| Author |
Message |
James Raymond D'Amico (Jrd7365)
Junior Member
Username: Jrd7365
Post Number: 4
Registered: 2-2006
| | Posted on Monday, April 03, 2006 - 8:00 pm: |       |
I have been involved in coaching little league baseball, and some other youth sports. I understand that winning is not the most important thing, but having fun and enjoying yourself is more important at that age. But what happens when you get into high school or college level sports? Is it more about being a friend to your players and getting involved in their lives and having them inlvolved in your life, or being a coach where its strictly business? Is there a happy medium? I would appreciate any thoughts that could help me out! Thank You! |
Robert H Childs Jr (Jerseyrob8)
Junior Member
Username: Jerseyrob8
Post Number: 2
Registered: 4-2006
| | Posted on Tuesday, April 04, 2006 - 6:50 am: | |
When you are in sports, you need to draw the line between friend and coach. Some players will take advantage of the situation. It might be to late until the coach notices. By that time the players would have a hard time trying adjust. There is nothing wrong with being friends with anyone, but the respect and authority has to remain constant. This is an easy thing to do. But it is important to start from day one. |
casey meyer (Casey)
Junior Member
Username: Casey
Post Number: 2
Registered: 1-2006
| | Posted on Tuesday, April 04, 2006 - 9:55 am: | |
I think that if you set the boundary and NEVER cross it you can be a friend and also be a person that gets the respect and performance that is needed. You have to start from the first second that you show up, so that the players are aware the boundaries. If the players see there coaches as friends then they will usually play better then if they see there coach as a dictator. |
Brandon Blalock (Bbb0686)
Junior Member
Username: Bbb0686
Post Number: 3
Registered: 7-2006
| | Posted on Tuesday, July 11, 2006 - 6:46 am: | |
I have been coaching in college for four years know and I feel that their is a fine line in coaching and friendship. You must draw that line. Let them understand that you are here for them and there is a certain trust factor involved but, they must understand that you are the coach and have the final say in all matters. In college it is about relationships and to build a relationship there must be some sort of bond. |
Dave Drake (Coachdrake)
Junior Member
Username: Coachdrake
Post Number: 4
Registered: 9-2006
| | Posted on Thursday, September 21, 2006 - 6:39 am: | |
I agree about drawing a line. However, that line must be different widths for different ages. As a youth coach you must be more of a friend and mentor. Remember, though you are called coach, the child will look upon you as someone who is supposed to be the same type of role model as mom or dad for the practice/game time. As you move up the scale to older athletes, the line becomes wider, however you must keep the door open for your athletes. They need to know that you will be on top of their scholastic lives as well as being there in any times of personal trouble or conflict. As the athletes get older, they tend to not talk to their parents, and a coach may be the only one they feel they can trust. If you keep a "coach only" attitude, then you have possibly shut out the only avenue the athlete would have taken. There needs to be a level of respect kept at all times regardless of what age, but there also always need to be a level of involvement.
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