The Essential Playlist for Coaching Youth Sports Teams
ROB HERRINGER United Soccer Coaches Director of Coaching
In 2022, after a two-year hiatus, I was thrust back into a head coaching position when one of our Select coaches accepted a new job with less than a week before tryouts. This unexpected move put our growing club in a bind. There wasn’ t enough time to conduct a search for a suitable replacement, and we didn’ t have any coaches on staff who had the capacity to take on another team. I had no choice but to dust off my rusty whistle one more time.
I was not ready. In an instant I had a massive responsibility on my hands. Despite over 20 years of coaching experience, I had spent the previous two years in mostly an administrative role, occasionally conducting training sessions and managing games for our teams. It was safe to say I was not as sharp as I needed to be, especially for a U19 team. Aside from the on-field concerns, I had to adjust my entire personal and professional calendar, which included navigating my son’ s schedule and delicately rescheduling plans with my wife. In addition, I had to replenish my coaching equipment, design a team plan for the year and, most importantly, open my mind and heart to coaching a team of young men. There was a lot to do in a very short period of time.
Many youth sport coaches who have unexpectedly been asked or“ volun-told” to take on a team can probably relate to my situation, so I have compiled a set of seven priorities for coaching youth sports, regardless of the age of your athletes or division of your team. Just like those Apple Music“ essential playlists” on your iPhone, or maybe those smoking hot mixtapes from the late’ 80s and early’ 90s stashed in a Dr. Martens shoe box in your basement, keep these tips close at hand and in your heart when taking on the great responsibility of coaching a youth sports team.
TRACK 1: ORGANIZATION
Based on my experience, about 51 % of any coaching position comes down to organization. Those who fail to plan and take care of administrative aspects of the job usually struggle to have a positive experience with their teams. Lack of organization leads to unhappy parents, undisciplined athletes and sloppy team play. This inevitably leads to frustration and a lack of enjoyment from all involved with the team.
The first step for any coach, regardless of their age and experience, should be to review club standards and expectations. They should also read all league and tournament rules. In addition, they should complete the necessary risk management certifications required by the club, state and national governing bodies. These things should be taken care of before tackling any other work with the team.
Next, it is important to put together a team plan that includes training and game schedules along with other essential information. Getting a team plan out to families as far in advance as possible allows parents to plan their lives and the schedules of their other children. This also helps increase the chances of getting all athletes to your events and prevents some parents from being in tough situations where they have to choose between activities. The best way to deliver this team plan is at a preseason meeting with parents and athletes.
The administrative side of a coaching position should not be neglected, even though it is never as fun as what is done in the performance environment. Coaches should assess their strengths and weaknesses when it comes to these administrative duties and seek help from directors, colleagues or family members if necessary. Many teams utilize a“ team manager,” oftentimes a parent of a child on the team, who helps with keeping the team organized. Recruiting a team manager should be considered if organization is not and may never be in a coach’ s skill set.
TRACK 2: CONSISTENT COMMUNICATION
Consistent communication with parents is critical to the overall success of a coach. Coaches should communicate with families on a weekly basis, and the easiest way to do this is through email or a team management app such as TeamSnap, SportsEngine or Demosphere. Weekly communication should include, but does not have to be limited to, the schedule for the week, what the team has been working on in training, and the“ game goals” that family members and fans should look and cheer for at the next game. Something to keep in mind is families are used to receiving regular communication from school. The communication with your team should be similar. This regular communication allows everyone to stay on the same page and provides family members with information they need to support the coach and what they are teaching at home, in the car and in the bleachers.
Having athletes communicate with coaches is also very important for creating healthy learning environments and fostering holistic development. Kids are oftentimes reluctant to tell the whole truth when speaking directly to adults, and 1:1 electronic communications between coach and athlete are not appropriate. Therefore, in order to give athletes an open line of communication with the coach, we developed and implemented an Athlete Wellness Check. These check-ups, which can be collected on a weekly basis, provide coaches with valuable information on how athletes are doing physically, emotionally and mentally. Athletes are more willing to share information about themselves using the Wellness Checks, and coaches can follow up with athletes at the next event and modify plans for practice or games if necessary.
Coaches should not underestimate the power of consistent communication. This is crucial for creating positive learning environments and for the holistic development of every athlete.
TRACK 3: CREATING MEANINGFUL LEARNING ENVIRONMENTS
Making every minute count with your athletes and conducting meaningful training sessions is essential for the enjoyment and development of young athletes. The time spent with athletes in training is usually very limited, oftentimes only one to two times per week, so coaches need to make sure these opportunities are of the highest quality.
24 | Soccer Journal