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Positive Coaching Alliance Connector
September 22, 2010
 
David Jacobson, Editor

In This Issue:
New High School Coach Online Course
Ask PCA: Publish Stats for 10-Year-Olds?
Coaching Tip: Seize Teachable Moments
Communications Tools to Reinforce PCA Principles
New High School Coach Online Course

Developing_Competitors_Screen_395


Double-Goal Coach: Developing Triple-Impact CompetitorsTM is the latest in PCA's series of online courses.

Developed specifically for coaches of high school-age student-athletes, the course draws from cutting-edge sports and educational psychology and incorporates video from PCA National Advisory Board Members, including:
  • PCA National Spokesperson and 11-time NBA Champion Coach Phil Jackson
  • Boston Celtics NBA Champion Coach Doc Rivers
  • NBA star Shane Battier
  • Former U.S. National Women's Soccer Team Captain Julie Foudy
  • Former NFL Head Coach Herm Edwards  

Ask PCA: Publish Stats for 10-Year-Olds?

Thanks for your answers to our most recent "Ask PCA" question about parents saying "no" to holiday tournaments. To review that question and PCA's answer, you can continue scrolling through this item, but for now, consider this week's question:

Keeping and Publishing Statistics for 10-Year-Olds
What is your position on keeping and publishing stats for a league of 8- to 10-year-olds? I'm concerned that doing so may be discouraging to the players who have less-impressive statistics.
-- Name Withheld by Request
 
Comment on this topic on the "Ask PCA" blog.

Following is the previous "Ask PCA" question and PCA's response:
More and more you are seeing youth tournaments pop up all over the place for all sports. In many cases the tournaments are held on holiday weekends. This has traditionally been a great time for families to travel or spend time together. Should coaches demand their players attend these tournaments scheduled over holiday weekends? Is it OK for parents to just say, "No"?

PCA Response by Eric Eisendrath, Lead Trainer-New York
Communication is the key. Prior to the season's start, coaches should convey expectations for the players, including attendance at games and tournaments.

From that point, parents can discuss with coaches any specific scheduling conflicts. Hopefully, coaches would show some flexibility, but if not, that might be an important litmus test in determining if you and the coach share the same hopes and goals for your child's experience on the team.

Read all the Ask PCA blog comments on this question.

Ask PCA your youth sports coaching and sports parenting questions, at
[email protected]

Coaching Tip: Seize Teachable Moments

Teachable_Moments_Screen


To teach youth athletes life lessons through sports, a Double-Goal Coach must be ready to seize teachable moments. Plenty of those moments occur in practices and games; many more present themselves in televised sports.

As you will see in this video example from the Liberty Mutual Responsible Sports Program Powered by Positive Coaching Alliance, topics for teachable moments can range from game techniques to critical life lessons on the importance of perseverance.

Click the screen image above to watch.

Communications Tools to Reinforce PCA Principles

e7_LogoOur friends at e7 Sports provide wonderful technology to help youth sports coaches and administrators communicate with their teams and leagues, easing everything from registration to tournament administration to web design to fundraising. Those tools also can help you deliver messages to coaches, parents and players that reinforce PCA principles, such as Redefining "Winner."

In fact, e7 Sports believes deeply enough in teaching life lessons through sports that they made a blog post of our coach's script for introducing the concept of redefining "winner" to youth athletes.

Support PCA

PCA is 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.

 

If you value the ideas, tips, and insights we share in this PCA Connector e-newsletter, kindly consider donating to PCA.

  


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