Training Superstar Athletes of Tomorrow: Having the Right Coach for Young Athletes

Training Superstar Athletes of Tomorrow: Having the Right Coach for Young Athletes
Veronica White (Arlington, Tenn., Memphis Metroc JVC Inc. of Delta Region)

Michael Jordan, Tiger Woods, Mia Hamm, Misty May, Ruth Collins, Dietre Parker, Destinee Hooker and Kristin Richards are all superstar athletes that have made a name for themselves in the world of sports.

Did you know Michael Jordan was cut from the varsity team his sophomore year in high school? That Tiger Woods was 3-years-old when he started playing golf? Mia Hamm was 9-years-old when she started playing soccer. Kristin Richards was 8-years-old when she started playing volleyball. Even superstar athletes have to start somewhere. And having the right coach makes a big difference!

“Set your goals high, and don't stop till you get there." - Bo Jackson

It takes more than personal drive and athleticism to determine whether or not an athlete will continue with a sport. The coach plays a major role in determining an athlete’s fate. The first coach that young athletes have will either make them or break them for the love of the sport. Having the right coach for youth athletes is crucial for future superstars. The coach must be energetic, motivating, creative and patient. The coach should leave the player wanting more of the sport when the season is over.

"Champions keep playing until they get it right." - Billie Jean King

Having What it Takes to Coach Young Athletes: The first coach a young athlete has will impact the child forever, either in a positive or negative manner. There are some first time coaches who are very experienced and knowledgeable of their sport, but lack the motivating factor, patience and understanding that the young athlete need in learning the basics and developing their skills to next level. Some coaches take for granted that young player already understand the basic fundamentals of the sport.

These coaches tend to expect more from the athletes than what the athlete knows. Having that type of coach can be confusing and frustrating to the young athlete. In order to coach young players, the coach must possess many important qualities that will help their players grow and develop in the skills being taught as well as how they grow and develop as a person and team mate.

A good coach must be energetic - making the sport exciting and fun to learn and master; motivating - each player is motivated by different things, a good coach must know their players to know how to motivate each person individually and how to motivate the team as one unit; creative - a good coach must be creative in designing practice plans, game strategies, and team bonding activities, and most importantly; patience - must have the ability to give direction over and over again without losing enthusiasm.

It requires a lot of repetition and correcting of “bad habits” to teach new skills to young players. A good coach instills discipline, good work ethic, and pride within the players as well as in their team. They teach players how to establish goals and how to accomplish them. To a good coach, victory is not just about winning a match and/or game, it is the pride and satisfaction of watching their players grow in their development of skills and as a person and teammate.

“Professional coaches measure success in rings. College coaches measure success in championships. High School coaches measure success in titles. Youth coaches measure success in smiles.” - Unknown

Tools for Success in Sports: In order for athletes to be successful in their sport, they need to get into their roles by having sport appropriate tennis shoes, sports attire and equipment. By dressing the part, athletes get into sports mode and are ready to tackle the drills at practices and are prepared to play.

To train super star athletes, the coaches also need to provide tools for success. Coaches supply the proper equipment that will help with conditioning and training of the young athletes.

It is important for athletes to condition before and during their season. This will build up strength and endurance. A good technique for improving basic skills is repetition of drills. The more contact made with the ball the better the athlete becomes. The coach needs to teach players proper techniques of the sport right from the start. They should break down each skill with specific detail on how it is done, demonstrate the skill and use key words to exemplify each skill.

The coach should keep an eye on “bad habits” and break players of these habits as they occur. The tone and body language a coach uses is important. The coach should praise the players for any accomplishments, big or small, and encourage players to correct improper form.

During the learning process, a young player may get overwhelmed. Therefore, a coach may break down the skill in simple steps and add transferrable progression steps. Always keep the young athletes moving. This will give them more contact with the ball. A good coach will also keep the players’ attention on what they are learning, and improve the players’ endurance.

“How do you go from where you are to where you want to be? I think you have to have an enthusiasm for life. You have to have a dream, a goal, and you have to be willing to work for it." - Jim Valvano, Basketball Coach

Identifying Super Star Athletes: In team sports, the coach trains and teaches the basic fundamentals to the whole team. However, it is the “Super Star” athletes that shine above the rest. Super star athletes are usually over achievers. They push themselves harder than their teammates to be the best that can be in the sport. Super Star athletes strive to perfect their game. They are very coachable, self discipline, and self motivating. A good coach should identify the super star athletes and challenge them in drills and in play. The coach should set higher goals for the super star athlete and set achievable goals for the others. The super star athletes act as leaders of the team. The coach should encourage star athletes to continue their training during the off season by attending camps and/ or joining a competitive team.

“Leaders are made, they are not born. They are made by hard effort, which is the price all of us must pay to achieve any goal that is worthwhile.” -Vince Lombardi

The Super Star Athletes of today all had to start from somewhere. Through hard work, sweat and tears these athletes made it to the top. Through their journey of success they have encountered coaches that have inspired and motivated them to be the best they can be and to have fun while doing so.