All Articles by Brooke de Lench

One of the signs of a good youth sports coach is that he has demonstrated his committment to coaching and the physical and emotional well-being of athletes entrusted to his care through training and education.

A disorganized coach creates chaos, which can make the difference between a successful and unsuccessful season. I found that three ring binders with a tab for everything were the key for staying organized.

He looks for signs of trouble with athletes or parents and comes up with ways to nip the problem in the bud. He genuinely listens to what players and parents say and tries to meet their needs if possible. By listening, a good coach can better relate to his players and understand the true reason for a player's behavior, whether it is slacking off during practice or not performing to her ability in games.

He keeps winning in perspective and places the emphasis on self-improvement, mastering skills, creating community, and achieving personal and team goals.

The winning-is-everything philosophy of youth sports is a major reason why children have such low moral reasoning abilities: in an environment in which winning is paramount, our children internalize the value that it is acceptable to do anything to win, even if it means intimidating officials, cheating, bullying teammates, breaking the rules, intentionally injuring an opponent, or faking an injury to get a time out.

Patience and self-control are essential in teaching kids new skills, coaching games, and dealing with parents and officials.

Not all male athletes benefit from a certain (i.e. male) coaching style, nor do all female athletes respond better to a kinder, gentler, nicer coaching style. Different athletes respond in different ways, depending on who they are, what their goals are, and what motivates them. A sign of a good coach is that he knows how to tap into those differences and adjust accordingly while avoiding the reinforcement of culturally-based gender stereotypes.

Youth sports coaches should set realistic, age-appropriate expectations for athletes, understand child development, and be child- rather than adult-centered.

While youth sports coaches come in all shapes and sizes, the good ones share ten characteristics.

Since having fun is so essential to a successful youth sports experience, it is important to be on the lookout for signs that your child isn't enjoying herself. If you see a pattern of any of the following five behaviors emerging, it is probably because she is not having fun and, if things don't change, may end up quitting: