Coaching your and others' children.

The Real People Boys, Jeff Moore and I (Chris Huggans), both have the honor of being involved in coaching our children in their youth sports.  It is a true pleasure to have the chance to interact with them and have a hand in the success of their development.  It is not for everyone, and their have been times when we both have wondered if it were the best option for us, but we have worked and grown through those times by continuing to keep a few principles in our mission.  Today I want to share some of those with you. 

1. Teach all children equally. These kids need to be taught the fundamentals of the game. “Hit the ball” is not adequate instruction. Repetitive drills are great and with this thing called the internet you can find hundreds of skill-specific drills that are geared toward the age/skill level that you are coaching. I once read of a coach for 6 year old soccer that developed a game called "hit the coach."   The kids thought it was hilarious and they got practice in ball handling. It quickly became the end-of-practice favorite.
2. Play all children equally. Assuming that we’re talking about just-for-fun leagues here, you should be playing all children an equal amount of time, regardless of skill. Take time to make your game plan. Rotate players so that the two kids with two left feet are not playing at the same time. Believe me, it reduces frustration on everyone’s part. Rotation actually teaches a few things: a) each person on a team is valuable, b) even the best players need to sit out once in a while, and c) every player gets a chance to be a hero. By the age of about 8 or 9, the kids who aren’t good at a sport usually know it, but shouldn’t, at this age, be made by the coach to feel like less of a player — or a person — because of it.
3. Push all children equally, according to ability. Be appropriately competitive, for the age and level of the team. A cut-throat screamer at a five-year-old beginner’s team? No. A yeller with 11-year-olds who could go to the playoffs if you win this game? Maybe, if you’re also following the next rule…
4. Love all children equally. We all know it’s hard to be the coach of your own child, but don’t play favorites on the field, even if your kid is the best player on the team. If you’re being encouraging to all of your players and passing out accolades to all of the children equally, not just the most talented of the bunch, you’ll also be the best loved coach in the league whether you’re winning or not.

In summary of these principles, I would like to add one more thing.  Each child that I am involved with, I seek one main accomplishment:  that they reach their highest potential and do the best that they can do.  Each child has their own level of desire and potential and that creates the hardest part for a coach, to find what that potential and desire is.  But I vow that I will not cut that child short by not pushing them to their level of potential and desire and to not expect them to reach a higher level of potential when they have no desire to reach it.

Hopefully this small bit of information will make a difference in someone's life someday.  Maybe a child.

I thank you for your attention and ask that you please check out the Real People Boys at http://www.realpeoplerealopportunity.com/
You could find something that will change your life.

Peace and Success,
The Real People Boys
Chris Huggans and Jeff Moore