Every coach, just like a parent or teacher, develops a personal style and routine to bring out the best in children. Some say their style is natural and others say it’s imposed. Regardless of who does the coaching, sets of beliefs, emotions and attitudes are being modeled and encouraged.
We make big assumptions about coaching when reading the daily sports headlines. We assume a coach is doing something right if the team wins and that something is wrong if it loses. The best criteria upon which to evaluate coaches (and parents), however, just may be the actions of the players.
No one wants to think youth sports may be doing things that are destructive. The real goal of youth sports is preparing for a positive future. Flourishing coaches know feedback is essential to improvement.
Many of sports’ influences today can be destructive and permanent. Coaches can work to keep things positive by using motivational techniques and positive practices in business, education and parenting.
So here’s some parenting, coaching and personal relations feedback copied from business experts’ advice. Teams and families are winners when these five non-productive behaviors and attitudes are avoided:
Public reprimand. The most embarrassing experience selected by young athletes is being chewed-out by an authority (adult) before friends and peers. Being laughed at is a super-sensitive obstacle to overcome. And being lowered in the pecking order minimizes even obvious strengths and contributions and negates all the efforts to fit in. Coaches who rely upon peer pressure to justify their own anger forget there are more athletes than coaches on a team.
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