OWATONNA
PARK & RECREATION
COACHES MANUEL….
YOUR GUIDE TO BEING AN
SUCCESSFUL COACH.
By saying that you will be a volunteer demonstrates that you care and are willing to help
out our community better. This caring will be respected by your community. By
volunteering, you will have the opportunity to develop your talents and maybe even
uncover some talents that you didn’t know you had. You will have the opportunity to
meet new and interesting people. But most of all, you will be able to learn and have fun.
Thank you for investing in our future.
Goal of Park and Recreation Program:
The goal as a youth coach is to provide a positive and fun learning experience for
the young athletes. The Park and Recreation Department does not emphasizing winning,
we are emphasizing learning and sportsmanship. The way youngsters are treated now is
how they will have an outlook for athletics in the future. It is important for us as coaches
and parents to understand that the primary purpose of youth athletics is to learn and have
fun. Athlete’s First, Winning Second (ASEP credited).
“Coaches in many programs seem to think that they have to do is coach a winning team
and they’ve done a good job. Nothing could be further from the truth because, whether
you believe it or not, you as a person will have a great influence on the youth of your
team. They will notice how you dress, how you talk, whether you can control your
emotions, whether you are fair, whether you know the rules of the sport, whether you
have a sense of humor, and a lot of other things which will be impressed on their minds
for the future. You’ve got a very important job on tour hands as a leader of young
people. What kind of job you do is up to you.” – The Athletic Institute
Specific Goals of the Program:
“You have to expect things of yourself before you can do them.” - Michael Jordan
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Have Fun…make things EXCITING!
Develop sportsmanship and team play
Develop Fitness
Learn and practice team sport skills
Learn to win and lose (eventfully…as we don’t keep score, but everyone knows
the score)
Helpful hints to attain these goals:
1. Regardless of individual or team ability, every child must have an opportunity to
play on an equal basis.
2. Remember that each individual develops athletic skills at his/her own pace and
success is realized at various stages. With this in mind, some rule adjustments are
made to make games more enjoyable at each age level.
3. This should be a positive experience for all youth athletes. They should feel that
they belong and should be encouraged to share their ideas and to improve their
skills.
4. Each athlete should feel that the time they had with a team was well worth their
while.
Defined responsibilities to help you succeed as a Volunteer Coach:
“Seven responsibilities of being a coach” – ASEP credited
1. Communication to create a positive way.
a.) Players/participants: (credited to the National Alliance for Youth Sports)
1. Make sure to notice and acknowledge all progress, both little and a lot.
2. Show excitement and have passion for the sport you are coaching. Your
enthusiasm will carry over to the players.
3. Offer constant encouragement.
4. Place a critical remark in between two encouraging comments when
giving feedback about mistakes. This is called the “sandwich” technique.
5. Stop practice to point out when a player has done something well, not
when they’ve made a mistake.
6. Positive Reinforcement
7. State it clearly and SIMPLE.
8. Team rules/participation/substitutions/expectations/etc.
b.) Parents: Parents meeting at the beginning of the season can make parents
part of the team and not the enemy: discuss rules of team/game, goals of the
season, practice/game times, expectations, proper behavior, needing of help,
etc. should be covered.
c.) Fans: Remind them there behavior and what they say during games can
have a significant impact on the athlete’s performance and love of the sport.
d.) Officials/Opposing Coaches: Have respect for them and the jobs that
they are doing. If you have a question/concern or difference, express it to
them during the proper time (end of quarter, half, game, etc,) and in the
proper fashion. Remember how you act or react to a situation will tell
your athletes what the proper behavior is.
e.) Park and Recreation Department: Overall problems with the program
to consist of; rules, officials, participants, parents, opposing coaches,
facilities, equipment or any else. Also, anytime you need help PLEASE
ASK!
2. Provide a safe and physical environment.
a.) Inspection of equipment, facilities and players equipment.
b.) Physical conditioning with proper stretching and warm-ups and cool down
periods.
c.) Proper player match-ups of equal age, size and skill.
d.) Proper supervision of the athletes and carrying out of drills. Never leave
the team unsupervised.
e.) Environmental conditions and factor caused by these conditions (heat
illness). Keep an eye on changing weather conditions when outside.
f.) Being prepared and treating minor injuries.
1. Knowing where the medical kit is and emergency contact numbers
are.
2. Bleeding- clean wound and apply pressure with gauze (towel, etc.),
if bleeding continues thru, do not replace old, but put new gaze on
top of old.
