Coaching & teaching our athletes.

The term "Student-Athletes" involves the four basic levels of competition: elementary, middle school, high school, and college.

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As teachers or coaches, we tend to overlook the fact that our pupils are students before they are athletes. They become students in life as soon as they begin to roll, sit up, crawl, and walk.

We have to educate them on sportsmanship, including respect for their teammates, the opponents, and coaches/teachers.

It is imperative to teach the young athletes how to have fun and learn something new each time we get together. Youth sports should be about learning and understanding the game. It is not about keeping score, or who won or lost, or how many goals a particular player scored.

Once the student-athletes move on to middle school sports, the score can come into play. For youth sports, it should be about practicing the skills and applying them to game situations.

Part of it should include positive parent involvement. Though we often keep the parents at a distance, we should provide them with the opportunity to become involved.

One way to do this is by providing the opportunity to serve as a parent coach. Train them how to teach and coach the game and to repeat and reemphasize whatever the coach is teaching. In short, to motivate and support and be unselfish.

One of the current ideas in youth sports is the playing of "quiet games," where only the players can talk and support each other. Everyone else must remain quiet.

This may work to a certain extent, but as a community we may want to be more involved in sports. If such is the case, it can be done in a positive manner, providing a positive atmosphere for the student-athletes.

In youth sports, the student-athletes do not always have to play for the win/loss record or a trophy. We can simply teach them to understand the game and then play it. This should be our first priority as coaches and teachers. Let us reward them for their participation and for being part of the team. We can do this by providing all of the participants with T-shirts or certificates.

However, the ultimate reward should lie in teaching the student-athletes how to play.

Our middle school and high school athletes have to promote positive parent involvement. I am currently teaching a class wholly made up of coaches, all of whom have stated that the parent involvement is negative.

Their involvement is simply with middle school and high school sports. At the first team/parent meeting, the coaches have to indicate that the parents are part of the team/family connection that the coaches are trying to create and maintain.

The parents have to understand the depth of their involvement. The coaches are expected to ask questions on the child's nutrition and eating habits, and make sure the athletes are getting the rest they need between games.

The parents can also help transport the team-to-team camps or summer tournaments and, most importantly, become involved with the children's education.

Secondly, the first parent/team meeting should address team expectations and sensitive issues, such as athletes playing time, setting up appointments with the coach, and parent involvement throughout the season.

Parents also have to understand that playing time is a decision made by the coaching staff and only the coaching staff.

Coaches have to express that team sports are about team values and that the concept of team supersedes everything else. Coaches also have to make everyone understand that playing time is a decision made by the coaching staff and only the coaching staff.

I tell players that if they can play only one or two minutes a game and support their teammates, I will believe they are team players that will always abide by the coach's decisions.

Some coaches, including myself, have the players sign a contract that lets everyone know our expectations. You might have your team sign a contract at the first team meeting. You will want everyone to know that the parents are part of the team/family.

Parents have to understand that there is a time and place to meet with the coaches and that they will be required to make an appointment. The best time is after practice, not before or after a game. Coaches should respect the wishes of a parent who may just need a clarification of what is going on with the team or their son or daughter.

Coaches should also either write a letter to the parents or hold another parent/team meeting to discuss the progress that the team is making. This can take place during the middle of the season. This will give parents a better idea of what is going on within the team.

I also believe it is a great idea for coaches to write letters at the beginning and also the end of the season.

The pre-season letter may include the past history of the program, expectations, and the upcoming preseason and regular season schedules.

The post-season letter may contain the team's accomplishments, a thank you to the parents for their support, and the future outlook and expectations.

These letters should be sent to the middle school and high school teams. Again, these are several ways to promote healthy and positive relationships with the parents and supporting community.

College sports are different. Parents have to let go of their son or daughter and allow him/her to continue to mature and become more responsible student-athletes.

At this stage, they have to set up their agenda of how they are going to manage their time between their academics and the sports they play. They have to pursue the support available to them either through their coach or academic advisors.

It is imperative for the student-athletes to understand their priorities. They should always remember where they came from (family), concentrate on their academics, place their sport in perspective, and perform to the best of their ability.

Whatever the grade level, its students need to understand that friends always come and go and the social life outside of the family and team will always be there.

The coaches should keep their players' parents as well their school administration involved and ask the latter for continued support. Coaches should not be apprehensive about informing their administration, especially the A.D., of what is going on with the team. It is vital for the head coaches and administration to maintain open communication.

One of the best things an administration can do for coaches is to provide continued support through the good times and bad. Even if it is a losing season, the A.D. will always be appreciated for demonstrating genuine support for the program. I believe that A.D.'s can relieve some of the tension created by negative parent involvement.

Coaches have to share their concerns and, if necessary, ask their A.D.'s to be available for possible meetings with parents who are exhibiting a negative influence. It has always been my belief, regardless of gender or sport, that the A.D. should be consistent in how he treats each sports program.

What is an effective coach? I do not have all the answers, but I believe that a coach should create an identity for the team and program. This should include the philosophy being established and the coach's consistent team expectations.

The coach has to find the "pulse" of the team and discover what makes it tick. For a coach to accomplish this he has to look at each player and locate the pulse. It is one of the toughest responsibilities of the coach.

Each player will respond differently to the coach, who has to recognize this and figure out what can make every individual respond in a positive way--hopefully contribute to the needs of the entire team.

It is vital for coaches to have different motivational approaches with their players. Developing a positive coach/student-athlete rapport is extremely vital.

Coaches have to teach their team how to compete with each other. Athletes, mainly upper-classmen, are fearful of losing "job" or responsibility to under-classmen. Coaches have to address this issue.

During the beginning of the season or whenever the coach is discussing player roles with each athlete, he has to specify that any change made for the benefit of the team be considered a positive thing.

If it is a change in personnel, the team has to understand the decision and know why it is best for the team at that time.

The coach also has to explain that competition always occurs in practice and games and that the coaching staff always evaluates the athletes.

The vital thing that coaches have to be aware of is to clarify his reason for any changes. The head coach should always make sure that the assistant coaches are clear about their objectives.

One way of assuring this is by giving the assistants a voice.

Finally, coaches have to be cooperative is giving up some ownership and responsibility to the student-athletes. The coach has to tell the players: "This is not my team or your team. It is our team."

By Ken Brubaker, Sport Sciences, Ashland (OH) University