Thursday, May 24, 2018

Seeing The Beauty Of Positive Coaching

While positive coaching can mean many different things for coaches, its general goal is inculcating excellence. Positive coaching offers coaches and leaders a scientifically and philosophically sound way to help athletes achieve more, perform better, be happier and healthier, and to aspire for more.

Coaches are influential in the lives of young athletes. When adults are asked to share their fondest memory of being in school, they would most likely pause and think, and can sometimes go blank. But when asked about their times in sports teams, they have a concrete memory of their winning shot or successful clutch move. The meaning parents and coaches incorporate into a child-athlete’s achievement stays with them through their adult years.

Image source: pexels.com

Nowadays, coaches and parents pressure star players with a barrage of important shots. This transforms the experience of sports into a chore. Sports start to feel less fun for kids when the main goal is to win. The pressure mounts when sports performance determines the obtention of scholarships from good schools.

Positive coaching aims to change the way the sporting world has shaped kids in the previous years. Sports has become too selective and competitive instead of enjoyable and educational. Positive coaching strives for excellence, helping athletes understand that it does matter to win. However, it should respect and protect the self-worth of every athlete; it is demanding, yet never demeaning. It must shape an athlete’s spirit, rather than break it.

Image source: pexels.com

James Padlock is a special education teacher and coach at Northside High School in Roanoke, Virginia. He graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Physical Education from COE College. For quick updates from James Padlock, follow this Twitter.



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