There is an old proverb that says that it takes an entire community to raise a child. Even if you aren’t a certain child’s parent, you can influence them in order to grow up to be a better person. One of the easiest ways to do this is as a coach. The characteristics that you show the children and youth through each game will give them qualities to look back on, all which will help them throughout their life.
The major way that a coach can influence children is simply by being dedicated to a game. If you know sports at all, you know exactly what it takes to simply play a game. One of the major qualities that you need in order to get through a game is goals. Sometimes this is the goal to win, while others it is simply to make it through the entire game. Along with this, you will be influencing the children to persevere through the game, no matter how hard it is and to be determined to finish. All of these qualities will help the children have a foundation for the rest of their life in whatever they do.
A coach’s responsibility does not end here. More than teaching the children how to play the game, as well as giving them the support to get through the game, are certain things that children and youth may need to hear while they are playing. It is up to the coach to make sure that everyone who is playing the game understands what it means to get through a game, work as a team, and do so to the best of their ability. This will allow the children to understand what it means to finish their work in excellence. This will especially be seen if the children win the game and see the outcome of their hard work.
Of course, every coach knows that it is not about winning the game, instead it is the process. This specific message will need to be given to the kids after every single defeat that they work through. You will want to make sure that they understand it is not the outcome of the game that is important, but rather, the process that they went through in order to finish the accomplishment of the game. If you are a coach, understanding how to deal with loss can help show those who are playing the sport a mature way to approach several situations.
Being a coach is more than showing children how to play a game. It is also showing them what it takes to get through any scenario that they may come up against in their life. As a coach, you will be building a foundation for them to succeed, and to understand that success is more than the final score board.