To begin with, there
is no ideal youth sports coach. Different coaches have different styles,
different philosophies, different ideologies and so on. There is no one type
that you can pick up and label good or even bad for that matter.
That said, there are
some traits that are essential in youth sports. even with different styles,
philosophies etc., some essential elements for youth sports coaching can make
your child’s sports training a success. Ensuring that these essential elements
are there, the kid not only picks up sports skills but also picks up life
skills that help in making a better person of your child.
Here are the things
that you need to ensure in your child’s sports coaching, irrespective of the
coach’s coaching style.
·
Positive Reinforcement
There are coaches who can get very irritable at the players. Disappointment
can be justified, but taking it out on kids is not done. Seven-eight year olds
cannot objectify yelling. They lose confidence and in some cases even get
emotionally wrecked. Coaches need to have patience and know the art of positive
reinforcement.
·
Talk the child’s language
Coaches need to talk the language children can understand. This
includes explaining technical terms, simplifying jargon and also using a tone
that can be comprehended by children. This also means that the coach breaks
down instructions into bits and pieces such that children can understand well.
·
Set realistic goals for kids
Some coaches are very ambitious, which is actually a good
thing, but that should not translate to putting undue pressure or giving false
hopes to kids.
·
Communication with parents
If you ask coaches about sports parents and communication
issues, most would say that parents are interfering, demanding and unreasonably
critical. That being true to some extent, coaches also need to realize that
parents are anxious about their child’s performance. A lot’s riding on it. a
good coach would know the importance of communication with parents. In fact,
coaches can collaborate with parents and delegate a lot of work that otherwise
takes up the coach’s time and leaves little time for the actual coaching.
Many successful teams have been so because of the fantastic
coordination between the coach and parents.
·
Teach children to lose, not just to win
A good coach knows the importance of learning to lose
gracefully. It is obvious how the coach would react when the team wins, what
you need to see in your child’s coach is, the coach’s reaction when the team
loses. The coach needs to teach kids how to accept defeat, how to learn from it
and how to emerge all fresh and enlightened out of the whole experience. This
is not just a sports skill but it’s a great life skill too.
