Your job is to guide them as they advance on the road to maturity.
Courtesy: The National Alliance of Youth Sports
Remember the time when you played youth sports? Did you dream of throwing the winning touchdown, making the winning shot, or hitting the winning home run? I did.
Today’s kids have the very same dreams. I consider it a good thing, too. It shows that they want to win and are ambitious about achieving goals.
But what if a young athlete overthrows an open receiver, misses that winning shot, or strikes out with the bases loaded? When those things happen, I believe it’s a coach’s job to teach kids that there’s always another game, another day.
While most kids handle pressure differently, many kids are really hard on themselves. How do you respond? I tell kids this: If they keep playing and trying then, eventually, you’ll achieve what you’re after.
According to a report in The Washington Post, about 70% of children quit sports around the age of 13. A big reason is that it’s not fun for them anymore. Another reason is parental-coaching pressure.
I always keep it positive, never negative.
Coaches need to let kids know that they are there for them–winning or losing. It’s important to talk with the players about values in sports, such as respect, sportsmanship, and being a team player. Don’t lecture them, but ask how they feel about sportsmanship and being a team player.
It’s important to communicate what playing sports can do for them. Far less important is putting emphasis on winning the next game. There’s plenty of time for that–in high school and beyond–when the rigors of competitive sports take over.
But, first, your job is to guide them as they advance on the road to maturity.
