Young people benefit a lot from sports programs—particularly those that are balanced and age-appropriate. Young people learn about teamwork. They build their individual skills. They also get to exercise, which promotes healthy bodies.
Sports programs can do even more, however, when you include the asset approach. Consider these ideas for integrating assets into your sports programs:
Team Bonding
- Encourage all your athletes to get to know each other. During practices, have athletes alternate their partners. Devise warm-ups, cool-downs, and skill-building activities that also help athletes learn each other’s names.
Taking Responsibility
- Have team members clean up after themselves at the gym or on the field.
- Keep tabs on what athletes do away from the games and practices. Some athletes (unbeknownst to their coaches) haze the newcomers or pick on certain athletes. Find out what’s happening and stop these types of behaviors.
- Devise ways for young people to lead certain aspects of your program. They can lead drills. They can referee a scrimmage. They can brainstorm ideas with you if your team gets into a slump.
Everyone’s a Player
- Connect your athletes with athletes of different ages in your community. For example, if you coach a sixth-grade basketball team, attend high-school basketball games together. Volunteer to help a younger basketball team (such as a third-grade team) during a practice.
- If young people have a hard time making it to practices and games, find out why. Sometimes there are scheduling conflicts or transportation issues. Adjust your practice times, if needed, or figure out ways to provide transportation. You could also team up players who live near each other to ride together.
Good Sportsmanship
- Set clear expectations for referees, coaches, parents, and fans who attend sporting events.
- Use a positive approach to discipline and enforcing boundaries. If one athlete cuts in line, remind him or her of the importance of being a role model.
- Expect athletes to treat each other with respect, including players who may not be as skilled as the others. Also teach players to respect the opposing team.
Progress Report
- At the end of the season, take time to say a few positive things about each player. If possible, have a celebration, even if your team didn’t do well.
- Create ways for each athlete to chart his or her individual progress. Some coaches create a training sheet that lists all of the required skills. Others remind athletes throughout the season of the progress they’re making.
- Notice when athletes get discouraged. Talk about how an athlete’s motivation can go up and down through the season. Give tips on how to stick with something when it gets hard.
- Recognize an athlete when he or she makes rapid progress in an area. Some athletes practice a lot at home, and you can highlight this when you see an athlete mastering skills.
Don’t Forget to Have Fun!
- Get to know more about each athlete, such as his or her interests outside of sports.
- Figure out ways for athletes to have some fun. Infuse some humor into each practice and game.
- Have a one-time parent-child scrimmage. (If your athletes are young and do not have many athletic skills, even out the competition by having parents partner up and tie their outer leg to another parent’s outer leg.) Young people usually enjoy playing against their parents, especially if it’s a fun-filled event.
