Be a Coach!

 

Are you a coach or would you like to become a coach? Coaching a local kids’ sport or intramural team is a great way to give back to your community while having a personal impact on the lives of young people. Here are some tips to get you started courtesy of http://thesportsfamilyclub.com/:

1. Be Positive! When you provide criticism, put something positive with it. Say a baseball player missed a grounder. Example: "Nice effort on that grounder Billy, next time remember to get your glove all the way to the ground. Good Job!" Sandwich constructive criticism with positive re-enforcement.

2. Make it Fun! As a coach, you must make the game fun! That does not mean that there is no discipline and no goal of winning. It means you have fun while teaching them a game with discipline included and a goal of winning. Handle wins and losses in a respectful manner. We're talking about children, not professionals, so keep it light but organized.

3. Goals and Expectations! Talk to your players at the beginning of the season; ask them what THEIR goals and expectations are. Emphasize their goals are not necessarily their parents, and not yours either. Ask each player to write down their goals and bring them to practice. Give examples such as: become a better power hitter; improve my fielding; become a better blocker or tackler; improve my free throws. Encourage them to stay away from statistical goals such as: hit 20 home runs; score 12 touchdowns; score 20 points in a game. Review their goals with them on an individual basis throughout the course of the season.

4. You are the Coach! Make sure they understand that they are there to learn a game and you're going to help them become better players. They MUST pay attention when you are demonstrating drills and limit the goofing off. A simple warning, then a lap around the field if they didn't respond to your warning usually works. There is no need to raise your voice or embarrass the player.

5. The Three R's! Teach your players The Three R's. RESPECT the game (including coaches and officials) ; RESPECT their team mates, and RESPECT their parents. Share this with parents and expect the same from them. They need to remember they are an example for their children. Yelling negatively at the official, the other team or their child does not show RESPECT.

Find the full list of tips here: http://thesportsfamilyclub.com/coaches-overview/coaching-philosophy along with great advice on how to get your coaching mentorship started!