All Articles by Brooke de Lench

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:

Good coaches appreciate being thanked at the end of the season if they have done a good job.

Most of those who coach youth sports are men. If you are a woman, particularly a mom, here's what you need to do if you want to become a coach.

The absence of woman coaches in youth sports has been termed one of the most backward traditions in sports today. Far from being ill-equipped to be good youth sports coaches, women actually have natural advantages when it comes to coaching at that level and make excellent youth sports coaches.