Coaches Training

THANK YOU for volunteering to coach youth sports. We know it’s a major time commitment and you are unselfishly doing it for the kids.

Enjoy the Game is a Youth Sportsmanship Education &  Accountability Program, designed by retired high school coaches, to encourage fun and civility among the coaches, players, parents/fans and officials who attend youth sporting events.

The program starts with you … the coach … because in our experience no one can positively influence the youth sports environment more than the coach.  As the coach goes … so goes their team’s sidelines.  When the coach maintains self-control, most players and parents will do the same. If not, permission is granted for everyone to act like the coach.

It’s absolutely critical that coaches and adult fans model the right behavior in front of the impressionable kids playing the game. ALL COACHES AND ADULTS MUST REMEMBER THIS IS A ‘GAME’ BEING PLAYED FOR THE FUN AND PERSONAL GROWTH OF THE KIDS PLAYING IT.

Take a few minutes to watch the brief Enjoy the Game Coaches Video — CLICK ON LINK BELOW 

The most common Poor Sportsmanship Trap is the official’s call. Agree or not … officials are the authority on the field/court and they are to call them as they see them. Yelling at or berating the official for a “bad call” won’t change a call. However, unfortunately in the wake of these intense moments we see new and experienced officials deciding to quit. Youth Sports can’t afford to lose more officials.

Also, when an adult aggressively challenges that authority — what message is being sent to the kids about how they should respond to the authority in their lives when they don’t like ‘the call’?

As the coach … if a player, parent or fan on your team loses self-control … PLEASE step in and seek to calm the storm. Your influence, as the coach, can dramatically alter the situation. Simply pull the player, parent or fan aside and quietly, calmly talk to them until self-control is restored.

The goal of Enjoy the Game can be summed up by T.E.A.M. . . . Treat Everyone As Myself.  The use of inappropriate/aggressive language and physical actions doesn’t reflect this goal. Encourage your players, parents and fans to maintain an environment that allows everyone attending to truly Enjoy the Game.

Every new season should start with a PARENT MEETING (Click on Link Below) to introduce the coach(es), share your coaching philosophies and layout parent/player expectations. Take some time to briefly present Enjoy the Game by printing and handing out the materials mentioned below. You don’t need to cover every point … but hit on those points that you know most apply to the players and parents on your team.

1. Parent/Fan Training Flyer (Click on Link Below)
   Hand out and discuss with the parents. Talk about the Key Roles covered in the first section then hit on whatever Poor Sportsmanship Traps you see that best fits your parent situation.
   
2. “I Will Be A Good Sport!” Flyer (Click on Link Below) 
   Hand out and discuss with your players. Cover them all at your first practice. Then, at every practice highlight one, even stopping practice to commend someone for being a ‘Good Sport’.

There will also be Enjoy the Game Banners/Signs at your game fields/courts to constantly remind everyone attending that Good Sportsmanship is paramount and the expectation at every game.

Hope you have a great season… WORK HARD… HAVE FUN… ENJOY THE GAME!