General

Patience and self-control are essential in teaching kids new skills, coaching games, and dealing with parents and officials.

Not all male athletes benefit from a certain (i.e. male) coaching style, nor do all female athletes respond better to a kinder, gentler, nicer coaching style. Different athletes respond in different ways, depending on who they are, what their goals are, and what motivates them. A sign of a good coach is that he knows how to tap into those differences and adjust accordingly while avoiding the reinforcement of culturally-based gender stereotypes.

Youth sports coaches should set realistic, age-appropriate expectations for athletes, understand child development, and be child- rather than adult-centered.

While youth sports coaches come in all shapes and sizes, the good ones share ten characteristics.

It is a myth that a good athlete automatically makes a good coach. "Unfortunately, there's still sort of this belief when it comes to sports that if you've played it, you can coach it, and if you've played it really well, you'll be a really good coach," observes Karen Partlow, National Director of American Sports Education Program, one of the country's best-known training programs for coaches and administrators.

The tragic death of soccer referee Ricard Portillo is just the latest example of the abuse of game officials and poor sportsmanship that has led to a shortage of referees, leading leagues and states legislatures to enact rules of conduct and criminalize assaults.

The Games Based Approach differs from more conventional methods of instruction, characterized by lining up and standing around, which relies on repetition. With the Games Based Approach to teaching sports, all aspects of the sport, from the basic skills to more technical moves and strategies, are taught in the context of fun, yet instructive, games. Players practice skills with creative exercises.