Believe it or not, there is a recipe for success in youth sports. It’s been scientifically proven, and you can find evidence of it in countless academic research articles and sporting arenas.
Unfortunately, the recipe cuts against the grain for many of us and goes against 20+ years of conditioning starting back when participated in youth sports.
I recently had a parent ask me what the secret to my success was in coaching youth sports. I simply replied, “Empathy and Kindness.” In all honesty, I use those two words in everything I do related to leadership. If I can put myself in “their” shoes, then I can act on it.
When it comes to Coaching Youth Sports, there is a bit more to what I call the “Recipe Culture.” The most difficult part about implementing the Recipe Culture is getting your coaches and parents to buy in and to act accordingly.
The first step is to foster a supportive environment for your players.
• Give them permission to mess up as part of the learning process; stress the importance of effort and continuously getting better.
• Help them understand how they are all connected as a team; stress the importance of their individual roles and responsibilities and how their actions may have good and bad consequences.
The second step is where kindness and compassion come in.
• As a coach, be deliberate in genuinely building relationships with your players; stress the importance to your coaching staff about helping each child feel welcome as a member of the team.
• Go out of your way to be kind and respectful to others, including parents, referees, and even your opponents. Your young players are watching you.
It is imperative for you to model the behavior you want your players to emulate, because they will model your behavior…all of it, the good and the bad.
In the end, when you follow this simple Culture Recipe your athletes will
• have a great deal of fun,
• give max effort, and
• most importantly, come back again next season for another season 😊
I don’t know about you, but all this talk about recipes, has me thinking about cake.
What’s your favorite cake?
ps. this photo is from over 10 years ago. shout out to my Bulldog family.
Jimmy Karam, CMPC
#recreationalcoaching