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Positive Coaching Alliance Connector
August 3, 2010
 
David Jacobson, Editor

In This Issue:
Sportskool Launches New Cable TV Videos Featuring PCA
Ask PCA: My Son Swore at the Coach
Sports Parenting Tip: Ask Your Child to Imitate Your Sideline Behavior
Twenty $2,500 Grants Are Up for Grabs!
Become a PCA Member and Get a Nike Shirt, Shutterfly Photobook and Other Benefits
Sportskool Launches New Cable TV Videos Featuring PCA

Sportskool_200The latest videos in Sportskool's "Coaches and Parents" series, featuring PCA Associate Director Tina Syer, debut today and are available free on-demand in 37 million digital cable homes throughout the U.S.
 
Sean Astin, whose sports fame ties to his role as "Rudy" in the film of the same name, hosts the series. The videos, each 10 to 12 minutes, are titled:
  • Honor Individuals
  • Learn from Mistakes
  • More Than a Game
  • Specialization
  • 1 on 1: Northwestern University Football Coach Pat Fitzgerald
  • 1 on 1: Future NFL Hall of Famer Tony Gonzalez
  • 1 on 1: Super Bowl Champion Willie McGinest.
Tina presents sound advice and ready-to-use tips and tools. Additional insight comes from real-world youth sports coaches, parents and players; other youth sports experts; as well as Fitzgerald, Gonzalez, McGinest and other high-level coaches and athletes.
 
 
To find out if Sportskool On Demand is available through your television provider, visit Sportskool and type your zipcode into the "Find us on TV" tab near the upper right of the homepage. 
 
Ask PCA: My Son Swore at the Coach

You gave tremendous responses to last week's "Ask PCA" question about term limits for coaches, which will help any number of youth sports organizations throughout the U.S. and beyond determine how to provide great coaching for the youth athletes they serve.
 
To read PCA's answer, you can continue scrolling, but for now, consider this week's question:
 
Should My Son Be Kicked Off the Team for Swearing at His Coach?
"My son was recently kicked off of his high school football team. A coach had been calling him names, and my son directly swore at the coach in response. I am not mad at my son as he knows he made a mistake and he did everything he could to correct it.  He went back before and after practice 6 times apologizing to the team and coach.  What I am upset about is that coaches have the right to call you names and try and get under your skin but an 18 year old doesn't have the right to respond. What do you think about this situation?"
-- Name Withheld
 
 
 Following is the previous "Ask PCA" question and PCA's response:
 
Should There Be Term Limits for Coaches?
"Our league president received a letter from a parent concerned with the longevity of head coaches and the subsequent limiting effect to other parents to volunteer as head coaches. The letter suggested a two-year limit, with a one-year hiatus before coming back on as a head coach. What is your opinion on the pros and cons of such term limits?"
 
PCA Response by Eric Eisendrath, Lead Trainer-New York
From the "pro" perspective, in a perfect world, term limits would give more people an opportunity to coach. However, many leagues suffer from a shortage of coaches.

As for the "cons," the worst is the potential of driving out more experienced coaches and replacing them with less experienced ones. You may find that some of the coaches who are doing a great job in all facets will feel pushed out and then not return. And, with a higher rate of turnover, it likely will be harder to form and maintain the culture you seek for your league.
 
One option might be to identify Mentor Coaches. If you really feel the need to cycle in "new blood," you can honor the best outgoing coaches and keep them involved in your organization by appointing them as Mentor Coaches.
 
Even if they do not officially head a team or coach from the bench, they still feel important and reap the rewards of helping children have a positive youth sports experience. The main reason that PCA offers a Mentor Coach workshop is that keeping your best coaches around is critical not only to the youth currently in your league, but also to the continuity of your league's culture.
 

Read all the Ask PCA blog comments on this question. 

 

Ask PCA your youth sports coaching and sports parenting questions, at

[email protected].
 
 
Sports Parenting Tip: Ask Your Child to Imitate Your Sideline Behavior
 
Kathy Toon, PCA Trainer and author of Get Your Game Face On, recently shared a great piece of advice during her appearance on the Ultimate Sports Parent podcast.
 
Discussing poor parental sideline behavior (not just negative comments and body language but any distraction, such as yelling your child's name during action or shouting instructions), Kathy suggested parents take a hard look at themselves. The classic technique is having oneself video taped, but the even more impactful idea is asking your child -- preferably in the privacy of your home -- to imitate your sideline behavior.
 
Seeing that will convince you how closely your child is watching you even during a game. And, knowing exactly how your child perceives your behavior may be just the eye-opener you need to make improvements.
 
 
 
Twenty $2,500 Grants Are Up for Grabs!
 
RS_Grant_LogoThe fall Liberty Mutual Responsible Sports Community Grant period is almost here! Before the September 1st opening, you can use the month of August to register and rally your supporters to get ready to win!
 
At ResponsibleSports.com/Grant you can search to see if your organization is registered. Then, starting September 1, your school or youth sports organization can win $2,500 based on the number of participants who complete the Responsible Coach and Responsible Sports Parent online guides "powered by Positive Coaching Alliance." 
 
The guides contain the high-quality, practical tools you have come to expect from PCA, plus video of coaches putting PCA and Responsible Sports principles into practice.
 
Since the fall of 2007, 121 youth sport organizations have earned a $2,500 grant, and yours could be next! Any youth sports organization is eligible to register, and get in the running for a grant.
 
Use the grant money for things like improving coaches' education, PCA partnerships, workshops, upgrading local field conditions and more! What would your league do with $2,500?
 
Become a PCA Member

PCA is in the midst of its annual membership drive, which this year offers an exciting new set of benefits, including free access to PCA's new online courses, quarterly members-only webinars with PCA National Advisory Board members, a Nike "Honor the Game" T-shirt, a Shutterfly Photobook and access to a special online video, featuring PCA National Advisory Board Members Phil Jackson and Doc Rivers.
 
Join before August 31 and receive these special benefits while also helping to make PCA's important work possible.
 
To strengthen the ever-growing PCA Movement, we hope to double our membership base through this campaign.  As a non-profit committed to transforming youth sports so that all athletes through high school age can benefit from the life lessons that are uniquely available through sports, PCA needs your help!
 
 

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