Sports can help kids learn how to take on whatever challenge comes next.
A coach should always motivate and develop an athlete to succeed on the field or court, but a coach should also help kids be successful in whatever life path they choose.
But what happens when a coach is assigned to a kid who’s not into sports, who’s just there because his or her friends are there? First and foremost, sports should be fun at a young age, and a coach can teach kids the value of playing sports.
Courtesy: ROAR Sports
That’s especially difficult to do when kids are competitive but have trouble listening. When that happens a coach should try to explain the steps necessary to achieve victory. Take this example. Let’s say a youth group is scrimmaging in basketball and losing to the other team. A young athlete might come up and say, “I don’t want to play anymore.” The issue at that point is telling the player the team needs them.
I think it’s important for every youth coach to talk about the history of sports and great athletes who’ve come before them. Explain to kids that they can accomplish just about anything if they work hard. If they lose a game, then they need to work hard to win the next game. That’s how winning is done.
Each speech a coach gives to his or her players is as important as developing the skills to win a game.
It’s important to make sure kids have fun. But kids also need to learn to be good teammates and to be prepared to take on whatever challenge comes next.
Embrace each challenge and take it on. That’s a life lesson learned from sports.
