Coaching Youth Sports

It's fall (even if the temps don't give that impression) and it's time for my annual call out to all parents to get out and volunteer to coach in one of your kids' youth sports leagues. Youth recreation sports leagues are often entirely coached by volunteer parents and grand parents and can't survive without your help. Too often I see leagues desperately advertising for coaches and struggling for weeks before finding enough (and sometimes not) parents to coach to have enough teams to spread the players out.

So here's my challenge to you. The next time you receive a call out to coach your kids' soccer, softball, baseball, football, tennis etc. team, don't delay. Respond yes right away and help out the league and the kids.

This September marks the 5th year out of 6 years I've coached my youngest daughter's soccer team. I started her first season when she was 3 and am still coaching her team of 7 and 8 year olds this year. She took last year off to do other things but wanted to get back into soccer this year.

You don't have to be a soccer (or other sport) pro to coach at the youth level. I never played organized soccer and the number of pick up games I've played can be counted on one hand!!! Coaching at this level is not about knowing the ins and outs of the sport. Sure, some basic knowledge can help, but your skills as a parent are far more important. Those kids just want an opportunity to play and all they need is some guidance and help when things don't go their way on the field. Coaching a youth sport is far more about consoling players and keeping players excited than it is about teaching skills.

So if your answer is no because you think you don't know the sport? Hogwash! You know plenty. Take the plunge. Say yes and help those kids! And if a parent yells at you, ignore them. Remember, you volunteered and they didn't. You took the plunge and they didn't. Nobody is perfect and that angry parent would do no better, and probably far worse, than you as a coach.

You can do this. Trust me!