Are Coaches Ruining A Kid's Love For Sports

While the majority of coaches are good coaches there are some who can do damage. These coaches have a “win-at-all-costs” mentality and can be really hard on the kids if they are not winning. Another psychological effect is inapposite feeling of superiority. The obsession with sport in our society can put an inflated sense of self on a child. If they are constantly winning or always making touchdowns they feel unstoppable. (Ph.D., 2015) “We must also recognize that participation in football, and team sports in general, has major benefits for fitness and character building. Participation in sports counters the major public health issues of obesity and, perhaps more importantly, the “disengagement” that we all observe in kids these days. Every parent of a teen, and even young children, realizes that a “virtual” world has often replaced the real, live interactions kids used to regularly experience. I strongly believe that participation in team sports has a major positive influence on youth, and we cannot discount the positive impact of this aspect of football. Ultimately, if a child is passionate about football and no other sport or activity, they are almost certainly better off playing football than being inactive and alone.” (Ph.D., 2015)

Softball has been around since 1887. No one knows how hard it is to become a successful softball coach: “It’s a lot harder being a coach than being a player. You as a coach have to think about everyone and plan for every scenario”(Kelsey Jones). The first national championship was held in Melbourne, Australia, in 1965. In 1982, softball officially became a part of the National Collegiate Athletic Association(NCAA).

The relationship between an athlete and a coach is an unique and (humble??) one. It’s all about learning, growing, and overcoming failures to its successes. About looking forward to the future together in the game and beyond the life of sports. The interaction between them should be upheld and agreed upon, to be held together. They are the most influential character of the competitive environment. I believe in the value of a coach.

Through all of my research, one thing was constant; the single most important thing that a coach can do is build a relationship with their players. When coaches take their time to get to know each and every one of their players, the chances of the athlete respecting and responding to the coach are much greater. Giving the athlete a feeling of belonging, importance, and welcoming will increase their confidence and most likely their level of play as well. In his article, Scales explains how developing positive relationships results in athletes not only with better athletic ability, but also with better emotional control, social skills, and connection to school and community (20). One of the most important characteristics of having a relationship with the athlete is caring for them. Florida Tech swim coach thinks the most important

Finally, outside influence plays a key role in determining athletic success. Athletes must be motivated to push away negative influences, peer pressure and what others want. It’s important to have a good coach who cares about the athlete’s success and hones his skills. Coaches can mold an athlete’s physical and mental maturity and play a critical role in helping develop the athlete while putting them in a better position to handle success.

Sadly, dealing with unreasonable, loud, obnoxious parents can be the most challenging part of coaching. Many coaches just want to make a difference in young lives instead of having to deal with the extra baggage of a high-strung parent. “If a parent does not like what you are doing as a coach, then there is no reason that parent can’t become a coach. One of the most difficult problems in coaching youth sports is dealing with an irate parent, but this problem can be diminished by holding parent meetings before and during the season.” (Put ‘Em In Coach, 33)

Having a coach in life will positively influence your character and your skills. Also, having a coach doesn’t necessarily mean that your playing on a field. A coach can be anyone from a role model to a parent or guardian, a teacher, a pastor, a mentor, or sometimes even a best friend. One of the most important things for a coach to have is influence, and more important than that is that the influence he has on his players must be positive. As a leader, a coaches job is to better his players on and off of the field. This is done by developing the character of his players through encouragement and helping them understand that the game is more than just about winning. A good coach will always put the needs of his players first before he considers himself as a factor. If a coach is successful his players will develop a strong sense of self-motivation. This helps by allowing the player to

Coaches have a huge impact on the sportsmanship and behavior displayed by their team. According to Churdar (2015), “The coach bears the greatest burden of responsibility for sportsmanship. His influence upon the attitudes and behavior of the players, the student body, and the fans is unequalled.” (p. 2). Coaches have a huge influence on the behavior and attitude of their athletes. According to John Wooden, “Profound responsibilities come with teaching and coaching. You can do so much good-or harm. It’s why I believe that next to parenting, teaching and coaching are the two most important professions in the world” (as cited in Matheny, 2015, p. 99-100). This is a very weighty but true statement. The majority of athletes look to their coaches for guidance not only in athletics, but in life.

Kids off over this country participate in sports and usually have parents volunteered as their coaches. In the article called "Have Youth Sports Become Too Intense?" the authors Mark Hyman and Nathan Pitcock says, “74 percent of the kids surveyed said they had witnessed out-of-control adults at their games” (Hyman and Ptcock). Out of

Today, the coaching profession is under heavy scrutiny, as there have been several reported incidents where a coach has been involved in an abusive situation with one or more athletes. One lawsuit has developed recently involving a physical education teacher attempting to force a female student into a pool for class (Daly, 2014). Unfortunately, this incident was not an isolated case; this kind of behavior is becoming more prevalent in the coaching trade. In the United States alone, there have been several lawsuits developing against athletic coaches who have conducted themselves in an unprofessional manner. Physical, verbal, emotional, and sexual abuse has plagued the coaching community for decades, especially in the sport swimming.

The coach will portray that mistakes are not acceptable and the athletes should make as little mistakes as possible. The coach will also show that he/she does not have patience for the athletes that cannot pick up the skills quickly. The coach will condition them if they make mistakes. The coach will have a very loud strong voice, demanding, and intimidating attitude. The coach will enforce fundamentals and skills that the athlete will need to be successful in the sport.

The coach is visionary and lives life by adhering to core values. He should have very real strength of character and commitment to personal integrity and honesty.

Coaching, however challenging, is a great way to influence the lives of others while also building their character. For as long as there have been sports, there have been people teaching the sport to the players and making them better at it. Coaches must have certain qualities in order to obtain success. One must also look at a coach’s motivation for his job, his passion for what he does, his methods for coaching, and how he became a coach in order to fully understand him. There are many questions someone may want to ask a coach about his profession if they are interested in coaching. Some questions would include: Why did he choose this as a profession? How did he get into coaching? What does one have to do to get a job as a coach? How

An increase in the number of reported instances of parents engaging in abusive, violent, and controlling behavior toward coaches,

My topic is similar to yours. I have always been intrigued to examine the relationship between coach and athlete. In my experience, I have found coaches who provide positive support and are constructive with their criticism are more enjoyable to play for and give the athlete a more positive experience. Coaches that come across as condescending seem to push kids away from the game. It is important that the student-athlete has a positive experience, especially student-athletes at a young age. I feel if a student-athlete has a negative experience at the interscholastic level he or she will be less likely to stick with the sport.