Traits of a Good Coach

By: Ryan Tremblay

Although youth sports are mainly focused on the young athletes playing in the game, no team is complete without a good coach. Coaches are not just important because they give instructions to their players, but for a number of other reasons as well. If you have a son or daughter that plays youth sports it is important for them to be taught by a professional coaching staff. The following are fine reasons why adults should consider coaching a youth sports team.

One reason is that coaches get to spend time with children. If a coach is not a nurturing adult figure, they should not be coaching. However, if adults meet the criteria, they may make good coaches.

Another reason is that coaching provides adults the opportunity to be positive role models. Having positive role models in their lives is of great importance to children and their development, so adults who feel compelled to be one of these things would make fine coaches.

A third reason is that adults may love a sport, and want to pass that love onto the next generation of players. A passionate player is often the best kind of player, so a passionate coach might be the same thing.

A fourth reason is that adults may see other sub-par coaches and want to make things better. Parents can get frustrated seeing their child’s team mismanaged, so they may decide to step in and fix things themselves.

A fifth reason is that adults may want to show their players that work and fun can go hand-in-hand, as evidenced by them working as coaches while enjoying it.

A sixth reason is that adults may want to show parents how they can be a positive factor in their young athletes’ lives. If one parent/coach can be levelheaded and remember that youth sports are about the players, than why can’t other parents follow this example?

A seventh reason is that adults are tired of hearing about coaches who abuse their power, and wants to be the good coach in a sea of bad ones. Instead of worrying about whether their child’s team will have one of these coaches, adults may decide to ensure they do not by being the coach.

An eighth reason is that adults may be invested in sports, to the point that they enjoy their team winning over many things, but not over their players’ happiness and development. There are plenty of places where adults can coach with the only goal being winning, but youth sports should not be one of these places. Adults who can understand this may have what it takes to be a youth sports coach.

A ninth reason is that adults may want to volunteer their time for the furtherance of youth sports players without worrying about payment. While some youth sports coaches get paid for their time, it is often a nominal amount. As such, somebody who wants to be a coach needs to understand that it is not all about the money, but the success of the players.

A 10th reason that adults may want to become a coach is so they can be part of their child’s youth sports experience. Coaching children can help a parent develop a bond with them, and can make attending the sporting events more enjoyable for them. While having a parent as a coach can sometimes place more pressure on young athletes, it can also make them work harder, turning them into better players.