As a coach and parent I always have people assume that I’m going to push my daughter to participate in sports. Although I won’t allow her to be the next XBOX or Wii junkie, nothing could really be further from the truth. Personally I’m really not a fan of most youth sports for a number of reasons, some of which I will expound on below as most of these are rarely emphasized.
Physical Development- A tremendous amount of physical development can be gained as a result of participating in sports. It should be the goal of the coach to properly progress and develop the athlete in a way that will benefit the athlete for current participation as well as encouraging life-long fitness.
Psychological Development- Too often, athletic participation is looked at as having a negative affect on an athlete’s psychological development. However, when a coach provides the proper learning environment it is a great way to teach someone how to compete and how to accept the outcomes of their participation, whether it is winning or losing. Promoting the benefits of the athletic experience rather than just winning or losing is the most important issue that should be stressed because winning should be a by-product of the experience and losing should be viewed as a way to address change, learn and personal growth.
Social Development- Sports provide coaches the opportunity to teach honesty, self respect, sportsmanship, acceptance of winning and or losing as well as accountability for one’s actions. All of these must be addressed in sports to allow for the overall development of the participant as an athlete and as a person.
Relationships- The coach-athlete relationship must be professional and one of a mentor at all times with both parties understanding that there are limits to this relationship. It is extremely important that the coach exhibits a professional relationship at all times and with all who may be present before, during and after an athletic performance. The coach should respect officials as well as opponents players and coaches.
Ethics-Because of their role as a coach and the influence that they have over those that they come in contact with, anyone who is a coach is a role model for athletes and represents all those in the profession. A coach must strive to represent the profession as well as possible through their behavior, dress and relationships that they have with others. It is extremely important to realize the influence, authority and responsibility that a coach has on others and therefore, their personal life should also be held to high standards. A coach also has the responsibility to maintain safe practice and competitive environments by making sure equipment is safe, properly fit and legally maintained.
Professional Development-To be a successful coach one must strive to attain the highest amount of knowledge possible. This is extremely important for the growth and development of not only the coach but also the athletes as you can better educate them on why they are performing something. With a broad knowledge base, a coach will have a better understanding of the demands, techniques and skills of the activity that they are coaching/training. This in turn will help in the development of more appropriate/sound programs for the athletes.
I think if more coaches and parents would stress these six items they would provide a much more beneficial environment for their child and teams they are associated with. Who knows, it may even help prevent some of the parent/coach/official fights that have been documented in youth sports. There might not be as many 12 year olds getting OPTIONAL Tommy John’s surgery so they can try to fulfill their parents hope of him being the next big league phenomenon. You might see a drop in the number of youths that get burnt out and stop playing sports all together. Here’s a link to Dr. Chris Stankovich’s that youth sports coaches and parents might want to check out. http://blog.drstankovich.com/blog/tag/youth-sports/
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