coachKidsSports.com

The greatest gift is a portion of thyself. - Ralph Waldo Emerson

I had the chance to have a quick email conversation with Morgan Singel.  Morgan is the founder of Kids First Sports Safety and the friend of one of my baseball confidantes, Tom Foote.

Morgan's company has created training programs for several sports, from football to bowling, based on the principle of teaching fundamentals in a safe controlled manner.  They stress good body position and balance, while incorporating skills and proper technique into their programs.

Looking through their website I was impressed with the number of participating park districts and colleges and the enthusiasm from the parents. 

"Coach Singel brought me on the field and showed me what a difference a solid body balance position can make in blocking and tackling, the kids feel safer and now I feel safer about Joel playing." (A letter of thanks; says): I feel more comfortable with him starting football with your safety camp as a spring board.

- Merrie Peterson

Morgan did have a reason for our email conversation.  He wanted to tell me about a football camp he's running this summer at Elmhurst College for players from junior high through college.  it's a five day overnight camp; check-in July 8 @ 3:00pm and check-out July 13, 12:00pm.  The players stay in the Elmhurst College dorms and use their facilities.

If you need a last minute Christmas gift or are otherwise interested, you can register On-Line at KidFirstSports.net, or by phone at 888-890-KIDS (5437).

Basketball is basketball. - Oscar Robertson

Remember the 5 Question Interviews I ran with the Men's and Women's Basketball coaches?  I asked both of them to tell me the most important thing to teach the kids.  Both coaches said "Fundamentals".  In basketball there is nothing more fundamental than ball handling.

I found an eleven part online Youth ball handling clinic at kudda.com.  I think it's great to have an in depth course available free of charge, but I felt the videos were a bit lacking in actual instruction.  You should watch the videos and get ideas for drills, but if you aren't up to speed on the fundamentals yourself, you'll need some help to make sure the kids are dribbling correctly. 

Maybe that's me reliving my general incompetence on the hardwoods, but by the end of level one the kids were doing things I couldn't do.  Be careful not to rush the kids through the levels too quickly.  Watch the videos and determine where your kids fall on the ability scale, then use those drills in your practices.

• Level 1 - dribble while looking at the ball
• Level 2 - dribble with head up
• Level 3 - moving with the ball
• Level 4 - moving at full speed 

One tip I took from Level 2 on how to get the kids to keep their head up — have the kids call out the number of fingers you are holding up.  Simple, yet effective.  I love that kind of teaching method — and you can use that in any sport.

You are remembered for the rules you break. - Douglas MacArthur

On Monday I wrote about the wonders of YouTube, later that day Google buys YouTube… conincidence??? Yeah, probably.

Well, that doesn’t diminish how beneficial YouTube is to a youth league coach. I found two more short videos to help the soccer coaches out there. One is a warm up game, the other a passing drill. Without video it would take several hundred words to describe either of these drills. But through the miracle of modern science you can understand both in less than five minutes.

Read the rest of this entry »

There is only one success - to be able to spend your life in your own way - Christopher Morley

So, we are nearly into October.  Here in the States we are well into football, soccer and fall baseball season.  I'm sure you are all well on your way to fun, fulfilling seasons — right???  Well, on the off chance that there is trouble in River City, I'll send you to an MSNBC article to make you feel better about what you are doing.

The article is titled "When coaches should hit the bench " and it's about over bearing coaches.  The author, Jacqueline Stenson, highlights the findings of a study presented by the American College of Sports Medicine.  The study surveyed 376 parents of elementary and middle school kids involved in organized sports.  It asked questions concerning the coach's behavior and their response to the behavior.

Parents reported that their kids' coaches had used disciplinary measures such as extra exercise (64 percent), verbal scolding (42 percent), public embarrassment (18 percent), suspension (8 percent) and striking or hitting (2 percent).

