The Power of Positive Youth Coaching
At Blizzards, we firmly believe that players should develop in a fun environment; we want soccer to be the most fun part of the week. If soccer is not fun, why is a child going to want to come and play a game or attend a practice session? And who is the person who is going to have the most influence on this? Of course, it is the coach.
As coaches, we have a duty to ensure that all of our players, irrespective of playing ability or age, enjoy youth soccer in a safe, constructive and fun environment. Unfortunately, a win at all cost mentality, including punishments for mistakes can creep into a coach’s armoury. Hearing a coach yell “You aren’t working hard enough” or “That is awful, come and sit on the bench”, is becoming far too common throughout Calgary, and in some isolated cases, I am sorry to say, Blizzards.
The way in which we communicate with our players and what we say has a lasting effect on and off the sports field. We are not just soccer coaches; we are lifestyle coaches for all of our Blizzard players.