training programs for youth sports volunteers

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"NAYS is here for us 24/7 in regards to our programs. They keep us up to date on safety, health and program changes all over the world. NAYS believes in what we do and is there to provide us any support they can in the aspect of youth sports. Can't ask for a better organization to be associated with."

Rene Nunez , City of Pembroke Pines, Fla.
"ALL coaches are required by our organization to be certified through NAYS. No other people are permitted to be on our sidelines without it."

Philip Kuntz Sr., Northmont Wee Bolts Football Englewood, OH
"Our last season was the worst season we have ever experienced. We had to cancel playoffs because we would have needed our local police to keep the peace. The children did not come back because their playing experience was not a fun one. This season I made it mandatory that all coaches must be trained and certified with NAYS. Regardless of any of the negatives from the past season, having NAYS on board with us is a positive that will correct all of that. This season we have basically started our program over but through the support and continued education of NAYS, it will be good!"

Ray Freeman, Hampton County Recreation Hampton, SC
"The National Alliance for Youth Sports, through their support of research on the issues of youth sports and the creation of programs such as the NAYS Coach Training, has given us a cornerstone onto which we build our program. I cannot thank NAYS enough for their time and dedication not only to our youth but to sports in general."

Dave Ludington, City of Gaithersburg, Md.
"We at Palma Ceia Little League believe that effective training for our coaches is a critical factor in ensuring that our players have a great Little League experience."

David Doney, Palma Ceia Little League in Tampa, Fla.
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Importance of Coach Education

importance of coach educationMost youth sports coaches are unprepared for their position. Studies show that only 5-10% of youth sport coaches have received any relevant training1. We know most coaches sign up because their own child is on the team and no one else volunteered. The next thing they know it is the first day of practice and they have a whistle and clipboard – but no formal training. Why does this matter? Why be concerned about providing coaching education or certification to coaches?

Quality trained coaches benefit children, youth sports programs and communities in countless ways. If volunteer coaches are comfortable and confident in their abilities to work with children and coach the sport, they will feel like – and be – an extremely valuable part of the youth sports program.

Here are a few of the many reasons your volunteer coaches should be trained:

  • Increase the amount of people interested in coaching. Training potential volunteers through a quality program, like the NAYS Coach Training & Membership Program, can give them confidence to participate in your program as a coach. If you have parents in your program that are hesitant to volunteer to coach, training often provides answers to concerns holding them back, like how to organize a practice, how to deal with parents or how to work with young kids, etc. So knowing that training is available makes them more likely to step forward to assist.
  • Empower volunteers. Training volunteer coaches will familiarize them on your program’s philosophy and mission, which gives them the confidence to conduct fun and productive practice sessions and be effective on Game Day, while also enabling their young athletes to grow and develop in the sport. Having a solid foundation for coaches to build upon is imperative for their success.
  • Build a quality volunteer base. It raises major red flags if a potential volunteer doesn’t want to take the time to learn about your program’s mission or prepare for their roles and responsibilities as a youth sports coach. Rather than practice a “warm body” approach and accept all interested volunteers, training will help weed out those people that may not really want to be there for the right reasons from the ones that will be dedicated and true assets to your program.
  • Set standards for coaches and the community. Being known as a program that requires its volunteer coaches to be trained will let others know that your program focuses on the safety and well-being of the young athletes, not the egos of the coaches. Volunteer coaches must understand the program's philosophy and adhere to it at all times, as well as operate with a task oriented mindset that places the emphasis on the children rather than an ego oriented mindset that emphasizes themselves.
  • Children stay in sports longer. Studies tell us that athletes who played for untrained coaches drop out at a rate of 26%; whereas those athletes playing for a trained coach resulted in a significantly lower dropout rate of only 5%2. Other studies show an increase in self-esteem for young athletes (under 12 years old) who play for a trained coach.
  • Reducing legal liabilities associated with sport. Coaches who have received proper sport training are able to teach fundamentals and drills properly, thus reducing the chances of injuries occurring. Concussion awareness, first aid and other safety trainings also help to control the severity of issues that can surface in a sports environment. Also, many certification programs include a liability insurance benefit for the coaches. Youth sports organizations that train coaches are taking an important step toward reducing risk in their programs while also reducing the chances that youngsters will suffer serious injuries.
  • Positive experiences for young athletes. Since sports can be tremendously beneficial for children, we want them to keep playing and to sign up again next season – and that can only happen if they have a positive and rewarding experience. Trained coaches that understand the importance of establishing a fun-filled and stress-free atmosphere that keeps children engaged increase the sport’s ability to have a positive impact on them3. The coach is the key to making a child’s experience fun, safe, educational – and memorable for all the right reasons.

With so many wonderful reasons why coaches should be trained it is hard to believe that the majority of today’s volunteers are not trained. A program coordinator may claim that budgets are tight and they can’t afford to train coaches but the evidence above proves beyond a doubt that youth sports organizations can’t afford NOT to train coaches.

Incorporating a coach training program into a sports season is not a daunting task. Leagues, multi-sport associations, municipal recreation departments and other youth organizations have the ability to become a Member Organization of the National Alliance for Youth Sports to offer the NAYS Coach Training & Membership Program. The online training for coaches can be accessed within 24 hours of establishing a Member Organization and on-site trainings can be hosted by your organization in as little as one week. Explore www.NAYS.org to learn more about the program and the benefits of becoming a Member Organization.

Sources:

1National Council for Accreditation of Coaching Education - Coaching Counts! Case Statement - 2011
2Sports Done Right Report - The University of Maine Sport & Coaching Initiative - 2004
3Palo Alto Online: What Makes A Good Coach? Terri Lobdell - 2010