Youth Coaching Philosophy
The Basics:
As a first time youth coach you will often be working with young people who are new to the sport. Before a player can excel at a sport, a foundation of basic skills must be laid by their early coaches. Each young athlete should learn the principles and techniques for the sport they’ve chosen. They should be taught skills that will stay with them throughout their athletic career. Knowledge of the basic fundamentals in any sport can never be over emphasized. The New Coach Tips manuals have practice plans and drills designed to develop these skills.
Effort:
Focus on improvement, trying harder, and getting their best effort for each practice and game. Take the time in practice to work through issues with technique and fundamentals until the player gets the concept. When you notice a player improving on a skill make sure you comment and give some detail. Tell them that you noticed that they’re following through on their throws and you’re seeing more accuracy – good job. Be enthusiastic while congratulating the athlete when they make a good play whether in practice or in a game. When a player isn’t giving their best effort, you need to let him or her know that they aren’t meeting your expectations. Ask them if they believe they’re doing the best they can today. Try to get a feel for which children can accept correction in front of the other players and which ones may respond better to a one on one conversation. Never belittle or embarrass a player in front of others. Let the players know that winning and losing isn’t always in their control. Bad weather, bad calls, and bad days can all happen during any game. They can always control how they practice and prepare and the effort they bring to the game.
Set Realistic Goals:
Setting realistic goals is essential to proper motivation, for the team and for each individual. With specific goals, a child has something clear and achievable to work on, something to set his or her sights on. He or she isn’t responsible for the whole team, not for winning or losing. They’re not overwhelmed and defeated by unrealistic expectations. Be specific in goal setting. Have the player focus their practice at home on just one or two skills where they need improvement. Let them know what improvement is. Is it consistently catching the ball? Following through on throws and hitting their target? This way they will know when they have improved.
What Kids Want from Sports:
This will be different for each person. Some want to please a parent who loves the sport, some like belonging to a team, some love the sport, some just want to play. Regardless of why they showed up on your team, they’ll have a better experience if you keep a few things in mind. Youth sports should be fun. Finish practices with something the kids enjoy. Sometimes that’s a scrimmage, a favorite drill, or letting them try different positions. Be encouraging. They will feel a sense of accomplishment if they are more skilled at the game when the season is over than when it began. Building skills is an important part of the experience. Organized practices are appreciated by parents and kids alike. They build skills and teamwork. Kids want to make new friends on the team. They want activity and excitement. They want your attention and concern.
The Coach-Player Relationship:
Even if this is your first year coaching youth, the players on your team will look to you for guidance and leadership. They need you to teach them how to play. Sometimes that comes in the form or encouragement when they’ve made a good play. Sometimes it’s how you coach them past a flaw in their technique. Remember that you are an authority figure and they are kids learning to play the game. Don’t yell at the kids. Don’t lose it during the game – yelling at referees, umpires, parents or children. Do expect every player’s best effort every game. Do work with them on areas that need improvement. Do let them know when they’ve done a good job. Stay positive during games. Practice is the place to work out problems.
On Winning:
Your players should have fun playing the sport. And make no mistake winning is more fun than losing. Playing on a championship team is something kids remember. The reality, however, is that for every winner of a game there will be a loser. There is often a dominant team or two in a league that win more than lose. You cannot always control who wins a game on any given day, especially in youth sports. Sometimes the other team is simply better, you’re the victim of bad calls, your best player has the flu, there was a butterfly in the outfield or the stars just didn’t line up right that day. Focusing only on winning can take the fun out of the sport. Focus on improvement, teamwork and level of effort. Make the games and practices fun. Your team can have success even if it’s not reflected on the scoreboard.
On Failing:
In baseball a hit 1 out of 3 times at bat is great. In soccer 15 shots on goal that yields 3 goals is fantastic. 50% field goal shooting is superb in basketball. Great statistics in sports often mean that you’ve failed more often than succeeded. You need to guide the players so that they learn from failures and do better the next time the situation occurs. Treat failure as a learning opportunity rather than a defeat.