Composure
- Thread starter 02Crush
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My standard speech goes something like this: "Kid, you are [X] years old, playing ball on a bright, sunny Saturday morning in June. Life doesn't get any better than that. Trust me, it's all downhill from here."
Usually good for a couple of laughs from the other coaches, and strange looks from the kids.
Usually good for a couple of laughs from the other coaches, and strange looks from the kids.
Most of all, kids need to *PRACTICE* composure and focusing.
Set up stressful situations during practice where there is something at risk. Maybe its doing a home-to-home. Maybe it is carrying the equipment. And, failure has to be an option...and everyone has to fail.
Most youth coaches don't want their kids to fail...as if failure is some kind of cataclysmic event. Failure is the natural result of being in competition, not the result of some character flaw.
Set up stressful situations during practice where there is something at risk. Maybe its doing a home-to-home. Maybe it is carrying the equipment. And, failure has to be an option...and everyone has to fail.
Most youth coaches don't want their kids to fail...as if failure is some kind of cataclysmic event. Failure is the natural result of being in competition, not the result of some character flaw.
Some kids need to be comfortable with what you are asking them to do in order to be composed. If you ask a kid to do something you haven't practiced or she/he doesn't feel comfortable doing, its tough to be composed if it doesn't work out. Make sure you practice what you do in games. I have seen kids lose it during something seemingly simple like an intentional walk. Well if you never practiced throwing balls on purpose and don't know the reasoning, its easy to throw one away and let a run score.
I have seen just as many coaches lose their composure as I have players, its not something one grows into.
I have seen just as many coaches lose their composure as I have players, its not something one grows into.
