and resiliency are just a few of the many amazing things coaches do for kids.
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