Thoughts on coaching youth sports

Part 1 of 2

Let me first start by introducing myself. My name is Dean Diamond. I have been coaching youth sports for the past 18 years. From beginner levels up to high school varsity, I have coached soccer, baseball and ice hockey. I am a USA Level 4 certified coach and have attended many clinics on coaching, belong to many coaching groups and have read numerous books on great coaches and coaching philosophies. I do not think I know it all, or ever will, but I continually try to learn and better myself every day as a coach. I am writing this article because it baffles my mind what I see every day in youth sports. I have to ask: What are we doing as coaches? What are we doing as parents? What are we doing to our kids? 

What are we doing as coaches?

What makes a good coach at the youth level? I define the youth level as beginner through the end of eighth grade. As we get to the high school level, I believe our philosophy begins to change. So I ask: Is it the record, how many wins or losses? I hope your answer is a whopping, “NO!” 

I have seen many coaches play their best athletes for the whole game or the better part of it. The lesser athletes are left to sit on a bench and watch and wait. Then, when they are put in, it is always in the least favorable position. For instance, in Little League, the weakest player is going into right field for two innings and one at-bat. The player is also told when he gets up, to not swing and try and get a walk. Great coaching, right? This player is really not having a lot of fun. I bet you this player never plays in high school, and never has good memories of a sport that he used to love. But hey, they won the game, isn’t that what’s important? Sure, have players steal home on passed balls against a 10-year-old who is trying catching for the first time. That’s what it’s all about. Great coaching! 

In basketball, it’s all about having the same seven players play 90 percent of the game and, maybe if you are winning by 14 points, the other kids can get in for the last two minutes when the win is sealed. Those kids on the bench will surely be back next season to play because they are having so much fun on that bench. Or keeping your best five hockey players on the ice in a mite game for the last four minutes because you are up by a goal and God forbid you blow the lead. Or in soccer, leaving your best four players in the whole game, some kids get half a game and some are lucky to get 10 minutes, even when the score is 4-0. I mean, you know how fast a team can come back in soccer at the 12-year-old level and score 4 goals. How many coaches have used trickery to win games, and by that I mean taking advantage of an 11-year-old to win a game by using some trick play. That’s really teaching your kids how to win at any price … ethics! 

Coaches, I ask you: What is your agenda? Isn’t it supposed to be teaching the kids the fundamentals of the sport, and I mean all the kids, not just the best four or five? Don’t we all know that kids develop at different times in their lives? Some take until they are juniors in high school: some early, some late. Isn’t the purpose of youth sports to teach the kids, not only the fundamentals of the game, but how to work together as a team? 

Don’t get me wrong, some kids put a lot of time and effort into the sport and some don’t. Some fool around and disrupt practices and don’t always try hard. So am I saying that all kids need to get equal time and play each position? Absolutely not! Playing time needs to be earned, just like getting good grades. Kids who put in that extra effort should be rewarded with more playing time, even if that kid isn’t the best athlete. What I am saying is that coaches need to teach every kid the fundamentals of every position so that when they get to high school they will have a better chance of playing. The best athletes shouldn’t just be the center in hockey, the shortstop, the pitcher, the center mid-fielder in soccer, the goalie, etc. Every kid needs to get a chance playing every position. That’s coaching! Also, when they get to high school, the position an athlete plays is determined by the coach based on the athlete’s ability and what position is needed on the team. On a sliding scale: Winning at the six- to 10-year-old level should never be a factor; at the 11- to 12-year-old level I would put trying to win at 25 percent; at 13 to 14 maybe 50 percent; and even varsity high school at 75 percent of the time. 

But the main focus should always be teaching and making sure the kids are having fun, so that they are sure to come back next year to play and keep coming back. Believe it or not, when kids stop having fun, that is when and why they quit. If you as a coach have had kids quit because of playing time or they are just not having fun, then you are not a good coach, no matter how many wins you may have had! 

Part 2 next time

Dean Diamond has been living in Lakeville since 1995 with his wife of 26 years, Dawn, and their four children. Dean coaches varsity hockey at Housatonic Valley Regional High School in Falls Village and is the owner of Deano’s Pizza in Lakeville.