USTA Partners with PCA
 United States Tennis Association (USTA) is PCA's latest national partner, committing to Double-Goal Coach� training for more than 2,000 instructors.
"The United States Tennis Association is very pleased to partner with Positive Coaching Alliance for the online coaching course, Double-Goal Coach I: Coaching for Winning and Life Lessons," said Kirk Anderson, USTA Director, Recreational Coaches and Programs.
"This course will fit perfectly with our on-court tennis-specific workshops. These two opportunities will equip our USTA Jr. Team Tennis coaches, and all instructors working with children in parks, camps and clubs, with the tools and information to make them better coaches so they can provide a positive, meaningful and fun experience for all children participating on their teams."
The partnership also includes a live PCA workshop at the USTA's upcoming conference in Washington DC. "PCA looks forward to working with USTA in an effort to help youth across the country enjoy the great game of tennis," said David Shapiro, PCA's Director of Business Development.
"We are grateful that USTA is making it a high priority to provide youth tennis coaches with the tools necessary to have a positive impact on their youth athletes."
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Positive Sports Parenting Goes International
 PCA Founder and Executive Director Jim Thompson's Positive Sports Parenting recently was translated into Swedish! We know there are die-hard PCA supporters, who will want the Swedish edition for their collections, and you can get it here.
For those of you who are more into collecting great coaching advice in English, you can still get the original version here.
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Responsible Sports Parenting Tip: Enjoy the Journey
Youth sports cannot be all about wins and losses. It is a wonderful journey with so much more to offer for the athletes and their parents. Most of all it must be fun for children and parents to want to continue on that journey.
Click the video screen above for a message from Michele Amidon, former US National team player for USA Hockey and director of women's hockey, as part of the Liberty Mutual Responsible Sports Program Powered by Positive Coaching Alliance.
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Ask PCA: Skilled But Passive in Games
Thanks for your answers to our most recent "Ask PCA" question about the emotional changes in a 6th-grader. To review that question and PCA's answer, you can continue scrolling through this item, but for now, consider this week's question:
Skilled But Passive in Games
"My son is one of three 7th-graders on the school's basketball team and the only one who gets playing time, mostly due to his ball-handling skills. Even though coach keeps increasing our son's time, he is reluctant to dribble, control the offense and take a leadership role. He is passive when he enters the game and yields to teammates' instructions. The 8th-graders do not pass to him much and are quick to criticize his mistakes. Is this just part of an adjustment period or is he losing confidence and his love of the game?"-- Stephanie
Following is the previous "Ask PCA" question and PCA's response:
"I've got a player on my 5th/6th-grade girls team who, while she practices and plays the same way, has gone from happy and energetic to down and more withdrawn. I'm confused because her effort is still there in practice, she treats me with the same respect, and she is getting noticeably better on the court, but her emotion is much different. What should I do?"
PCA Response by Mike Town, PCA Trainer, Hawaii
 This child is in a season of her life where she faces many changes and adjustments. Because her effort and performance continue to be solid, even improving, from a coaching perspective there is not much more to say or do. Her improvement may actually be a result of increased focus and effort to compartmentalize, which brings with it a change in her behavior or level of communication in practice.
When there seems to be a mood change, I generally leave it alone depending on my relationship with the athlete. When I know the child well, I might gently ask: "How's it going?" or "You just don't seem yourself, what's up?" You may get anything from a shrug to "OK" to tears. But don't push it. Doing so may alienate or embarrass the player, making things worse, and besides, few coaches are qualified to handle the major issues that may arise from delving into a child's personal life.
When I don't know the child, sometimes the opening or closing ritual after practice might surface something when we speak about how each athlete tried hard. Beyond that, I have found it best to leave it alone.
(PCA Trainer Mike Town is a retired judge, based in Hawaii, who has coached basketball (collegiately in South America), as well as volleyball, swimming and outrigger canoe paddling.)
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PCA-Houston Board of Directors Member Ray Seals Wins NFL's Shula Award
Ray Seals -- Head Football Coach at Houston's Madison High School and a member of the PCA-Houston Board of Directors -- last week received the inaugural Don Shula NFL Coach of the Year Award for "character and integrity, inspirational leadership, commitment to the community, and on-field success,"
His amazing story appears in this Houston Chronicle article by Richard Justice. PCA congratulates Coach Seals and is proud to count him as a supporter of the PCA Movement. |
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