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What You Should Look for in a Youth Sports Coach

By Janis Meredith, USA Football, 06/28/19, 3:45PM PDT

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If your child has a coach with these traits, their love for sports will be nurtured and the chances are much greater that your young athlete will stay in the game longer.

Parents, you don’t have to settle for a coach who is not giving your child what you really want them to have in youth sports; it’s okay to be picky. You don’t have to put your child on a team with a coach that will not encourage your child’s love for sports.

There are always options: community leagues, sports organization teams, camps, light travel sports, or maybe just letting your child play with friends for fun until a better opportunity comes along. Yes, it may take some research, but a good youth sports coach who knows how to give your child a positive and growing youth sports experience is gold in the athletic world.

Before you sign your child up, do your homework and look for a coach who:

  1. Knows how to teach in a positive way, not harping on negatives all the time.
  2. Doesn’t belittle the team for losing.
  3. Takes the blame when the team doesn’t perform and looks to see how they can help them improve.