Bad Coaching

While the majority of coaches are good coaches there are some who can do damage. These coaches have a “win-at-all-costs” mentality and can be really hard on the kids if they are not winning. Another psychological effect is inapposite feeling of superiority. The obsession with sport in our society can put an inflated sense of self on a child. If they are constantly winning or always making touchdowns they feel unstoppable. (Ph.D., 2015) “We must also recognize that participation in football, and team sports in general, has major benefits for fitness and character building. Participation in sports counters the major public health issues of obesity and, perhaps more importantly, the “disengagement” that we all observe in kids these days. Every parent of a teen, and even young children, realizes that a “virtual” world has often replaced the real, live interactions kids used to regularly experience. I strongly believe that participation in team sports has a major positive influence on youth, and we cannot discount the positive impact of this aspect of football. Ultimately, if a child is passionate about football and no other sport or activity, they are almost certainly better off playing football than being inactive and alone.” (Ph.D., 2015)

Coaching happens all over the world and for all sports and at any age. With coaching being everywhere there will be bad coaches. One instance was when coach Raul Aragon got frustrated with an umpire at a baseball game and was thrown out. He than chased the umpire around until police arrived, he was coach of an 8 year old baseball team. Another experience with a bad coach is when Kevin Pope, an assistant football coach, was pointing a bb gun at a player for having bad grades. (Mark McCarter, 'Terrible Coaches' has too many unbelievable stories even for

One mother whose son participated in youth sports, says “...a couple of boys from his team did not make the roster of the new team. They just sat there while the rest of their old teammates screamed with joy. This made me sick” (Sultz, et al, edmontonjournal.com, February 15, 2017). This quote means that her seeing the other players from her son’s previous team not make the cut made her feel awful, especially since they just had to sit there watching their old teammates be excited over making the cut. “Seventy percent of children leave organized sports by the age 13,” according to research by the National Alliance for Sports. This means 7 out of 10 players quit sports by their early teens and never return. According to Edmonton Journal students start to skip games and practices and also stop the sport overall. They state “Their self-esteem is shaken. Time spent being physically active is reduced – no more practices and games. Cutting also deterred athletes from future participation in the sport” (Sultz, et al, edmontonjournal.com, February 15,

     Michigan State University's report, "Sportsmanship: Building Character or 'Characters'?" on the Youth Sportsman Institute webpage, explains the basic idea of how the role of children's participation in sports affects their sportsmanship. The report gives examples of how good sportsmen, and bad sportsmen are viewed by society. The Youth Sports Institute says, "participation is viewed as a double-edged sword that may have either negative or positive effects on the child"("Sportsmanship",1) and that "the critical factor in determining whether the youth sports experience has a positive or negative effect on children is the quality of adult leadership"("Sportsmanship, 3).

The relationship between an athlete and a coach is an unique and (humble??) one. It’s all about learning, growing, and overcoming failures to its successes. About looking forward to the future together in the game and beyond the life of sports. The interaction between them should be upheld and agreed upon, to be held together. They are the most influential character of the competitive environment. I believe in the value of a coach.

Each year in the United States, more than 36 million school-aged children participate in an “organized sport” (“Youth Sports Statistics”). Especially over the past few years, many studies have proved or disproved the idea that sports are beneficial for young kids. Those studies have found that youth sports have both positive and negative effects on young children, and research shows parents and coaches have the greatest effect on a child’s experience.

Sports can be viewed as a learning environment that helps individuals learn life lessons, foster strong work habits and develop core values all the while learning a sport skill. Youth sports that truly benefit young athletes should be structured to emphasize participation more than just competition. Children enjoy a sport more when they are able to have fun (Humpries). Despite many excesses some sport programs still manage to promote important virtues like self- confidence, teamwork, personal responsibility, coping skills, and persistence. Through sports kids can learn to stay organized and learn how to prioritize (Ferguson). Sports enables development of physical skills and increasing proficiency makes kids feel good about themselves. It teaches kids that failure is something to overcome and and not to fear (Meyerhoff 8-9). Youth sports has many aspects that are truly benefiting for children, but these benefits are slowly being clouded by the negatives that are prominent in today's youth sports.

The coach also does not create any positive feedback for the weaker links on the team to work with. Instead of telling the team they ALL did well, the coach focuses on who are the better athletes. As a result, the members feel

Throughout youth sports there is a lot of stress that comes along with playing a game that is supposed to be fun. Stress not only harms the body physically, but it harms it emotionally. There are all sorts of stressors that come from youth sports, stress can cause anger, anxiety, fear happiness, and pride.

Having a coach in life will positively influence your character and your skills. Also, having a coach doesn’t necessarily mean that your playing on a field. A coach can be anyone from a role model to a parent or guardian, a teacher, a pastor, a mentor, or sometimes even a best friend. One of the most important things for a coach to have is influence, and more important than that is that the influence he has on his players must be positive. As a leader, a coaches job is to better his players on and off of the field. This is done by developing the character of his players through encouragement and helping them understand that the game is more than just about winning. A good coach will always put the needs of his players first before he considers himself as a factor. If a coach is successful his players will develop a strong sense of self-motivation. This helps by allowing the player to

First, youth sports help develop character and confidence in children. In the article “Are High School Sports Good For Kids?” it states “... develop good citizens through interscholastic activities which provide equitable opportunities, positive recognition and learning experiences.” Another reason is that it creates more rewarding friendships. As it states in the News article “Kids and Sports” by CBS News “... Having athletic confidence helps a child greaty and it doesn't have to be a team sport or a high pressure one either.” This tells us that if your children are in sports it will benefit them as they get older and when they are adults they will be prepared more than people who didn’t participate in sports.

The coach will portray that mistakes are not acceptable and the athletes should make as little mistakes as possible. The coach will also show that he/she does not have patience for the athletes that cannot pick up the skills quickly. The coach will condition them if they make mistakes. The coach will have a very loud strong voice, demanding, and intimidating attitude. The coach will enforce fundamentals and skills that the athlete will need to be successful in the sport.

Children who participate in sports are developing rapidly in sports skills, sportsmanship, and psychologically, but does this come from organized sports are just nature’s process. Children develop emotional and social benefits from participating in sports. Children experience character and leadership development through peer relations leading to an increase in self-esteem and a decrease in anxiety levels. Children will get opportunities to experience positive and negative emotions throughout their practice and games trials. It is important for the coach to understand the “psychology of youth sports and physical activity participation” (Weinberg & Gould, 2011 p.516).

Youth sports are an incredibly healthy way for kids to grow and release energy. Children in preschool can begin to take part in sports like dance and soccer, and as they grow older, the lists of sports gets longer. However, there are negatives of sports that are often not talked about by parents, coaches, schools, or the media. As a result, stigmatization occurs, leaving children struggling with sports to suffer alone. With youth sports, elevated levels of stress occur, and as a consequence, mental health can decline. Youth sports can have an adverse psychological effect on young athletes and it is an effect that can be damaging for children for their entire lives.

youth sports is not always a positive one. Some of the influencing factors include: the participation of parents in youth sports programs, the suggestion by coaches, parents and