Coaching Young Athletes

The Best 15 Tips From The Coaching Young Athletes Blog During 2023

Below are 15 of the best tips, tricks, thoughts, and ideas that appeared in articles posted on the Coaching Young Athletes blog during 2023.

1. Be Wise With Your Words

What we name a movement is more important than we realise. Inaccurate terminology or poorly considered coaching cues can be barriers to learning. In fact, some of our movement descriptions could be sabotaging a young athlete’s performance. Words work better if they capture the speed or shape or force/strength demands of a movement. Carefully consider your words.

2. Use Supportive Speech

Your language and demeanour can significantly impact a young athlete’s motivation, confidence, and resilience. Focusing on support, encouragement, and growth can help a child develop a healthy attitude toward competition. Refer to effort and progress rather than just results, and keep things in perspective.

3. Reset If Cues Don’t Resonate

No matter how much you like a coaching cue, if it doesn’t resonate with the recipient, it is worthless. Rather than persist with something that isn’t getting through, don’t be afraid to reset, create and invent.  Sometimes it’s just about finding the right words. 

4. Don’t Push Kids To Perform

Approach youth sports with a holistic perspective. Create a positive and supportive environment in which young athletes can thrive. Early victories are not predictive of future success and should not be the primary focus of youth sports. Measure the true success of young athletes by their love for the sport, physical and mental well-being, and personal development. Encourage young athletes to participate in sports for the love of it and to develop their abilities, not just to achieve results.

5. Avoid Overtraining

Over-training young athletes can have serious consequences. Be mindful of the risks and take steps to prevent over-training. Set realistic expectations for their performance and give them time to grow. Encourage them to participate in a variety of sports and activities. Teach them to listen to their bodies and take breaks when necessary. Encourage them to have fun, celebrate their successes, and be understanding when they struggle.

6. Aim For Consistent, Not Constant Success

When kids experience success regularly, they start to believe in their abilities and are more willing to take risks and try new things. But constant success can lead to complacency and boredom. If success comes too easily or too frequently, athletes can stagnate and stop pushing themselves to improve. When athletes are challenged, they need to adapt and problem-solve, which helps them develop important skills like resilience, perseverance, and mental toughness. Athletes who rarely find themselves out of their comfort zone may miss out on these important challenges and opportunities to develop valuable life skills.  Create an environment in which kids experience success consistently but not constantly.

7. Resist Treating Athletes As Robots

A good technique is crucial for success in various sports. Well-coordinated actions contribute to things such as improved agility, better balance, reduced fatigue, and a better ability to generate momentum and speed. Conversely, less-coordinated movements may result in wasted energy, decreased speed, and heightened fatigue due to unnecessary and misguided motions. But it’s important to note that there’s no one-size-fits-all sports technique. Athletes aren’t robots. While some broad rules will apply, While some broad rules will apply, embrace a diversity of techniques.

8. Connect With The Kids

It’s important to build a rapport with the kids you work with:

• Kneel or squat down to their height so you are eye to eye with them.
• Ask for their opinion and listen to what they have to say.
• Smile and look like you’re happy to be there.
• Try to use words and phrases that they are familiar with. 
• Give them a choice so they feel empowered and in control.
• Give them some responsibility.
• Purposefully praise their effort and improvement.

9. Intervene Intelligently

Coaching intervention is not always necessary or beneficial. In some cases, coaching can even corrupt a skill. Be selective about when you impose yourself on a situation. You need to be aware of the specific needs of the athlete and be able to recognise when your intervention is likely to be helpful, and when it is likely to do more harm than good. Be selective about when you impose yourself on a situation and recognise that not all coaching is good coaching.

10. Plan For Potential Problems.

Anticipate potential problems and have a plan in place for how to address them. For example:

• Think about how you can move your group from one activity to the next with minimum interruptions to the flow of the session.
• Have a variety of activities on hand that cater to different skill levels. You may also need to adjust your teaching style based on each athlete’s individual needs.
• Have a plan in place for how to handle late arrivals to a session.
• Plan for kids who arrive early to a session.
• Have alternatives for when an activity doesn’t work out as planned. 

11. Bring The Backyard To Your Coaching

Bring the spirit of backyard play to your athletes by:

• Incorporating games into each coaching session to keep things exciting and engaging.
• Using props to create new challenges and games, and encourage your players to get creative with how they use them.
• Letting the kids take turns leading activities, choosing games, and setting goals.
• Making each session fun.

12.  Exploit The Power Of Free Play

Create opportunities for unstructured play during practice sessions by:

• Dedicating a part of each practice session to unstructured play. 
• Instead of constantly instructing and correcting, step back and observe, offering guidance only when necessary.
• Create a culture of peer-to-peer learning. Encourage children to exchange knowledge, share techniques, and challenge each other. 

13. Craft The Kids’ Confidence

Every experienced athlete was once a beginner. However, we sometimes forget the challenges that young athletes face, especially when starting a new sport or joining a new team. As a coach, you can spend years developing your skills and gaining experience. Plus you may have participated in the sport yourself. This can make it challenging to empathise with the young athletes you are trying to teach. It’s easy to forget how it feels to be a beginner. Empathy is the foundation of effective coaching, especially when working with young athletes. During a child’s first session with you, focus on building their confidence and integrating them into the team or community. Remember the challenges you faced as a beginner and use that perspective to guide and inspire them. 

14. Take Advantage Of Analogies

When introducing skills to kids, analogies can be a coach’s best friend. They bridge the gap between the unfamiliar and the familiar, making abstract concepts relatable. Moreover, analogies inject an element of fun and novelty into the learning process, ensuring that children remain engaged and motivated. By integrating analogies into your coaching methods, you can create an environment where kids can learn and have fun.

15. Cultivate Character

Coaches of young athletes are much more than instructors of the sport. You can be a source of positivity, encouragement, life lessons, and joy. Your influence extends far beyond the sport, shaping the lives of young athletes in countless ways. By consistently evaluating your coaching performance and committing to personal growth, you can have a positive and lasting impact on the athletes’ lives both on and off the field.

Which tip is your favourite?

I would love to hear which of the tips is your favourite. What resonates with you? Let me know by leaving a comment/reply or by using the contact details below.

Further reading

12 Tips From 2022 That Will Make You A Better Coach

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