We have all heard the long-used phrase “life isn’t perfect.”. It can also be said that the many predicaments in life that we might find ourselves in, are not at all perfect either. We live under a daily deluge of rights/wrongs coupled with bad decisions and good intentions. At the end of the day, we feel mentally and emotionally battered and bruised.
All of this to say, that the responsibility of youth sports coaching (as much as we love and respect it) can still create a unique quagmire of negative circumstances and situations that you must be mindful of, as you busy yourself with developing your young athletes.
Good day everyone! This is Coach Small. In today’s blog, we are going to be discussing some of the more relevant negative circumstances for youth sports coaches. How do we recognize them? Are there any methods that can be put into practice, to turn those negative circumstances into positive wins? Let’s find out together, shall we?
Here are some common challenges that many youth coaches find particularly difficult to navigate:
Abuse And Misconduct
By their very nature, these are two cardinal sins, as they are the most detrimental to young athletes, who are under your expressed supervision and tutelage. They can be broken down as follows:
Abuse – any physical, emotional or sexual abuse perpetrated on a player or players, by the coach. This type of behavior is typically done in secret and away from concerned parties such as parents and league officials.
Misconduct – bullying or negligence perpetrated on a player or players, by the coach. This type of behavior can be easily displayed in front of others and at times, be quickly pointed out by concerned parties such as parents and league officials.
If you so happen to fall into one or both of these categories, then you need to be keenly aware that your behavior is wholly unacceptable. You must keep in mind, that the ire, hatred and disdain that can be aimed at a coach in these situations, is understandable and such dire predicaments will require swift actions from parents and the governing league.
Specifically regarding physical and sexual abuse, you will more than likely, encounter serious legal entanglements, that will land you in jail or prison. These are situations that youth coaches MUST avoid at all costs. If you find yourself becoming susceptible to committing abuse and/or misconduct in your capacity as a youth coach, I would highly recommend that you resign your post immediately and seek appropriate treatment post-haste. You owe it to yourself AND to the children.
Parental Conflicts And Unreasonable Expectations
As a youth coach, you can find yourself dealing with overbearing or confrontational parents who constantly challenge your coaching decisions, engage in conflicts with others, or set unrealistic expectations of your abilities, to other parties. Why this type of behavior occurs, pretty much runs the gamut, however, I would surmise that the two main reasons would be:
- Parents having a desire to unfairly live vicariously through their children
- Parents who are simply blatant troublemakers in every aspect of their childrens’ lives
This can easily create a toxic environment that is difficult to thrive in. It creates a tumultuous distraction for everyone, and squelches the positive attention that young athletes should be receiving during this time. `It may also adversely impact the overall experience for both the young athlete and the coach. It can then spread like a cancer, infecting all others in its path.
To avoid these types of disastrous situations, coaches MUST do their utmost best, to set steadfast expectations for parents. You must be aware that this communication must be done with professionalism, but with a warm approach. As a youth coach, your personal time is valuable, and you should treat it as such.
Despite the fact that parents can pay big bucks to have their child be in a particular sport/league in many instances, that does not give them the right to subvert your authority. By placing their child into a sport and then sitting on the sidelines to watch their child play, parents have defaulted to YOU, to be the authority figure, as it relates to the coaching of their child in the sport in question.
If you exercise legitimate concern and display earnest involvement in the athletic development of the kids on your team, that should keep disruptive parents well at bay.
Lack Of Support From Your League
All youth coaches need support to some degree. We look for the type of organizational support that will allow us to be more effective in our approach to molding young players into becoming elite athletes and by extension, honorable young citizens. When we do not receive this support at an adequate level, whether it is in terms of resources, training, or administrative assistance, it can negatively impact our ability to effectively coach and manage our teams.
This situation can be outright discouraging, which can lead to burnout and/or a definitive decline in the quality of your coaching. It can seem as if you are being left on a deserted island, with no hope of rescue. So what can be done about it?
If this begins/continues to morph into an untenable predicament for you and your staff (if you have any), it is imperative that you reach out to those in authority in our league, and stress to them your concerns. Inform them of the areas where you may be lacking and ask for direct support, to help you shore up those tenuous areas.
Approach these discussions from a perspective of frustration, not irritation. From frustration, can come growth and improvement. From irritation, can come massive discord and potential resentment. Focus on the former, NOT the latter.
Inadequate Commitment From Athletes
A lack of dedication or commitment from young athletes can be a proverbial “death knell” for any coach. No matter at what high level you are coaching, if there is no drive or commitment from your players, then you are spinning your wheels, as it were. These non-commitals may hinder the progress of the team and make it challenging to maintain a structured and disciplined team atmosphere and positive attitude.
There are a few avenues that you could pursue, to rectify this issue:
- You can enlist the help from parents or other caregivers, to gently encourage the player’s participation and cooperation
- If time and resources allow, personally work 1 -on-1 with the player, in an earnest attempt to release any athletic talent that they might possess. If you have assistant coaches, this task can easily be assigned to them.
- As a last resort, you can weed out these players and remove them from the team (NOTE: If this route is taken, you must communicate fully with the player’s parents/caregivers, that this is your intent. Remember…this is a very last resort)
6. External pressure and high expectations: Coaches may face pressure from the community, parents, or even themselves to achieve specific goals or high performance levels. Managing these high expectations while prioritizing the physical and emotional well-being of the athletes can be demanding.
Conclusion…Can you handle the negative?
It is crucial for youth coaches to build effective communication skills, maintain open lines of dialogue, establish clear expectations, and prioritize the safety, development, and overall positive experience of the young athletes under our supervision.
If we obtain and maintain a realist attitude, then we can recognize when negative circumstance present themselves, and act accordingly in order to mitigate those situations and stay on course. Vigorously tackle those negative situations that are dire and don’t sweat the small stuff!
Thanks so much for stopping in and for diving into this topic with me! I trust that the information contained herein, was greatly helpful to you.
As always, feel free to leave a comment below, with any questions that you might have. If not, you can simply say “Hi!”. I like it when people say “Hi!”! We will see you in the next blog!
Coach Small