Summer Reading: How Coaches Are Using Elevating Your Game
 As the school year ends, consider a summer reading assignment for your youth athletes: PCA Founder Jim Thompson's latest book, Elevating Your Game.
Here are ideas from coaches as to how they will use the book to benefit their athletes and teams.
From Jim Berry (Assistant Soccer Coach. Lincoln-Sudbury Regional High School, Sudbury, MA):
"I am part of the coaching staff of a public high school boys soccer program. For the last two years, we have given all student athletes who are going to try out for any of our teams (9th grade, JV, Varsity) a summer reading assignment.
"We were looking for something that was directed toward, and accessible by, the high school athlete. Our varsity head coach has had some interactions with Positive Coaching Alliance, and we came across Elevating Your Game on the PCA website. It will now be our summer reading for this year. When the season starts in the fall, we hope that we can use the concepts and ideas in the book as a common language in the program to help our student-athletes be the best players, teammates, and citizens they can be."
From Christa Cook (current U-12 volleyball coach, former California State Champion High School Volleyball Coach and former Conference MVP and Final Four volleyball player for San Jose State University):
"I've read the book a few times now, and I think of different kids and situations we've been through together, throughout the book. So my plan is to put small sticky notes on certain pages for each player and then hand write a small note to them in the book on that page."
Purchase Elevating Your Game.
Read Shane Battier's foreword to Elevating Your Game.
|
|
Responsible Coaching Tip: The Right Way to Win (and Lose)
Win or lose, there is a right way to do both -- in terms of sportsmanship and maintaining perspective. Click the video screen above for advice on the topic from University of Nebraska Wrestling Coach Mark Manning as part of the Liberty Mutual Responsible Sports Program Powered by Positive Coaching Alliance.
|
|
Ask PCA: Player and Dad Question My Coaching Decisions
Thanks for your answers to last week's "Ask PCA" question about selecting All-Star team coaches. To review that question and PCA's answer, you can continue scrolling through this item, but for now, consider this week's question: Player and Dad Question My Coaching Decisions "I coach a 14-year-old who puts forth great effort and hustle but openly questions my coaching decisions, from lineups to which drills we use in practice. I have told this player my expectations for an appropriate player-coach relationship. Now his dad, who also has openly questioned my coaching decisions, is e-mailing me, wanting to discuss my approach. Any advice?"
-- Dave, Petaluma, CA Following is the previous "Ask PCA" question and PCA response:
How Should All-Star Team Managers and Coaches Be Selected?
"Do you have any best practices or recommendations for selecting managers for Little League All-Star teams? In our league, the manager of the first-place Majors team is (subject to board approval) selected as the Manager for the 11-12 All-Star team. Any others suggestions on determining All-Star managers?"
PCA Response by Ray Lokar, PCA Trainer, Los Angeles
 All-Star Managers and Coaches are entrusted with the league's best players and perhaps the most important and visible leadership position within the league, so careful selection is important. Some leagues simplify the process by awarding the Tournament Teams to those who win their divisions, pending board approval. Other leagues let players, managers, coaches, and board members cast votes.
PCA's National Partner, Little League, recommends a two-step process. First, let players, managers and coaches in the division select the managers and coaches for the tournament team. Second, the local league board of directors should review these selections to ensure that none of the coaches have violated any league policies or guidelines or otherwise created cause for concerns with their selection. (For more details on Little League's recommendation, click here and scroll down to Question #5.)
PCA tools that help establish criteria include the Double-Goal Coach� Job Description, which lets parents and coaches know what the organization expects of its coaches. You also can use our coach evaluation form for parents and coach evaluation form for players or the online Responsible Sports Season Evaluation Tool that PCA developed in conjunction with the Liberty Mutual Responsible Sports Powered by Positive Coaching Alliance. These evaluations can guide the league's Board of Directors in its final selection of coaches.
In any coach selection process, it is important that procedures be determined before the regular season starts and communicated to all players, parents, volunteers, managers and coaches, as well as posted on the league's website. This helps avoid controversy later on in the season.
Regardless of the method used, personal agendas, friendships, and loyalties need to be set aside for the greater good and everyone should be aligned with the same mission -- to select the best team to advance in tournament play and represent the league while Honoring the Game.
(Ray Lokar has coached a variety of sports for over 25 years at the youth, high school, and college levels, including his son and two daughters who have gone on to play college athletics, as well as an 8-year old son playing youth sports. Ray was the Head Basketball Coach of the 2002 California Interscholastic Federation Champions while at Bishop Amat High School and is a Past-President of the Southern California Interscholastic Basketball Coaches Association.)
|
|
Winners of PCA/Shutterfly Photo Contest
Thanks to those of you who submitted your youth sports photos for our contest in conjunction with Shutterfly Team Share Sites. Our contest winners are:
John Bothell, Lake TAPPS Lacrosse, Bonney Lake, WA
Donna Canty, Shelburne, VT
Joe Cooper, Bullard Youth Football, Fresno, CA
Stormy Maddux, San Mateo (CA) Little League American
Loretta Conway, Youth Tennis Advantage, Oakland, CA
They will soon receive their PCA/Shutterfly coffee mugs.
View the winning photos!
Of all the photos sent, the one below from Stormy Maddux, is our favorite for its depiction of the sheer joy of effort that lies at the heart of a positive youth sports experience.
|
|
|
|