Public embarrassment and hitting a child are absolutely unacceptable — no excuses, however the other disciplinary measures all depend on the kid's age and context of the situation.  It's vital to keep control over practice, but if you find yourself resorting to sending kids out to run laps frequently it might be you, not them.  Step back and check your practices to make sure you keep the kids occupied and check your own attitude.  It can be tough and coaches can get burned out.  When that happens instead of getting crabby, maybe it's time to get a little silly.  Remember that the kids — and you — are there to have fun.  Run a drill where you get to run some and, if possible, laugh a lot.  

He who never made a mistake, never made a discovery. - Samuel Smiles

Last night I held a coaching clinic for a local soccer league.  The coaches were great, very enthusiastic and excited about teaching soccer to their kids.  I was very encouraged because the coaches were all looking to learn more, even the ones who had coached for several years. 

The topics I covered would be familiar to regular readers: coaching as teaching; building upon fundamentals; how to set up practice; finding the coachable moments and building a team from a list of names.  Almost as if I've been reading my own stuff…

To support the clinic I created a new page for the site: Clinic Resources.  It has links and downloads related to the clinic, however anyone is welcome to check them out.

The downloads are soccer skills and drills I've picked up over the years as well as an Access database I created to manage my teams.  The database is very basic, but then I never thought I'd share it with the world, so use it with that knowledge.  If you are so inclined and talented, any upgrades to the database or additions to the skills and drills are appreciated.

I've also included two books on the Clinic Resources page.  I've used one of the books, Developing Youth Soccer Players, since I started coaching soccer.  It contains drills and games for all age and skill levels.  Before each season I go through it again to see if there are any drills my team is ready to take on.  The other book, Double Goal Coach, is a book I just started reading, but I'm very excited about what it says so far.  The premise of the book — and web site — is that rec league coaches have two goals; teaching and winning.  Winning is important, it's why we keep score, but teaching is a coach's primary goal and nothing should interfere with that goal.  I think you have read that somewhere before…  After I finish reading the book, I'll post a full review of the book as well as a run down of the resources available on the website.

Please take advantage of the links and downloads on the Clinic Resources page.  I hope it can help at least the soccer coaches out there.

The only reason for time is so that everything doesn't happen at once. - Albert Einstein

School days, homework, bedtimes — it must be fall.

During summer your kids may play a couple of sports and still have plenty of time for friends and fun.  With no other obligations, save the family trip to Wally World, it's a great time for a kid to immerse herself in sports.

However, once school starts, it becomes the kid's biggest commitment.  Between school and homework, there may be little time for anything else.  When that happens, parents start making judgments about the best use of their kid's time.

Now, you're reasonable.  You realize that if a kid has a project due tomorrow, getting it done is more important than your practice.  However, if you see lots of kids missing lots of practice it's time to examine what the team is getting out of your practice.  You need to determine if your practice is passing the time value test.

Everyone has their own test, but here are a few signs your practice is a waste of time:

• You have no practice plan
• Kids are standing around during practice
• Kids don't know the other kid's names
• Parents are disinterested and don't know your name
• Kids aren't learning and improving

No need to panic and try to become Vince Lombardi overnight.  But it is important to make changes.  Start by reviewing your practice plan.  If you don't have a plan, I think we found the problem…

Remember the rules for a good practice:

• Practice is no longer than it has to be
• Break the team into small groups
• Rotate the groups through multiple stations
• Keep 'em busy

Build your practice around these rules and no one will accuse you of wasting time.

The eye of the master will do more work than both his hands. - Benjamin Franklin

As a coach it's your job to teach, so if you're going to be a better coach, you need to be a better teacher.  Here are five things you can do at your next practice which will make it — and you — more effective.

Take a knee – Especially with the youngest players, getting down on one knee when talking to a player helps get your point across.  Bring yourself to their level, maintain eye contact and talk directly to the kids.  Taking a knee helps maintain eye contact.  It's easier on you than bending at the waist, it also allows for a more natural conversation between you and the player.

