education Training and Education 4 WINTER 2012 www.nays.org op-quality youth sports Unfortunately, too often the poor decisions or inappropriate actions of programming doesn’t just happen adults can derail the program’s ob- jectives, smother the fun and push by chance. It takes a committed children away from participating in T the future. and knowledgeable approach by The National Alliance for Youth administrators, volunteer coaches and Sports’ proven programs for volun- teer coaches, parents, officials and parents. When all three fully understand professional and volunteer admin- istrators, coupled with the focused the true value of sports, and don’t lose and tireless efforts of recreation sight of what is best for the children agencies, have enabled millions of children to reap amazing benefits. participating, it can be an incredibly It’s the power of sports and when they are done right, is there really rewarding experience for everyone. anything better for today’s youth? www.nays.org WINTER 2012 5 education NYSCA National Youth Sports Coaches Association Since 1981 volunteer coaches, both first-timers and veterans of the sidelines, have been using the NYSCA training program to enhance their skills and have a positive impact on all their young athletes. When Fred Engh created the National Youth Sports Coaches cities and small towns across the Association (NYSCA) back in 1981 his idea of providing training country, and is utilized on U.S. mili- tary bases worldwide. to volunteer coaches was met with a chorus of doubt from “All volunteer coaches need to those who said coaches didn’t have the time or the interest in be on the same page,” said David Moriarty, the senior recreation su- completing such a program. pervisor for the Town of Henrietta (New York), which has been train- But, just the opposite has proven true. ing its coaches through NYSCA for 25 years. “Training As it turns out, coaches were actually craving infor- allows the coaches to have the ammunition they need mation on the best ways to handle their complex roles to coach effectively.” and responsibilities, as nearly 3 million volunteers have Volunteer coaches are in a truly unique position to completed the NYSCA program since its inception. The help the young players on their team learn more than program has been embraced in more than 3,000 big just the skills of the sport. It’s also a special opportunity to help teach them positive life val- ues such as teamwork, discipline and respect, among so many oth- ers, that will significantly impact all other areas of children’s lives. Through the NYSCA program coaches learn valuable informa- tion in a number of key areas so that they are able to be real differ- ence makers in the lives of their young players. NYSCA filmed its Coaching Youth Football video Baltimore Ravens Coach John at the Cleveland Browns practice facility with the Harbaugh is featured in the NYSCA help of the Browns’ summer camp coaching staff. Coaching Youth Sports video. COACHING GREATS Through the years the NYSCA pro- gram has undergone a number of enhancements to keep pace with the ever-changing needs of volun- teer coaches everywhere. As part of NYSCA’s commitment to provide volunteer coaches with the best information to help them guide their teams to fun and rewarding ex- periences, it interviewed highly re- spected coaches from the NFL, NBA, WNBA and Major League Baseball, as well as from the collegiate football and basketball ranks, who shared their insights on what it takes to make a difference in a youngster’s life both on the field and away from it. These interviews are featured in the The NYSCA program helps coaches gain a better video as these outstanding coaches understanding of their responsibilities in coaching children. share their insight on everything from 6 WINTER 2012 www.nays.org how to teach good sportsmanship to always striving to do their best. The interview clips are from legendary col- Q&A with Emmy Martinez, VP of lege basketball coaches Mike Krzyze- wski and Vivian Stringer, as well as NFL NAYS Membership Programs coaches John Harbaugh, Lovie Smith and Marvin Lewis; NBA coach Erik Q: Why is the Rate Your Coach feature important for volunteers to utilize? Spoelstra; college football coach Mark Richt; college basketball coach Tubby A: I know, and understandably so, that coaches may experience Smith; NBA Hall of Fame player and a little anxiety at first wondering how their scores stack up. But I’m former coach Kevin McHale and WNBA confident that once volunteers see how the system is set up that they player Alana Beard; among others. will embrace it as an effective instrument for improving their coaching In order to complete the NYSCA skills. It is important to use because one of the roles of a volunteer coach program coaches must view this is to encourage our players to strive to be the best they can be and that’s Coaching Youth Sports