Reader,
I’ve been coaching for 21 years now. I often look back and reflect on some of the things I did as a young coach and wonder what I was thinking, but you don’t know what you don’t know and the best thing about coaching is the more experience you get, the more you realise you have to be comfortable living in the grey.
Over the last few weeks I have had some great discussions with colleagues in the coaching space about some of the contemporary challenges we face in youth sporting culture.
At times, it’s easy to get frustrated with the things we see going wrong like a win-at-all-costs narrative that continues to dominate youth sport. Or the behaviour of adults at kids football games. These are challenges which we need to keep combatting through education and conversation.
We know these things can be better, but we’ve also got to focus on the positives. As coaches, we have an opportunity to set learning environments, develop people through sport, create memories that last a lifetime and help kids fall in love with the game.
When I think back over two decades of coaching I’ve done, it’s the moments with individuals or teams I have been involved in that stick in my mind, not scorelines or trophies.
It’s nice to win, we all love to compete, but the stories that emerge from season after season working in different environments, levels and countries are what motivate me to keep turning up at training every week.
To do this, we have to step aside, remove our ego and put the players first. If we can demonstrate emotional intelligence and self-awareness, (one of the key characteristics of effective coaches), then we can set environments that can create memories and moments for everyone involved.
Two things to consider.
- What are you doing every week to ensure joy exists in the environment and that it’s free of fear?
- How do you ensure the children in your care are challenged to lead, problem solve or collaborate in your training sessions?
One thing for you to try this week.
Step back and allow yourself to observe the social interactions of the group, the hierarchy or social dynamics at play and set the players problems to solve, discussions to lead. You don’t have to have all the answers.
One critical resource on the topic.
Check out this blog from John O’Sullivan on The Power of Moments in Youth Sport.
