Crisis in Youth Sports

Youth Coaches, Parents, and Players Must Align Priorities
Current research points to a huge rift between kids, (who play the sport to have fun, learn, and be with friends) and the priorities of coaches and parents bent on winning and the time, commitment, and pressure that accompanies it.

This discord means kids, parents, and coaches are often trying to achieve different things and speaking different languages.

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Tips For A Perfect Season

Tips For A Perfect Season

A Perfect Season?  What is that?  What do you mean, “Perfect?”

In youth sports, perfection is in the effort, not in the results.  Perfection is about the attitude and effort that goes into a season-long effort to give the kids the best possible youth sports experience.  It’s about every kid getting what he or she NEEDS from the experience.

Here are tips, suggestions and ideas to keep you moving forward on your path towards A Perfect Season (we’ll be adding a few more each week, so check back regularly for the latest):

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The Fun, Learn, Compete Mantra

Baseball Coaches Should Emphasize Fun, Learn, Compete
When they’re 30 years old, few kids will look back on this season and remember the final win-loss record . . . but when the subject of baseball comes up 20 years from now, the smile on their faces will reveal, without a doubt, that it was a fun and worthwhile experience.

Therefore, coaching youth baseball – or any youth sport – should be about emphasizing three things to parents and players:

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Respond vs. React

Coaching Excellence Means a Wise Response
Johnny makes an error . . . an umpire blows an obvious call . . . Jimmy strikes out for the fifth time in a row . . . a parent makes an offhand comment . . . Anthony drops an easy toss . . . Billy misses a bunt signal . . . Cody doesn’t throw to the cutoff man . . .

As coach, you must do something . . .

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