Now that the turkey and pie have been consumed, we gather together for the next great part of the season: Biddy Ball Basketball. One important component of a successful season is having good pool of Volunteer Coaches. They provide leadership and direction to their teams. They are the liaison between the league director and the parents.
There is a variety of coaches with a wide assortment of personalities, coaching styles, philosophies and approaches. Some have a “safety first” mentality, while others have played and have had training in the sport they are coaching. Some don’t even know all the rules and requirements but volunteer to coach for the satisfaction of being with their kid(s).
While coaches come in all shapes and sizes, with different types of personalities, here are a few Gems I feel a coach should keep in mind:
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- Demonstrate a commitment to the health, safety and the development of players
- Be patient, stay calm and never lose your cool
- Teach, model and demand respectful behavior, fairness and good sportsmanship
- Insist on proper sideline behavior by parents
- Sets realistic expectations for athletes
- Adjust your coaching style to fit the individual and the team
- Get to know your players both in sports and their personal lives, understands what works and doesn’t work to motivate a player to do his or her best, and help them learn new skills
- Look for team-building opportunities. A good coach looks for chances to help their players bond as an effective team
- Most importantly be sociable, empathetic and have good communication skills
So as we prepare for our up-coming MPCC Biddy Ball season, I would like all of our Biddy Ball coaches to take a moment and remember that youth sports are truly about the “Youth”. You will not get a coaching contract with the NBA after this season and wins and losses are part of the game but should not be your coaching purpose. Coaching is about teaching and the development of our future athletes. If you stick to that you will have a successful season.
See you on the courts.
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Mike Arrington is a Recreation Specialist for the Manassas Park Parks and Recreation Department. He can be reached at 703.335.8872 or via email at m.arrington@manassasparkva.gov.
Community Matters is a blog created by the City of Manassas Park Department of Parks and Recreation. The blog features program updates, announcements of new services, special event notices, or information of general interest.
