What We Expect of You
As coaches, we determine the kind of experience our athletes have with sports. We are committed to the principles of Positive Coaching Alliance (PCA). We expect you to be a Double-Goal Coach, who strives to win (one goal), while pursuing the more-important goal of teaching life lessons through sports. PCA’s Double-Goal Coach Job Description includes:
Model and teach your players to Honor the Game.
- Teach ROOTS – respect for Rules, Opponents, Officials, Teammates, and one’s Self.
- Hold a parent meeting and distribute PCA’s Parent/Guardian Letter to help parents Honor the Game.
- Appoint a parent to be “Culture Keeper” for the team.
- Drill Honoring the Game in practice.
- Seize teachable moments to talk with players about Honoring the Game.
Help players pursue mastery of their sport, not just scoreboard wins.
- Teach players the ELM Tree of Mastery (Effort, Learning, and bouncing back from Mistakes).
- Use a “Team Mistake Ritual” (like “Flushing Mistakes”) to help players quickly rebound from mistakes.
- Reward effort, not just good outcomes. Recognize players even for “unsuccessful” effort.
- Encourage players to set “Effort Goals” tied to how hard they try.
Fill your players’ Emotional Tanks.
- Use encouragement and positive reinforcement as your primary method of motivating.
- Achieve the “Magic Ratio” of five positive reinforcements to each criticism or correction.
- Use the “Buddy System” to teach players to fill each other’s Emotional Tanks.
- Learn to give “Kid-Friendly Criticism,” such as criticizing in private, asking permission, using the Criticism Sandwich, and avoiding criticism in non-teachable moments.
Have conversations with your players at every practice and game.
- Review Honoring the Game, the ELM Tree and the Emotional Tank throughout the season.
- Ask questions and encourage players to speak and contribute during team meetings.
- Use PCA’s Talking Points e-mail series to guide discussions with your players.
You’re adopting these philosophies and actions will contribute to a positive, character-building youth sports experience for all the children our organization serves. Thank you for all your time and effort!
