IN THIS ISSUE

(Table of Contents)

1. "Youth Coaching Network" Newsletter Update

2. Feature Articles by Sport:

Dear Fellow Coaches,

Thank you again, one and all. As you can tell, we have taken on a new format.   I have received a considerable amount of feedback regarding the format of the Youth Coaching Network Newsletter.  The majority of the emails read as follows:  "the format of the email is unreadable in my mail tool", "the email was too large, please condense", "could you please add graphics to your drills and explanations".  This html format, I believe, addresses these issues.  I'm certainly open to any and all comments regarding the future format of this newsletter.  If you need to receive this newsletter in the old (text) format, please email me Coach Kelly , and I"ll gladly email you a text version.

Baseball is clearly ramping up.  I've received the majority of comments and request on this sport.  Basketball, though nearing completion still generates a significant amount of requests particularly for drills (see this months drill).  Soccer continues to be consistently popular while football, hockey, and cheer are understandably quiet.  I am wide open here, looking for authors on any of these three.

I have been asked and so am considering offering sports/coaching businesses the opportunity to buy add space in the Youth Coaching Network Newsletter.  If I do, 100% of the proceeds from this advertising will go to the Special Olympics Organization.  If you feel strongly for or against this idea, please reply to me.  I am considering charging $25 for a 5 line advertisement.

Drop me an email if you'd like to become an author to this newsletter 

I really need your feedback if Youth Coaching Network is going to be successful. Can I count on you for constructive criticism?

"Swing Hard; In Case You Hit It"

Very Best,

Kelly P (Coach Kelly) Hanaway :-)
 

If you haven't already done so, please forward this issue to one or two of your friends or fellow coaches. Thanks so much!

BASEBALL: " My Experience as a First Year Tee Ball Coach, So Far" Part 1 – Coach Noah Stokes

This is my first year coaching tee ball. Before the season I purchased some good material – one of the best is a book by Robert Doss entitled "How to Coach Tee Ball without going INSANE". I highly recommend it. I also bought some videos and surfed the web for coaching information. I was fortunate to have good instruction as a player and even though I felt comfortable with my knowledge of baseball fundamentals I was concerned about communicating that information to 5 and 6 year olds.

How much were they capable of learning? I had no dreams of turning first year players into little major leaguers but I also didn't want to be apathetic about teaching them the game. My goal was to make it fun and educational.

What I found to be the real joy of coaching first year players is it forces you to be creative. I must have spent two weeks planning the first practice. Except for the Doss book most of the information I was able to get my hands on was geared toward older kids. Especially in the areas of fielding, defense and base running. Hitting they can handle. Catching and throwing is a biggest challenge for beginners. And most kids this age do not have the desire to run hard and do not see the importance of going all out.

So with that belief I designed my practices. We would work mostly on throwing, fielding and base running. We would sprinkle our practices with hitting drills since most kids #1) like hitting, meaning it would easier to teach, and #2) probably had some backyard experience with swinging a bat.

I am proud to report that I think our method has worked. While we are only 4 games into the season it is evident that out kids are ahead of the competition in their ability to throw and catch. We have recorded 3 outs in all but 1 inning (we got 2) while our rivals have achieved that task only twice. Our hitting is tremendous. We still need to work more on base running. We run to all the right bases but with little intensity. I guess that will come with age. Everyone keeps a book but no one lives and dies by it – which is the way it should be at this age. Teaching is the goal and we are happy that our kids are learning. And because success breeds happiness our kids are having a ball.

Next time I’ll detail some of my practices and drills. Let me hear from some of you first year coaches - my email address noahsart@ocsonline.com. I would like to know some of the things you have had success with and some of the areas you have found most challenging.

BASKETBALL: " Five Ball Shooting" – Coach Deon Wilson, Acadia University

 I have notices and learned so much from just watching and being involved with my squads. Now while it's not our job to baby-sit our team/squad. It is our job to look after them for the few hours after school each week and at games. I have found that to do this to the best of my ability I must sorta "baby-sit" them. I set up rules (no drinking, smoking, 3.0 GPA..ect) and I make sure they are following them outside of my time with them. I plan monthly outings outside of practice just to have fun and watch who hangs out with who. That way I get a better idea of clique and how to smash them. I don't want anyone to feel left out yet at the same time I don't want to make the squads hang out together. It should come together on it's own, but only if you work at it. I believe a happy team is one that can work and play together. If someone isn't fitting in, once I notice that I will try pairing her/him up with a captain at practice or a friendly squad mate. Slowing bring them into the group. We have a lock in every season and twice in the summer. We have an adopt a cheerleader/danceliner program where a JV member is joined up with a varsity member.  That way the strong can help the "weak" get stronger and build friendships between the JV & varsity teams.  We do secret santa and spirit friend over the summer. Pasta suppers & tailgating on game nights. Midterm and finals study groups. Where the girls/guys help each other study for test. I also have a deal with my squads, while they aren't allow to drink if they do and need a ride home they can call me any time of night and I will pick them up no questions asked that night. I will talk to them about it later, but I don't want to have them driving home drunk. In the last 5 years, I have had to pick up 19 girls, & 3 guys from parties. But as I work more and more with the squads, I haven't had to pick up anyone this year. I want them to be able to come to me with problems. Cause if they are unhappy it effects the squad. I make a point to have that special bond with my squads each year. Cause it's something they will be able to take away with them when they leave and always remember. They come to care about me and the squad so deeply that they end up working harder for me, the squad and for themselves. Little things that I don't get pay to plan, do and work on but make the squad run much smoother and the year enjoyable.

