Too often, team sports managements disenfranchise young players or potentially good players by treating them like pieces of meat. If they are not up to making the first team, they are not important for a lot of coaches. Remember that athletes (especially young ones) develop at different rates and that a weak 12 year old […]
When young children show a large amount of skill or potential talent for a specific sport, they are often pushed to exclusively pursue that sport by family or coaches. It can be tempting for parents to throw all of their energy into helping their child become “the best they can be.” However, while more practice […]
We’ve all seen that one parent on the sideline, shouting out inappropriate comments at the top of their voice that are not only directed at their own child, but often at their teammates, teachers or coaches and the referee. How much does this behaviour influence the sporting experience of their child? How much should the […]
It has often been said that the most important thing children gain from sport is enjoyment. However, youth sport additionally plays a huge role in the personal development of children and provides valuable lessons and life skills. Life skills are defined as “ranges of transferable skills needed for everyday life, by everybody, that help people […]
As a football coach you are always looking at ways to improve the performance of your players and maintain the highest level of coaching. I would like to put forward a proposal of how parental involvement can be encouraged in football. Cote (1999), found that children who become experts before the age of eight are involved in […]