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Should my husband consider coaching?
My husband and I have been empty nesters for about two years. A former athlete he loves sports and was involved in our children’s sports programs from grade school through their high school years. He feels lost now that our kids are not around, and, frankly, is driving me crazy hanging around the house with nothing to do. I suggested that he consider coaching? Is that a good idea and what does he need to do to get involved in coaching?
It sounds like your husband loves sports, cares about kids, and is looking for something fulfilling to do. He also has hands-on experience working with your own children. So coaching sounds like a great option for him to consider. Moreover, both community and school leagues always need caring adults to coach in their programs.Relative to the part of your question about what someone needs to do to prepare him or herself to coach, I would answer this in several ways. First, individuals who want to coach need the right philosophy. More than anything else they need to want to help children develop physically and psychologically through sport. Most coaches are also going to want to win, but the best youth coaches place the child’s developmental needs before winning and losing. So a “child first” philosophy is paramount.
I must sadly admit, however, that in many programs all an individual needs to do to coach is to volunteer and get a hat and whistle. Other programs might require some type of background check and interview (to insure child molesters and other unsavory characters stay out of children’s sports and to make sure the person who wants to coach has a child first philosophy). The best programs require an interview and background check, some knowledge of the sport one will coach, as well as some type of coaching education.
Most coaching education programs are practically oriented and provide information about the techniques and tactics of a particular sport. Equally important, these programs discuss other important things coaches need to know like coaching philosophy (the importance of clarifying coaching objectives such as winning versus player development), sport psychology (how to communicate with, build self-esteem in and enhance motivation in players), how to teach sport skills, sport physiology (how to physically train athletes for optimal fitness and strength development while protecting their health), sports first aid (the care and prevention of injury), and program administration and management.
This may sound like a lot, but entry level coaching education programs can easily be completed by reading a book or two, attending a weekend clinic, and completing an open book test. Some people think this is asking too much. However, sport science research clearly shows that children and youth don’t automatically gain physical, social and psychological benefits from merely participating in youth sports. They only experience the benefits that sports have to offer when guided by competent adult leaders and coaching education greatly increases the probability of this occurring.
For further information about coaching education I would refer your husband to the American Sport Education Program (www.asep.com; 217-351-5076) or our own PACE program manual. I would also encourage him to give coaching a try, as helping kids develop can be a very rewarding experience.
Daniel Gould, Ph.D.
Director, Institute for the Study of Youth Sports
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