For Coaches, Parents & Players

The Job of a Youth Coach is to Provide Memories

The volunteer coach has a crucial role for motivation, for improvement and criticism. Be aware of the very important emotional needs of players, such as:
CONCERN, PATIENCE, and UNDERSTANDING.

Never use FEAR as a motivational tool. Young children learn values through the development to nurture their individuality relating to their ability.

Be aware of how each player responds to instructions. Learn to listen as well as talk to your players. Children need clear guidelines and instructions – not hostile and degrading criticisms.

Children are aware of failure. There are many who may have a slow learning ability. When everyone participates, children respond on a positive note. A good coach is aware of his player’s potential with CONCERN, PATIENCE, AND UNDERSTANDING. If everyone participates, players are less inhibited in their efforts.

Our society has a mentality for “win for award and lose for failure.” We should strive to return to fun and socialization during the early years of learning all sports. Later on the concept of winning becomes an aspect of sports competition. Success is relative at the young age. Everyone succeeds in some aspect of the involvement.

Fun should be the product of skills. Your job is to teach skills so the youngster will have FUN in the sport. During practices, start out with light stretching. Youngsters will learn drills quicker because they are not hindered by fatigue. Endurance drills should be at the end of your session.

Drills should be diversified. Have the players touch the ball many times. Change is healthy. Don’t lock a player into one position. You should have 5 or 6 different ways to accomplish the same drill. By varying the drills, you will find the youngster’s energy level rising. Again, have FUN. Encourage and incorporate more than one player in your drills.

When speaking to the youngsters – be BRIEF - their attention span is short. If you have spoken more then 2 minutes, you have spoken too long! Remember the saying:

I SEE, I REMEMBER;

I DO, I LEARN . . . .

Try “positive reinforcement” when coaching. The youngster worries about “don’t” rather then “do”! Instead of yelling “don’t lean back” (negative) try “lean forward” (positive)
instead.

The priority is individual skills, not team skills. In order to enjoy the game, the youngster must develop his/her own skills.
--Author Unknown


Bravo Benchwarmers

A master organist sailed to America in the early 1900’s to perform a series of concerts. He hired a 15 year old boy to stand behind the curtains on the stage and pump the bellows to keep the organ at full sound.

At the first recital the boy worked up a sweat keeping the air flowing. The organist didn’t miss a note and was given a standing ovation at the conclusion. Afterwards the teenager shook his hand and said, “We really had a good concert, didn’t we?

“What do you mean, we? I’m the one who did the important work.” Two nights later at the second concert the organ’s tones were again resounding majestically when the young man suddenly stopped pumping. As the organ fades, the organist became frantic. Sticking his head out from behind the curtains the teenager said softly, “We aren’t having a very good concert, are we?”

I suspect few athletic teams have good seasons without a strong bench. And by “strong” I mean more than ability. I mean substitutes who know their role, are content with it, and are affirmed for it. They work their rears off in practice, don’t grouse about lack of playing time and mentally prepare themselves for each game as though they were starting.

A wise coach makes sure each sub knows how essential she or he is. A wise coach encourages his benchwarmers frequently and plays them whenever possible.

Ever wonder how many gifted teams don’t come close to fulfilling their potential because of an unhappy or unappreciated bench? Ever wonder how mediocre some starters might be if they didn’t have a committed sub pushing them in practice?

A number of basketball savants attributed the Boston Celtics record 16th world title last spring to Bill Walton’s sixth-man role. When first acquired, the former UCLA All-America reportedly drove over to starting center Robert Parish’s house to assure him he wasn’t out to take his job but to augment the team. During the playoffs one commentator observed how careful the Celtics are to reward and retain players with the right “chemistry” so crucial to a team’s makeup.

If you’re a benchwarmer—and half or more of most teams are non-starters - you are somebody special. Please don’t mess up your unique contribution by coasting in practice, complaining behind the coach’s back or comparing yourself to a starter.
God expects you to go all out and bring out the best in both yourself and the person ahead of you. Be the best Cheerleader to ever ride the bench. Be assured that for every starter you read about in the Bible: Abraham, Jacob, Moses, David, Paul, etc. all of these were unsung, unselfish heroes in the background responsible for their success.

Billy Graham has reportedly said that he owes much of his ministry to a cleaning lady who prayed for him daily and diligently. Jesus’ listeners heard him say on several occasions. “The last shall be first” and “if you want to be great be a servant”.

One of my favorite fantasies is of the first big banquet in heaven where all the big names stroll in and automatically sit down at the head table. Then the Lord enters the huge hall and begins to escort them to the back row seats and replaces them with a host of benchwarmers.

“Above everything,” St. Peter cautions, “Love one another earnestly. Each one, as a good manager of God’s different gifts, must use for the good of others the special gift he has received from God.”
--Author Unknown