The Article

Assistant Professor Michael A. Clark looks at the status of youth and scholastic coaching education in the United States. He then discusses the movement to set national standards for youth coaches.

Discussion

Clark reports that there are about 3 million coaches working in all levels of youth sport, and more than 30 million young people who play sports annually. Yet, despite the fact that research clearly indicates that formal coaching education programs positively influence a coach’s ability to affect learning and performance as well as the satisfaction of athletes with the competitive experience, Clark finds that such programs seldom are mandatory and reach only a small fraction of the nation’s coaches. Indeed, the U.S. lags far behind other countries in the formal preparation of coaches. Canada, for instance, has had a mandatory, five-level program for coaches. Given that many youth and scholastic coaches do not take part in formal education programs, Clark notes that they end up learning about the job from other coaches, whether professional, collegiate, or those for whom they played. However, Clark also writes that in the 1990s the National Association for Sport and Physical Education (NASPE) developed a series of national standards for coaches. The National Standards for Athletic Coaches outlines what coaches should know and be able to do – from practice planning and motivating athletes to providing first aid and making strategic decisions. Although there are critics of the national standards, Clark notes they have been endorsed by an increasing number of sports organizations, and that “advocates of the Standards are working together to evaluate existing educational programs, to encourage new ones, and to influence the direction of future efforts.” The standards have provided a framework for discussion and action on coaching education, but work of establishing educational programs remains. “With the standards set, the challenge now is to create formal educational programs that provide coaches a solid knowledge base to enable them to effectively perform their coaching responsibilities.”

What It Means To You

In the article, Clark writes that “Good coaches are good teachers.” Whether it’s a volunteer Little League coach or a paid high school soccer coach, it is likely that he or she has not had much formal training. What kind of educational opportunities do you offer coaches in your district?

For More Information

Clark, M.A. (2000). Who’s coaching the coaches? In Sports in schools: The future of an institution. Gerdy, J.R., ed. New York: Teachers College Press, 55-61.

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