If someone asked you why you coached young athletes, what would you say? Could you answer that question in a sentence or two? And when you are coaching those kids, is it apparent to them why you coach?

I was once prompted by a mentor to have a mission statement for myself at the forefront of my mind. If someone ever asked me why I do what I do, I’d not only have an answer, but that mission statement would help drive every decision that crosses my path.

As I think back to the coaches I had during my competitive years, I can remember a really good coach and a really bad coach. The bad coach was a master of the game.  He was known in the area as one of the best coaches around. He had solid technical skills and great strategy, his interpersonal skills, however, were seriously lacking. He was extremely negative and rarely threw a compliment. I started out my freshman year with nearly eight girls my age on the team. By the time I reached my senior year, I was the only one left.

My other coach, the “good” one, was also a fantastic coach. He could teach me the skills and strategies I needed to know. But more importantly, he knew what motivated me, what made me tick and exactly what kind of encouragement and criticism I needed. The confidence that was built up in me through positive coaching has led me to carry that on to the young kids I coach now.

  • Coaching is about teaching the fundamentals, not running them into the ground for the sake of “sweating.”
  • Coaching is about building a kid up through correcting and teaching, not ripping a kid apart for the sake of “toughening ‘em up.”
  • Coaching is not lying to a kid about their skills (good or bad), but being honest about their strengths and weaknesses.
  • Coaching is not about winning games at all costs, but about teaching kids that hard work, motivation and dedication pay off.
  • Coaching is about showing the kids that you truly are interested in them as people, not just athletes on the field.
  • Coaching is about staying after a few minutes to tell a mom how much her son has improved, not running out of practice as fast as you can because you have to “hit the gym.”
  • Coaching is not about running drill after drill because that’s what Team XYZ does, but about doing each drill/exercise perfect because it’s what your team needs.

I’ve coached kids as young as seven all the way up to college athletes. Over the years, the same things ring true… know your athletes, care about their success, and do things right!