All Articles by Brooke de Lench

How to Spot A Bad Youth Sports Coach

Some coaches are well-meaning but may not have the skills, temperament or personality to be good coaches. They are easy to spot. Less easy to identify are the coaches who appear to know what they are doing but are still bad coaches. In particular, there are three kinds of coaches to watch out for: the drill sergeant, the entrepreneur, and the loose cannon.

Brooke de Lench

Let It Out: The Movie

Submitted by Brooke de Lench on Tue, 08/12/2008 - 16:24. | comments

I arrived at work today before 7:00 a.m. After being out of the office for a few days I wanted to beat the imminent (and, these days, unceasing), torrential rains and morning traffic. Returning to the office after days away is always a little like breaking a piñata. I never know what will land my desk.

Unstructured Free Play Important for Kids

Too often these days, parents feel they have no choice but to pack their child's schedules with adult-supervised, adult-driven activities such as organized sports, even in the summer, when kids have the most free time. But, as a report from the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) makes clear, such activities should not come at the expense of free and unstructured play, which is critical to healthy child development.

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Pre-Season Concussion Safety Meetings

It is important for parents and athletes to be on the same page as the coaches and medical staff on the subject of concussions in sports. The best way is for the coach to hold a concussion education and safety meeting for parents and athletes before every season.

Good Youth Sports Coaches Get Training, Emphasize Safety

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 Sign of a Good Youth Sports Coach: Is Organized (But Not Too Organized)

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.

A Good Youth Sports Coach Is Sociable, Empathetic and a Good Communicator

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.

A Good Youth Sport Coach Knows How, What and When To Teach

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

Good Youth Sports Coaches Teach, Model and Demand Sportsmanship, Fairness and Respectful Behavior

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.