3. Ankle- leave shoe on and ice and elevate foot or other leg injury
above the heart.
4. Heat related problems (yes they can happen inside as well) such as
dehydration can be seen with flush skin, muscle cramps, dry lips,
weakness and other systems…suggest having water bottle at
practices and games or frequent water breaks.
5. Head injuries or any other gray area conditions – CALL 911.
3. Teach the tactics and skills of the game. “First, master the fundamentals.” – Larry Bird
4.
5.
6.
7.
a.) Games approach versus the tradition approach when teaching a skill. Play a
game and make it fun instead of always drilling.
b.) Use the idea method when teaching a skill:
I – Introduce the skill.
D - Demonstrating of the skill.
E – Explaining of why the skill is important.
A – Attending to athletes as they practice the skill.
** Remember with young athletes if there are numerous pieces to the skill
do it in parts. Also, when correcting a skill, do one part of the skill and
master that, before moving onto anther piece of the skill.
c.) Go over expectations of the particular skill…why is it important?
d.) Give positive reinforcement when working on the skill.
e.) Review materials provide by coaches for offensive tactics, defensive tactics,
and other tactics and skills.
Teach the rules of the particular sport.
a.) See rule sheet for particular rules per sport and grade adjustments. Make sure
participants know these rules.
b.) If a participant commits a foul/penalty/violation/etc. make sure they know
what the foul is, what they did wrong, and the corrective measures to fix it.
Direct players in competition.
a.) Preparing for practice by developing a practice plan with a purpose, what
equipment is needed, and written outline of practice activities. Practice
plan should consist of: Purpose, Warm-up, Assessment games, Skill
practices (IDEA method), Drink break, Assessment games, cool down and
review. At following practice add a review of prior skills learned, before
teaching new skills.
b.) Preparing for game day by first determining starting line-ups and sub
rotating. Have a plan in what plays you want to call or what you want to
accomplish. During the game itself give encouragement, correct a player
in a controlled and quiet voice, avoid too much instruction (let your
players concentrate on their performance during the game), do not place
to much emphasis on the outcome with the decisions you make, respect
officials and other opponents, and have fun. After the completion of the
game thank the officials, congratulate the other team on good competition,
keep the outcome in prospective, and evaluate what needs to be worked
on.
Help your players become fit and value fitness for a lifetime.
We want your players to learn to become fit and understand the value of fitness
and enjoy it. Thus, make it fun during warm-up drills, teaching skills, and/or
cool-down. As we want to make it fun to get fit, and make it fun to play the
particular sport so they stay fit for a lifetime and continue playing sports.
Help young people develop character.
By creating an environment of learning, where athletes not only acquire sporting
skills, but respect for teammates, officials, and opponents that will foster this
growth of character. Furthermore, as an coach a we can provide a positive
experience that will not only build confidence in the athlete, but additionally keep
the athlete involved in an activity and the ability to grow not only sport skills, but
further growth of the athlete for a better person and community.
Ways to take these responsibilities and become an “effective” coach: (ASEPcredited)
“To succeed…you need to find something to hold on to, something to motivate you,
something to inspire you.” - Tony Dorsett
C – Comprehension
O – Outlook
A – Affection
C – Character
H -- Humor
1. Comprehension: Know the basic rules, tactics and skills of the particular sport
you are teaching. In addition, implement proper training and safety methods in
order to have your athletes participate with little risk of injury. As the coach, you
are often more times then not the first person responding to an injury, so be
prepare on the basic emergency care measures.
2. Outlook: See the specific goals of the program on page one of the manual.
Furthermore, you should be making decisions that are in the best interest of the
athletes. Finally, determine your priorities for the season, prepare for situations
that challenge your priorities, set goals for yourself and your players that are
consistent with these priorities, plan how you and your players can best attain
these goals, and review your goals frequently to be sure that you are staying on
track.
3. Affection: Make an effort to know each player by name. Treat each player as an
individual. Empathize with players trying to learn a new skill. Treat players as
you would like to be treated. Be in control of your emotions. Show your
enthusiasm for the team. Keep a positive attitude in all your communications.
4. Character: Remember what you say and what you do must match. If you say
respect the officials, other teams, coaches, etc., then you as a coach must do the
same. At the same time, be in control before, during, and after practices and
contest. You a role model if you realize or not.
5. Humor: Make practices fun by including a variety of activities, as well as keeping
players involved. Consider laughter by your players as a sign of having fun.
Smile and have fun yourself, as a coach.