Embracing a Coaching Philosophy
In a recent survey by Youth Football USA, 69 percent of respondents said that their main concern was the quality of youth coaches, says Joe Bouffard, active director of Youth Football USA.
The survey respondents had good reason to be concerned, he says.
But first an importance announcement…
We put the final touches on our newest mental game program for sports parents, youth coaches, and young athletes.
It’s a project we’ve been developing over the past six months based on our survey of over 700 sports parents and youth coaches. We’re in the final stages of testing right now.
Visit Kids’ Sports Psychology for more information…
Back to the importance of finding a coach with a philosophy…
“The big frustration with youth sports coaches is getting volunteers who can teach the technical sport-blocking for offensive linemen or tackling, for example,” Bouffard says.
In addition, it’s critical that youth coaches aim to instill in their young athletes a love and passion for sports.
“The key is to create passion and love while teaching the right techniques and fundamentals,” he says.
As a parent, it’s your job to understand a coach’s philosophy and style before choosing him or her to coach your child. You want to learn as much as possible about your children’s teachers; you should feel the same way about coaches.
It’s critical for a coach to embrace a philosophy, says Bouffard.
“You may have the greatest playbook in the world. But you need to know how you are going to teach it and organize your practices,” says Bouffard.
It’s a good idea to interview coaches before placing your child on their teams.
- Ask about their philosophy. How do they handle playing time?
- Is their child on the team, and if so, what’s their philosophy about coaching their own kids?
- Find out if the league has checked out the coach’s background to ensure he or she has no police record.
It’s also a good idea to attend one or two of the coach’s practices and see him or her or in action-especially if your child is young.
Once you place your child on a team, watch out for signs that your child is not enjoying the team (probably due to the coaching).
If your young athlete displays the following kind of behavior, consider removing him or her from the team and finding a new coach:
- Your young athlete becomes withdrawn and quiet around the coach
- Your child is fearful and scared of going to practice
- The child or teen plays tentatively and won’t take risks around the coach
- The young athlete says the coach berates him or her for making mistakes.
Related Articles on Youth Sports:
- Sports Parents: Why Sports Kids Need Great Coaching
- How To Interview And Choose The Right Coach
- Tips For Finding The Best Coaches: They Should Instill Love Of Playing
*Subscribe to The Sports Psychology Podcast on iTunes
*Subscribe to The Sports Psychology Podcast on Spotify
Help Young Athletes Boost Confidence in Sports!
Every day, we receive letters from parents like you who want their children and teens to excel in sports. However, these parents can see fear, doubt, and frustration on the faces of their kids who struggle with the “inner” game of sports. But these parents have no idea how to help their kids overcome the worries, expectations and self-defeating thoughts that prevent their young athletes from feeling confident and successful.
You can benefit from our 15-plus years’ of work in sports psychology and sports parenting research. Now, you can tap into our secrets to sports success through a cutting-edge, 14-day program that helps young athletes overcome the top “mental game” challenges that sports parents face—and the top challenges young athletes face.
I have a grandson that has at 2 years old amazing athletic ability and mental toughness that is unbelievable. I need to have him evaluated by a professional kids coach to see what direction to channel him. Can you help? This kid shoots hoops, rides a motorcycle, hits 700 baseball batting, punches out 6 year olds and intimidates them, pitches a baseball like a pro and we have never taught him any of this stuff he just does it and loves it.
He is too young to evaluate. Find out what he loves to do and provide the opportunities to participate in sports.
Patrick Cohn
We are a minor league team seeking coaches for our upcoming team, do you have resources to contact your coaches who might be interested in participating at our level as well? Thank you.
Tim:
You can call me to discuss this at 888-742-7225. Not sure if you are looking for football coaches or mental coaches.
Patrick Cohn
Help! I have a 13 year old son who loves basketball. He was selected for the 7th grade team. I noticed he seemed to enjoy the game still, but his skills were not improving, and in fact, decreasing. Other parents noticed the same problem with their children. Finally, the kids let us in on what was going on…the coach was having all but the “starting five” sit the bench during PRACTICE!!! This was happening during 1/2 to 3/4 of each PRACTICE!!! I encourage my child to play sports so that he has a time daily for vigorous physical activity, a place to learn team mentality, and a way to build self-esteem. Instead my child was sitting around watching 5 kids get coached, then placed against those kids in a scrimmage at the end of each practice. I am disgusted! Some parents pulled their kids out toward the end of the season. This coach wants to return next year with these boys, as his son is on the team. We live in a small town, and this “coach” is not only the father of my sons’s friend, but will also be teaching my son in high school. What do you recommend I do as my son wants to play, and I want him to have a positive experience?
Can you talk to the AD or someone in charge of the athletics program? As I don’t think this is fair for the non-starters. You should also look for other opportunities to participate in sports.
Patrick Cohn