Ask more questions — You're the coach, you should have all the answers, right??  Maybe so, even if it's only 10 seconds before the kids know the answers, but that doesn't mean the best way for kids to learn is for you to tell them the answer.  Ask questions — lots of them.  Challenge the kids to remember what you've taught them.  Challenge them to understand game situations.  Get them thinking as they are practicing.  Scrimmages are a great time to ask the questions.  During any short break, announce the game situation then ask one or more players what they should do.  "Runners on second and third, second base, where do you go with the ball if it's hit to you?".  "Red throw in.  Red team, where should you be?"  Sometimes you aren't looking for a verbal answer, you just want to see the correct action.  Other times you'll want the player to answer so you know if she understands the concept.  Either way, resist the temptation to give the answer.  Sometimes they will surprise you with a different perspective on the situation.

Smaller is better — Practice in small groups.  I try to divide my teams into four groups with three practice stations.  That leaves two small group activities and one larger activity.  Assign the coaches depending on the level of attention the drill requires.  Many times I'll have one assistant, so I recruit (forcibly draft) a parent from the sidelines.  I ask them to monitor the drill the team is most familiar with and requires the least intervention from the coaches.

Fundamentals are fundamental — If you've ever watched professional sports you have heard an announcer lament that today's players have poor fundamentals.  Of course, this has been an epidemic since the Roosevelt administration — Teddy — so the announcer is probably remembering a time that didn't exist.  But that doesn't mean fundamentals aren't important.  When kids master the fundamentals they enjoy the game more.  Chose one or two fundamentals to concentrate on for the season and build your practices around mastery of those skills.

Tell 'em, show 'em, then tell 'em again  –  Introducing a new drill can be a difficult experience.  You have to take a lot of time to explain the drill then three times as much time correcting the players as they try the drill.  Next time try a three step approach; Verbally explain the drill, physically demonstrate the drill, then reiterate the first two by going over the drill again.

1. Explain the drill — do not demonstrate the drill or turn your team's attention from your words in any way.  You want them concentrating on what you are saying, visualization will come next.
2. Demonstrate the drill — do not talk during the demonstration or otherwise divert attention from the physical demonstration of the drill.  All attention should be on the demonstration.
3. Explain the drill again — bring the first two parts together.  Reiterate what was said and what was shown to allow the kids to process it further.

This three step approach gives the kids more time and more ways to understand the drill.  You'll have an easier time introducing new drills and getting them to actually work.

Nobody's a natural. You work hard to get good and then work to get better. It's hard to stay on top. Paul Coffey

Recently I spent the afternoon at the Chicago Bears training camp.  Besides seeing sixty large sweaty men beat up on one another, I also had a good reminder of a coaching fundamental.  Every drill had a specific purpose and nothing that didn't contribute to that purpose was allowed.

The Bears were practicing a swing pass, actually they were practicing the blocking scheme on the edge.  The running back lined up in the backfield, the guards lined up on the line and the linebackers lined up on the defensive side.  When the play started, everyone ran to their position, but instead of having a QB throw the pass, a coach was kneeling near the spot the running back would make the catch.  The coach tossed the ball to the running back who turned up the field with the ball following his blockers.

A quarterback could easily make the swing pass.  Even if it isn't a QB on the roster, any coach could make that toss easily enough.  But the pass wasn't the focus of the drill.  The focus was getting to the right spot and making the correct read.  Even if only a couple of passes were dropped, that is time not spent learning what the coach wanted from that drill.

When you are putting together your practice remember the drills don't have to look exactly like the game.  You can — and should — make changes that allow you to focus on the important pieces.  I'm sure on another day the Bears had the QB's and RB's doing nothing but running the swing pass for 30 minutes.  But the guards and linebackers were off doing something else.  Determine exactly what you want to accomplish with each drill and ruthlessly remove anything that doesn't contribute.

The way to succeed is to double your error rate. - Thomas J. Watson

Go to just about any practice and you'll hear the coach preaching to his players about the value of taking care of the ball.  You'll hear her talk about limiting mistakes.  "Champions don't make the same mistake twice!!" is an article of faith among coaches.  After all, if you don't make a mistake you make your opponent work harder to score.

