Discover How to Design Successful Hockey Drills
As part of the All Star Season program, youth coaching and fitness expert, Brian Grasso, identifies two key strategies for designing successful drills. Follow Coach Grasso’s advice for designing successful hockey drills: Read more
8 Ways to Turn Around a Problem Parent
Most coaches have had a problem parent or two on their team. In this article, we address eight ways to turn around a problem parent. Here are some ideas for working through this problem. Read more
What if the Youth Coach Held a Press Conference?
In professional sports, it is common for the head coach to give a press conference after each game to field the “tough” questions and address concerns about the team. In youth sports, there is no need for press conferences. But, if a youth coach did give one after a game, it might go something like this: Read more
9 Keys for Success when Coaching Your Child’s Team
When you register your child to play hockey, you always run the risk of being asked to coach. In the younger ages, most of the coaches are parents. Some times you have a choice — coach or your child doesn’t get to play. Read more
13 Tips for Parents Considering Coaching
Gail Gross, a Houston radio talk-show host who has worked as an educator and is an authority on child development, says the best thing she ever did as coach of her daughter’s basketball team was to walk away when asked. “I was the worst coach who ever lived,” Dr. Gross says cheerfully. “I’m right-side dominant and have poor vision. I dreaded every game because I was such a failure.” Read more
How to Increase Practice Time by 10%
Here’s a tip for coaches that will help improve practice time by at least 10%! At the beginning of the season, name each of your practice drills. The first time your team does the drill, do a demonstration of it. Every practice time after, just simply call out the name of the drill and spend your extra time coaching and working on skill development.
Do You Criticize the Performance or the Player?
Coaches are an important influence in a kid’s life. Their words always carry more significance to the child hearing them than they do to the coach who is saying them. As such, it is easy for coaches to phrase things in ways that are heard as much harsher than was intended. When helping kids develop new skills or when dealing with team selections, coaches should be careful to focus player discussions on tangible behaviors and away from things that have broader personal or family meaning. For example: Read more
Help Players Discover How to Share the Spotlight
Kids don’t always understand why they’re pulled out of a game, especially if they’ve performed well. Teach them to share the spotlight by reminding them that, even though some team members have different strengths than others, everyone on the team deserves an equal chance to play. Read more
The Coach’s Truth: Be Patient and Players Will Learn
Why should you be patient with your players? No, it’s not about being nice. It’s about success for the players as individuals and the team as a whole. Read more
How to Easily Build Confidence in Your Players
Rather than greeting players with a simple nod or a standard “Hello”, go the extra mile by greeting them by name and letting them know you’re glad to see them. Remember, kids (and adolescents in particular) frequently feel like they don’t belong. Read more