video as well exactly what this system is all about – helping coaches become the best as the sport-specific video for the they can be for the benefit of their players. sport they are coaching. Thanks to the generous time and support of coaches and organizations around the country NYSCA’s Coach- ing Youth Baseball video features the outstanding staff of the Cal Ripken Baseball Academy; its Coaching Youth Football video was done with the Cleveland Browns summer camp staff; its Coaching Youth Volleyball video was done with the University of Georgia women’s volleyball staff; its Coaching Youth Soccer video features the North Carolina State men’s soccer coaching staff; and its Coaching Youth Softball video was done with the New Mexico State women’s softball coaching staff. RATE YOUR COACH Coach training is an essential part of creating a fun, safe playing en- vironment for youth athletes – but coaching education doesn’t stop at the end of an NYSCA clinic. Part of being a great coach is the willingness to improve each season, and the feedback from Rate Your Coach helps NYSCA coaches do just Nearly 3 million volunteer coaches have completed the NYSCA training program. that as it has already helped more By the numbers The number of volunteer coaches – in millions – that have completed the National Youth 3.1 Sports Coaches Association training program. www.nays.org WINTER 2012 7 education NYSCA Volunteer coaches learn the importance of being positive role models through the NYSCA program. than 10,000 volunteer coaches improve children’s expe- Each question also includes “Helpers,” which are links to ad- riences in sports leagues across the country. With this ditional information on that particular topic if a coach is inter- online tool, parents evaluate their child’s NYSCA coach in ested in learning more to improve his or her skills in that area. several key areas, like teaching sportsmanship and skills, In 2011 NAYS launched Measure Up! For Better Youth running practices and communicating with parents. Sports, a national movement aimed at educating youth Evaluations are submitted by parents’ anonymous, hon- sports programs on the importance of evaluating their volun- est feedback, which gives leagues a clearer picture of what’s teer coaches, and the valuable role parent feedback can play happening on their fields and also in the process when handled correctly. provides coaches with helpful feed- Properly conducted evaluations not back to identify and correct any prob- only help hold coaches accountable lems – as well as receive a pat on the for their actions, but also serve as a back for doing great work and making training tool to help them hone in on a positive difference in the lives of those coaching skills they may need to their young athletes. improve upon. The questions are grouped into the Coaches also have access to other categories of Sportsmanship, Physi- innovative sections on the NAYS Web cal Health, Sport Knowledge and Hall of Fame basketball coaches Vivian site, including a Skills and Drills sec- Technical Instruction, Communica- Stringer and Mike Krzyzewski share their insights tion that features hundreds of ani- in the NYSCA Coaching Youth Sports video. tion and Coaching Style. mated drills, as well as those that can be printed out and taken to practice to use as a handy reference while RENOVATED ONLINE CLINIC working with players; and the Coach- ing Forum, where volunteers can Earlier this year NAYS launched its renovated NYSCA Online Clinic. Originally introduced tap into the expertise of more than in 2005, the Online Clinic features several significant improvements that enhance user 100,000 coaches to gain insight on a experience for those coaches who opt to complete the training at their own pace and variety of issues that are typically en- when it is most convenient for them. countered while coaching children. Some of the key changes include a simplified sign-up process for new users, an improved Members also receive a $1,000,000 streaming video player, mobile and tablet friendly and full support of Mac-based operating systems. liability insurance policy and a sub- “We all lead busy lives, and our coaches really appreciate the convenience of com- scription to SportingKid magazine. pleting the training online at times that suit their schedules,” said David Doney, vice “The benefits offered for coaches president of the Palma Ceia Little League in Tampa, Fla. “We at Palma Ceia Little League are really a plus,” said Ronnie Prid- believe that effective training for our coaches is a critical factor in ensuring that our play- gen, athletics director at the Florence ers have a great Little League experience.” (S.C.) County Parks and Recreation Coaches who opt for the convenience of the on-line clinics have access to all the department, which has been affili- outstanding information that is available during the on-site clinics.