101 Things Parents Should Know Before Volunteering to Coach Their Kids' Sports Teams

by Goodman, Gary S.

• ISBN13: 9780809298716
• ISBN10: 0809298716
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2000-06-01
• Publisher: McGraw-Hill

Summary

For the one in five American parents who coach children's sports, this book gives firsthand advice on how to enjoy the game and avoid problems.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments	xi
Introduction	xiii
Part I: Breaking into Coaching
Can You Predict What Sort of Coach You'll Become?	2	(2)
Try Assisting First	4	(2)
What Were Your Early Sports Experiences Like?	6	(2)
Welcome to Your Second Full-Time Job!	8	(3)
Is There Such a Thing as a Great Coach?	11	(2)
How Much Sports Savvy Should a Coach Have?	13	(2)
How to Handle the Physical Challenges of Coaching	15	(1)
Wanted: More Women Coaches!	16	(2)
Are You Coaching the Right Age-Group?	18	(2)
Yes, You Are a Baby-Sitting Service!	20	(1)
Make Sure You're Having Enough Fun	21	(2)
Should You Coach Two Teams at a Time?	23	(3)
Part II: Organizing and Coordinating
Meet with Parents Before the Season Begins	26	(3)
Tardiness, Absences, and Attendance Policies	29	(2)
How to Get Other Parents to Joyously Participate	31	(2)
A Sample Preseason Letter to Parents	33	(3)
Distribute a Team Policies Letter	36	(2)
It's Easy to Line Up Team Sponsors and Financial Support	38	(4)
Part III: Selecting Coaches and Team Parents
Handling the Ghosts of Coaches Past	42	(2)
Choose Your Assistants Carefully	44	(2)
Choose Folks Who Won't Compete with Other Coaches	46	(2)
How Should Coaches Be Selected?	48	(3)
Should Nonparents Be Coaches?	51	(2)
Selecting the Right Team Parent	53	(3)
Part IV: Coaching Your Players
Why You Can't Effectively Coach Your Own Kid	56	(2)
Make Your ``Plodders'' Feel Special	58	(2)
Handling the ``Prima Donna''	60	(2)
Kids Who Don't Have or Can't Afford the Equipment	62	(2)
``But I'm Really Trying!''	64	(2)
Coaching the Youngest and the Smallest	66	(2)
Team Clowns: Pluses and Minuses	68	(2)
Managing the Other Coaches' Kids	70	(1)
Coaching the Nonalert	71	(1)
Key Issues in Coaching Girls and Boys	72	(2)
Coaching the Kid Who Shouldn't Be There	74	(2)
Coaching Your Innate Leaders	76	(2)
Coaching the Listless	78	(2)
Coaching the ``All-Star''	80	(2)
What If Your Kid Is Having a Lousy Time?	82	(4)
Part V: Managing the Parents
Moms and Dads View Sports Differently	86	(2)
Don't Try to Be a Crowd Pleaser	88	(2)
Handling the ``Loudmouthed'' Parent	90	(2)
Handling the Challenger	92	(2)
The Political Parent	94	(2)
It's Wise to Ignore Certain Things	96	(4)
Part VI: Referees, Umpires, and League Officials
Umpires and Referees: The Incompetent	100	(2)
Umpires and Referees: Beware of the Executioner	102	(2)
What Can You Do About the Blatantly Biased Referee?	104	(2)
League Officials: The Straddler	106	(2)
Beware of the Negligent League Official	108	(4)
Part VII: Tips for Conducting Practices and Games
``Does Everybody Have a Parent Here, or a Ride?''	112	(2)
How Hard Should You ``Push'' the Kids?	114	(2)
How Frequent Should Your Practices Be?	116	(2)
Helping Kids to Overcome Their Fear of Injury	118	(2)
How to Teach Sports Theory	120	(2)
The Delicate Art of Assigning Kids to the ``Best'' Positions	122	(2)
Why Kids Love the Wrong Drills	124	(2)
What Practice Should ``Perfect''	126	(2)
Water Breaks, Drill Variations, and Other Changes of Pace	128	(2)
Fun and Hard Work: Why We Need Both	130	(2)
When Should You Bring In Outside Experts?	132	(2)
Etiquette When Playing ``Away'' Games	134	(4)
Part VIII: Motivating Players and Recognizing Achievements
A Perfect Game Can Be Perfectly Miserable, Too	138	(2)
Should the Best Players Play More?	140	(3)
Help Your Players to Think Positively	143	(2)
Surviving the Humiliating Defeat	145	(2)
Appointing Captains and Team Leaders	147	(2)
Don't ``Bribe'' Your Kids to Win	149	(2)
Should Kids Lose Playing Time Because They've Broken Rules?	151	(2)
Awarding Game Balls and Trophies	153	(2)
How Wins Are Inadvertently Turned into Losses	155	(3)
Part IX: Surviving Predictable Crises in Coaching
Handling Boo-Boos and More Serious Injuries	158	(2)
When Kids Quit the Team	160	(2)
Disciplining Your Players During Games	162	(2)
Obnoxious Opposing Coaches	164	(2)
Dropping Kids from Teams	166	(2)
How to Defuse Potentially Violent Situations	168	(2)
How Can You Fire a Volunteer?	170	(4)
Part X: When to Scale Back or Bow Out of Coaching
Ten Sure Signs That You're Getting Too Involved	174	(3)
Learn to Delegate to Make the Burden Lighter	177	(2)
When Removing Yourself from a Game Is a Good Idea	179	(2)
Your Comments Can Have Long-Lasting Impact	181	(2)
Periodically, Give Your Kids a Breather from Coach Mom and Coach Dad	183	(2)
The ``Genius'' in Rotating Managers	185	(2)
When Should You Resign from Coaching?	187	(3)
Part XI: How Can We Improve the Sports Experience?
Should Nine-Year-Olds Be Playing Against Twelve-Year-Olds?	190	(2)
Are We a Farm Team for the Majors?	192	(1)
Fighting the Encroachment of Other Sports	193	(2)
Establishing Codes of Conduct	195	(3)
Everyone's a Winner When We Don't Keep Score	198	(3)
Are Your Going to Teach Zen or Dale Carnegie?	201	(2)
It's About More than Having Fun	203	(2)
Why Coaches Yell	205	(3)
It's Too Soon to Be Discussing Scholarships	208	(2)
What Should We Be Teaching Through Sports?	210	(4)
Should Players Be Redrafted Each Year?	214	(2)
Choose a Value, and Then Teach It!	216	(2)
Remember to Coach One Game at a Time	218	(4)
Part XII: Parting Thoughts
How to Tell Your Kids You're Not Coaching	222	(2)
You've Gotta Believe in Miracles	224	(2)
Is It All Worth It?	226	(3)
Afterword	229	(2)
Index	231