Youth Coaching

Think about all that you need to learn when you enter kindergarten. Everything is new, and everything is probably different than it was at your home. You need to learn how to do math, write basic letters and read them, and do it all within a schedule that you probably never had before; no one cares when you want to stop building with blocks and watch TV at home. In a somewhat similar way, this is similar to beginning to play any sport. There are now rules and different skills you need to learn in order to be successful. Also, like basic letterwriting or 1+1, the fundamentals are incredibly basic, but if you do not have them, you will not be able to succeed a higher level. Think about trying to do algebra without 1+1; it is the same as trying to play football without proper tackling form or hockey without any puck control. This is why youth coaching is so important; if the fundamentals are not in place at an early age, they will still need to be developed when other kids at the same age are advancing to much more technical and usually more effective skills. Youth coaches are usually parent volunteers, but they deserve so much more credit than they get; without them, our youth sports programs and consequently our higher-level programs would all fall apart.
Photo by Chase N on Flickr