It’s Not Them; It’s Us – Better Coaching With Young Athletes: Brett Klika

Coaching kids can be difficult, and frequently the onus must be in the adults to communicate more effectively. While it is true that kids can be unfocused, poorly disciplined and uncoordinated, and that some just wont listen, many of these problems can be reduced through good communication by coaches and parents. Make sure you explain what different instructions mean beforehand so your kid doesn’t need to figure them out on the fly during a real match. Identifying obstacles correctly or taking a pause to explain things better can also pay off.

Key Takeaways:

• As a coach, it comes down to how you communicate with your athletes during the session.
• Conversing with young athletes can be hard at times as they think that they know everything.
• As an adult, you know what it takes for someone to reach a high level in the thing that they do.

“In all honesty, a majority of the time when kids don’t do what they are supposed to do, the communication breakdown is on our end, not theirs.”

Read more: http://iyca.org/better-coaching-young-athletes-brett-klika/