Just like players, coaches are developed through education that is tested and refined in actual situations. Unfortunately, there are no practices for coaches where they can master their skills before actually applying them. This lack of practice forces coaches to take responsibility for their own education and improvement. Here are 10 suggestions.

1. Search the bookstore and the Internet.
2. Talk with other coaches.
3. Get feedback from parents.
4. Get feedback from players.
5. Attend training sessions.
6. Watch other youth games.
7. Videotape practices.
8. Ask a parent to help with non-coaching tasks.
9. Organize and plan ahead.
10. Have fun.

While coaches often start with sports knowledge, transferring this knowledge into the heads of young players may pose a new set of challenges. Coaches may sometimes feel that their problems are unique. However, with over 2.5 million volunteer youth coaches and over 30 million kids in youth sports, every coaching frustration is repeated many times over. This experience base is available to any coach who actively seeks it out

There is plenty of research that shows kids quit playing sports when they stop having fun. But what about coaches? Not all coaches have the option of quitting when coaching stops being fun. A commitment to coach a child's team or a commitment to others to stick it out for the season can leave a coach in an endurance contest to season end. When this occurs, coaches should rethink their focus and consider coaching for their own enjoyment.

In youth sports, coaches have a difficult time controlling wins. Different players have varying commitments to hard work and consistent play is based on other factors in their lives. For coaches trying to put together a winning season or to please demanding parents, these challenges can quickly unravel a season. By returning to the fundamentals of youth coaching, coaches can take control of their situation and increase their level of enjoyment. These fundamentals are:

• Enjoy teaching - Watch for and enjoy the progress of individual players or the team.


• Enjoy learning - There are plenty of books and videos that give coaches insights. Experimenting with different approaches and drills can make things more interesting for everyone.


• Enjoy being a role model - Get to know the players better and try to build relationships that will last past the season.


• Enjoy working with others - Opposing coaches can be more than competitors, they can also be mentors and friends who are dealing with the same issues.


• Enjoy friends - Coaching often exposes everyone to new people and opportunities for new friendships.

Coaching at the youth level should be enjoyable. When it isn't, coaches should make sure they are driving their own efforts toward these fundamentals. Not only will coaches have more fun, but it also increases the likelihood that the team will have more fun too.

Going for a win is the focus of most games. Yet, in one of the more confusing aspects of sports, the more players think about winning the more likely they are to lose. For players to be successful, they have to stay focused on the immediate situation. Any thoughts of how something may affect a win are thoughts that are not available for making a play.

Games test players' ability to stay in the present. A bad call, a quick score or an increasing gap in scoring all provide things to think about that have nothing to do with making the next play. The more players think about the past or the future, the less time they have to think about the present.

A quick way for players to stay focused is to remember that the current time in any game is always "now". Whether a team is ahead, behind or tied, players should play smart and with intensity. When players start thinking about anything outside the "now", they open themselves up to mistakes. Good things and bad things happen in every game. However, until the game is over, time spent celebrating, grieving or complaining is just time that would be better spent thinking about "now".

Children can become better players with exercise away from sports. Jogging, push-ups and sit-ups will improve performance at games. However, exercise for kids is no more enjoyable than for adults. Thus if parents want their child to exercise more, they need to find ways to make it fun until kids can appreciate the value of exercise for themselves. Some suggestions include:

• Parent Participation - Having someone to exercise with is better than exercising alone.


• Games and Competitions - Playing a family game of soccer in the backyard or park can be more fun than jogging and can still accomplish the same result.


• Performance Charting - Keep track of the time or repetitions to give kids a sense of accomplishment.

Exercise benefits come only with time and exercise efforts are always easier to start than to continue. If parents can't stay with it, it is unlikely that kids will either. Setting up a regular schedule that is enjoyed by everyone is the only way that exercise can have a positive impact on kids.

Over time, coaches build their list of standard phrases they use to talk with players. These phrases become verbal shortcuts that players come to understand mean more than the words themselves. Most phrases deal with game or practice situations, but some concern attitude - either the player's or the coach's. One of the best of these is "Hi! Glad to see you." Ideally, players would be motivated from within to play their best in practices and games. However, coaches often need to help players tap into inner strength. This help doesn't have to wait for game or practice time. It can start from the first contact a coach has with a player. While a simple "hello" will suffice, a more enthusiastic greeting gives players a boost even before they start. Making players feel welcome and wanted gives them a break from other childhood pressures. These feelings also give them encouragement to be there and try their best. Sometimes the most effective coaching techniques are also the simplest.