You can be a coach that just shows up at practices, a few games and competitions or you can be a coach that your squad views as a leader but also as a "friend" that cares about them. You can just learn their names & talents within the squad or you can get to know them, be there for them and support them.

You can be a coach or you can be a good coach.

http://www.geocities.com/CheersMore_99
 

GENERAL: "How to Organize a Practice" Part 3 - Coach Joe Izzo

Warm-ups

The warm-up and activities parts of a practice correspond to the body of a speech, it's where the real work gets done. I have broken warm-ups out because too many coaches forget to warm the kids up, or worse yet don't think its necessary. (When my son was seven years old he pulled a groin muscle in a soccer camp because they had the kids jump into dribbling competitions without warming up first.) Even if you believe its not physically necessary, they should get into the habit early so they don't hurt themselves later.

Warm-ups should start with some light running, jumping, and twisting. The idea is "to get the blood flowing." After the muscles are warm they should be stretched, NOT before! Cold muscles don't stretch, they snap. No bouncing, simply hold a stretched position for about twenty seconds. There are numerous warm-up and stretching drills that are generic and can be used for all sports. There are also drills that will target specific skills for a particular sport. Intermix both types for variety. Somewhere between 10 to 15 minutes should be allocated for warm-ups, which is a good reason why some of the drills need to target specific skills.

With younger players you may be required to use only generic warm-up drills early in the season. The skill specific warm-up drills should not be used until the players have been taught and understand the correct way to perform the specific skill targeted by the drill. The old saying 'practice makes perfect' is not correct. Perfect practice makes perfect, imperfect practice makes imperfect. If you let your players warm-up using a sport specific drill that they have not been taught, they are in all likelihood developing or reinforcing bad habits. There are also some generic warm-up drills that more efficiently develop skills than sport specific drills. See BASKETBALL: "Basketball Speed Skills - Parts 1 & 2 in the last couple of issues of this news letter for examples of how to increase speed. The author is focusing on basketball, but I don't know a single baseball coach that doesn't love speed on the base paths. We all know how important speed is football and soccer. The point is these drills are appropriate for any sport. And they will help develop muscle memory faster than any sport specific drill can.

Once your players know the correct way to perform a sport specific warm-up you should intermix them with your generic warm-ups to kill two birds with one stone. I often use a drill from the previous practice as a warm-up to help increase the repetitions.

Next month I will discuss the Activities part of the practice.
 

FEEDING YOUR YOUNG ATHLETE - by Jenny Kellner

Fruits, low-fat snacks, vegetables, and exercise keep kids in tip-top shape
 

If all children were as fond of broiled fish and steamed vegetables as they are of burgers and fries, parents wouldn't have to worry about how eating habits affect their kids' health. But most kids aren't, and all parents do.

There's good reason for concern. Studies by the International Life Sciences Institute, in Washington, D.C., found that one in four kids is overweight or at risk of being obese.

Most nutritionists agree that a diet high in fatty foods, such as burgers and candy bars, and low in fresh fruits and vegetables increases the risk of children becoming overweight or obese. They also agree there's a simple way for most kids to avoid weight problems: plenty of physical activity balanced by a healthy diet.

You can't control what your child eats outside, but you can help at home. Kids don't have to give up their favorite dishes completely. The trick is to change the way you prepare them.

Here are four tasty, low-fat recipes even the pickiest eater will like!

Skill Development in the Beginning Soccer Player - by Roger Hunt

It's a new season, and you're coaching a bunch of U-6 or U-8 kids for your local rec-league program. Most haven't played a "real game" of soccer before; some don't even realize there's anything to the game beyond  every-kid-for-himself shooting on goal! Where to begin?

The key thing to understand: Kids at these ages are learning more than soccer skills in your practices – they're learning how their bodies work. Many of the skills you want to teach are basic coordination exercises. These in turn are the building blocks for the traditional soccer skills such as dribbling, passing and shooting. If you're not accustomed to coaching beginning young players, it's tempting to go straight into the classic
skills... but don't do it! If you teach the basics, your kids will develop a solid base for later advanced instruction, and you'll see the results. It's not necessary to devote whole practices to these basics, but I suggest spending 10-15 minutes for at least the first few weeks on them.

Here are a few good basic practice skills for U-6/U-8 beginners:

Have your players balance the ball with various parts of their bodies: in the palms of their hands while walking (teaches coordination while moving); between their knees while walking (teaches balance and coordination); and between their ankles while walking (coordination and control). Another good skill is balancing the ball on the top of one's foot. All of these can be 3-4 minute drills.

worry too much about the fine points of passing technique. Part of the end-of-practice scrimmage is to reward the kids for working hard and practicing the basics, by letting them cut loose.

Build your team with the basic skills, and they'll never get lost in later stages. They may not be as polished as you'd like by this season's end... but when they're U-14s and winning their travel games with fancy swerve

3. Input From Coaches

A. Great article about research on soccer heading. - Associated Press

BASEBALL : Guest Coach Article

BASKETBALL : Guest Coach Article

GENERAL: "How to Organize a Practice - Part 4" - Coach Joseph P Izzo

CHEER: Guest Coach Article

FOOTBALL: Guest Coach Article

SOCCER : Guest Coach Article

If any coaches out there would like to contribute as guest authors (or in any other way), please email me at mailto:editor@teamanizer.com.