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Fun & Skill Development v. Winning

Hal Tearse
Hal Tearse

The End of The Hockey Season Is Time to Reflect, Both for Coaches and Players

Submitted by Hal Tearse on Mon, 03/04/2013 - 00:42. | 0 comments

At the end of each season all players should take some time to review their performance and quality of experience playing the game. This process transcends the win loss record of the team and looks at individual development and overall quality of the experience. There are no so called “life lessons” on the score board and only through intentional review and discussions in the proper context can the real benefits of playing athletics be realized.

All top-level organizations have feedback mechanisms to help individuals develop. Without this type of communication and process between player and coach individual player development is likely to be slowed. This is very true in athletics as well as in the business world.
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June Is Sports Dads Month
June Is Sports Dads Month

Ray Lokar (Coach and Positive Coaching Alliance Trainer): Young Athletes Will Play With Joy If Adults Let Them

Submitted by June Is Sports Dads Month on Tue, 06/26/2012 - 20:00. | 0 comments

With MomsTEAM's June Is Sports Dads Month winding down, we hear from longtime coach and trainer for the Positive Coaching Alliance, Ray Lokar:

MomsTEAM: Were you an athlete and what sports did you play as a youth (under 19)?Ray Lokar and family

Lokar: I played football, basketball, and baseball as a youngster with varying levels of success. I was a part a couple City Championships in baseball, then went to a high school with a big-time football tradition - so my basketball career took the front seat very quickly.

MomsTEAM: What is the most rewarding aspect of being a sports dad?

A longtime coach and trainer for the Positive Coaching Alliance says that young athletes will enjoy the experience only as much as adults allow them to because, to them, it is only a game.
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Emily Cohen
Emily Cohen

Do Players On High School Varsity Deserve At Least Some Playing Time?

Submitted by Emily Cohen on Sat, 04/21/2012 - 01:36. | 10 comments

I'm writing this blog under the protestations of my 15-year-old son. He would prefer that I don't write this at all, or that I write it anonymously, so that he doesn't suffer the playing-time repercussions from his coach, but it can't get any worse than it is. And, frankly, I will be completely quiet if someone - anyone - can explain to me the benefits - to the coaching staff, the team record, AND the kids - of having an entire group of players (say, 5 or 6) ride the bench the entire season and see no playing time.

Is it okay for bench-warmers on a high school varsity baseball team to get no playing time whatsoever, even when their team is way ahead? One sports mom is looking for answers.
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Playing Multiple Sports: A Healthy Advantage for Youth Athletes

The overlap between youth sports seasons is only getting worse and the degree to which kids are specializing at ever-earlier ages in a single sport is a troubling trend in youth sports, says one longtime baseball coach and author.
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Evaluating Coaches: Ask Athletes, Watch Practices

Wheelock College athletic director Diana Cutaia says it is important in evaluating coaches to seek input from student-athletes (because they don't measure success solely in terms of wins and losses), and to watch them run practices, where good coaches are always teaching, motivating, and keeping kids moving.
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Hal Tearse
Hal Tearse

What Life Lessons To Teach Is Coach's Choice

Submitted by Hal Tearse on Fri, 08/05/2011 - 01:00. | 0 comments

There are tens of thousands of well-meaning coaches in youth and high school athletics/activites across this nation. Being placed in a position of influence and power over young people, however, requires - to borrow from the Hippocratic oath - that coaches first do no harm, and hopefully do some good. Unfortunately, the sad fact is that many will be remembered by their players for all the wrong reasons.

Being placed in a position of influence and power over young people
requires - to borrow from the Hippocratic oath - that coaches first do
no harm, and hopefully do some good. Whether to teach positive or negative life lessons is the coach's choice.

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Hal Tearse
Hal Tearse

Goal of Coaching: Develop Winners in Sports and Life

Submitted by Hal Tearse on Fri, 08/05/2011 - 00:35. | 0 comments

During the off season local associations are faced with assigning coaches to the teams for the up coming year. Coaching committees and ultimately youth hockey boards will approve the coaches for the coming year. In many programs getting enough qualified coaches is a problem. Some programs start fresh each year and some leave coaches in place for many years. In short there is lots of attention and even drama about who is going to coach the teams, especially A teams. What is missing is actually determining how qualified the coaches are and an on going coach development program. It seems as the season begins teams and coaches are on their own.

Coaches are the most important and powerful individuals in any youth sports
organization. Coaches determine the quality of experience that players
have and can have a significant impact on the lives of their players.

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Umpire's Blown Call Provides Coach Teachable Moment

Often when dealing with umpires, parents, and kids (not to mention bosses and co-workers!), being right is only a piece of what's important for a coach. We have to balance correctness with our larger goals.  As adults, it is critical that we realize the opportunity every moment affords us, the "teachable moments."  As a coach and parent, we always have a choice in how we act and what we say.
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Fun, Learn, Compete: Transforming Sports Into A Lifelong Passion

Whether you are a parent, youth baseball coach, piano teacher or faculty advisor for the chess club, your mantra should be the same:  to create a fertile environment where kids can learn, compete, and have fun, says youth baseball coach and author, Dan Clemens.
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Youth Coaches: Meaningful Playing Time For Every Player Is Job One

At levels below high school, kids sign up for sports to play, not to watch other kids play or watch adults coach or referees ref.   The number one job of a coach - whether it be basketball or any other team sport -  is to make sure every child gets meaningful playing time in every game.
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