Teaching Life Lessons As a Coach: Be Careful What You Teach

Submitted by Greg Covi on Mon, 03/05/2012 - 21:44. | comments

There seems to be a phrase that every coach has embraced of late which I think needs a closer look, and it is "teaching life lessons." It's phrase you have probably heard a lot lately, so much so that it seems to have taken on a life of its own, particularly in the context of middle and high school sports.

"Teaching life lessons" seems to be a phrase that every coach has embraced of late, so much so that it seems to
have taken on a life of its own, particularly in the context of middle
and high school sports. But the life lessons a coach teaches can be negative or positive. It's up to the coach.

Private and Public School Sports: Same Problems With Coaches, But Handled Differently

Submitted by Greg Covi on Thu, 02/09/2012 - 05:52. | comments

The subject of which has better coaches: private or public school always seems to spark some petty good debate but my experience and insight into the differences between private and public school sports is a subject that I have spent some time studying for the last year, and I have made some really profound discoveries.

The most revealing discovery was the dynamics of the high school teams that I researched from both private and public schools all had one very common thread. They all have the same coaching issues, the same drama, the same politics, the same favoritism, the same nepotism, and most critically, the same breakdown in coach/player relationships and lack of understanding. But they are all dealt with in a very different way.

Public and private schools have the same coaching issues, the same drama, the same politics, the same
favoritism, the same nepotism, and most critically, and the same breakdown
in coach/player relationships and lack of understanding, but tend to deal with these issues in a very different way.

A Team With An Attitude: Mid-Season Evaluation Form Can Help

Submitted by Greg Covi on Sun, 12/25/2011 - 01:06. | comments

It seems that every time I have a conversation with a coach who complains that some of his players have bad attitudes, I quickly start getting a sense that the coach not only isn't doing anything to make things better, but may be contributing to the problem in the first place. It is often easy for an outsider to spot the bad body language that infects so many player/coach relationships, but goes unchallenged and unaddressed because of the power that a coach has over playing time. If this doesn't make sense to you, start watching the coaches at games, and pay close attention to their body language and interaction with their players. See which team ends up winning. The coach who interacted with their athletes least, and displayed the better body language, probably came out on top.

One way to correct bad attitudes on a team is to give athletes and their parents a chance to express their concerns or air grievances anonymously during the season through a mid-season evaluation form.

Hey Coach, I Just Want You to Listen to Me!

Submitted by Greg Covi on Fri, 12/16/2011 - 02:24. | comments

If you're actively coaching sports, please don't let that vein in your forehead burst before I get done explaining why I believe it is so hard to be a well-liked coach with a winning record to boot.

A good youth sports coach knows how to listen. Really listen.

Why Loyalty Is Bad For Youth Sports And Society

Submitted by Greg Covi on Thu, 11/17/2011 - 07:35. | comments

Everybody uses the word loyalty and some seem to embrace the phrase as if it had some parallel to ethics and I believe the word should be given some reconsideration by all. After being involved with many different youth athletic programs for the past several years, I have had the opportunity to observe youth leagues that are on opposite poles of the economic and social spectrum. I have coached in the wealthiest of suburban youth leagues and I've coached in inner city leagues that were in the most plighted areas where driving to and from practices made me very nervous.

The Violence In Youth Sports Continues

Submitted by Greg Covi on Fri, 09/02/2011 - 05:08. | comments

I just saw this video and I provided the link below for all to see. This video and the actions of one football team make me ill to my stomach. I just don't have any words for it right now but will follow up on it at a later time. Please view the article and the video and give your comments on it. We as a society have to do something to prevent this type of stuff from happening.

http://sarasota.patch.com/articles/video-shows-youth-football-coaches-player-attacking-referee#video-7585595

They must be prosecuted

Why So Many Coaches Have Anger Issues

Submitted by Greg Covi on Thu, 08/25/2011 - 18:26. | comments

Why do so many youth sports coaches have anger issues?

Why do so many youth sports coaches have anger issues? This is real simple to answer. Because they are not as good of teachers as they think they are. But it takes more than a sentence to explain.

Respect of Coaches Is Earned in Many Ways

Submitted by Greg Covi on Tue, 05/10/2011 - 03:02. | comments

With no disrespect to my young educated readers, I’m going to start this article with the dictionary definition of respect. (transitive verb) : to consider worthy of high regard. After reading the definition of respect, a lot of questions came to mind. Like, how many young athletes out there respect their coach and how many don’t? How many coaches respect their athletes, or don’t? How many parents respect their kids coach, or don’t? How many coaches respect the team parents? Above all, why does it matter and where and how does respect happen. Wow, way too many questions.

There are lots of ways a youth sports coach can earn the respect of his or her players and their parents.

Minimum Playing Time Rule: Enforce It Across the Board

Submitted by Greg Covi on Sat, 11/13/2010 - 04:26. | comments

I have done years of research in the field of youth sports. Probably as much as some researchers have. I have also coached football for many years with great success. What I mean by success is that I have winning teams with happy parents for what I accomplished with their kids and every kid gets to play the entire game.

The local youth rec. football league in our town has a minimum playing
time rule that each kid will play the whole game on either offense or
defense. It's a good rule and it works. I have yet to hear one kid or
parent ever complain about this rule.