Coaching youth sports is a rewarding job, particularly for adults who see their roles beyond winning and losing.
Coaches of youth sports are role models and key players in making sports experiences gratifying and beneficial for children and teens. According to the National Alliance for Youth Sports (NAYS), “sports participation is one of the greatest resources available for instilling valuable life skills in children.” Unfortunately, those valuable life skills can become secondary to winning. Not only do coaches help kids have fun and experience winning and losing, they also play an important role in positive youth development.
While they deservedly celebrate the winners, coaches also recognize the efforts of all children who work hard to be good at sports. Coaching helps kids develop resilience, cope with disappointment, learn from mistakes, and make adjustments to strategies. These are all important aspects of developing initiative, an ability that children use in all aspects of life.
Find the full article here: Coaching Youth Sports: Beyond Winners and Losers