But, what if we turn that bit of conventional wisdom on it's head?  John Wooden credits his coach Piggy Lambert with instilling in him the belief that the team which makes the most mistakes often wins the game.  How can that be?  How can a team make more mistakes — consistently — yet win more games??  When I read that in Wooden's autobiography, "They Call Me Coach", I was puzzled.  It just didn't make any sense.  But, since John Wooden has 10 more NCAA titles than I do I decided to take a little more time before I decided he was wrong…

Reading further I began to understand his point.  The team that makes the most mistakes is usually the more aggresive team.  They are the team that is prepared, understands what each player is supposed to accomplish and has the confidence to take some chances.  Preaching "No Mistakes" breeds a conservative style, but it can inhibit players developing a sense for the game.  And, isn't that why the games are played?

One way you can start coaching with this philosophy is to start asking the players questions.  If a player is out of position, ask the player where they should be. Then ask why.  If no one can answer then you probably never told them — at least not in a way they remember.  A favorite tactic of mine is to explain the situation, then ask to the team "Where should you be??"  for example, in a soccer practice before a throw in I'll announce "Red team throw in, where are her team mates?  Blue team where should you be to defend?"  The younger the kids, the more you have to repeat yourself, but even a 6 year old learns to get behind the ball when the other team is throwing it in.

Give your kids the answers by asking questions.  If they are thinking they will see opportunities sooner and make a few of those mistakes Piggy Lambert valued so highly. 

Always bear in mind that your own resolution to succeed is more important than any other. - Abraham Lincoln

Success without honor is an unseasoned dish; it will satisfy your hunger, but it won't taste good. - Joe Paterno

Too many years ago, when I was in high school, I had a chance to see John Wooden speak. It was one of thousands of speeches he gave to students, businesses, trade groups and about anyone else who would listen. I was thrilled, not because I was a basketball player, but because John Wooden represented winning. After all he had won 10 NCAA titles in 12 years. I wanted to hear him talk about the his UCLA teams, the big games and his great players. Coincidently he was speaking in the city where he lost in the 1974 Semi Final game — his last NCAA tournament loss.

Being a history buff I was hoping to hear stories about that game and the great NC State (my favorite team at the time) team that went on to win the tournament that year. Instead he did nothing of the sort. He didn't talk about the big games he won, or the ones that got away. He talked about teaching and self discipline. Boy was I ripped off, at least that is what my 15 year old mind thought at first.

Then I started to listen to what he had to say. He didn't talk about himself or his teams at all, instead he talked to us about teaching, team work and self discipline. Not exactly top 10 material for several hundred high school kids, but he held our attention for the two hours he spoke.  After that speech I became a John Wooden fan. I've never passed an opportunity to read a book by or about him or watch a show that mentions him. Even after 30 years of retirement, John Wooden remains relevant because he is talking about universal truths.

Starting when he was in high school, John Wooden tried to create a definition of success. As he tells the story in his autobiography "They Call Me Coach", after several years and hundreds of hours of effort he came up with his "Pyramid of Success". The pyramid is five levels tall with additional qualities tying each level together along the outside of the pyramid. But at the top there is a single sentence:

"Success is peace of mind which is a direct result of self-satisfaction in knowing you did your best to become the best you are capable of becoming."

There is nothing about winning games, being better than 50%, 60%, 90% of your peers, scoring more goals, or anything about comparing yourself to others. In the end success is solely about being the best you can be and the only person who can decide if you succeeded is you. After spending some time with the pyramid you can see how each level builds upon the other.

Coach Wooden builds a foundation based on hard work and enthusiasm. "There is no substitute for hard work. And to really work hard at something you must enjoy it." Forget basketball, that sounds like a good life lesson to me.

Check out his official web site, www.CoachJohnWooden.com or read his autobiography, "They Call Me Coach", for a complete explanation of the pyramid. I think you'll agree that for a guy that hasn't won anything in 30 years he still knows about success.