Should Youth Sport Coaches Be Required
to Attend a Coaches Education Class?
Once again over the past couple of months, we have had numerous stories
appear nationally about youth sport coaches who have either lost control
of their emotions or have made questionable decisions regarding their
teams and athletes.
This has raised the question whether it should be a mandatory requirement
that youth sport coaches should attend a sportsmanship coaching class
before being allowed to coach any team at the youth sport level.
Fred Engh, the founder of the National Alliance for Youth Sports, believes
it should be compulsory. We recently discussed this issue during our
regular appearance on Nick Lowery’s Headgames radio show (We appear every
Friday at Noon, Central time on Sirrius, Channel 122).
During this discussion, Fred mentioned that not only should every coach
be required to go through a mandatory training, but he stated that NAYS has
a one strike and you’re out philosophy for their members.
He emphasized once a coach goes through their training, they are required
to follow the NAYS Code of Ethics (below). If a coach conducts himself in
any way that is contradictory to the Code, he/she will be dismissed as
a member of NAYS and not permitted to coach again.
He stated all coaches should conduct themselves with appropriate sportsmanship
as their top behavior. In his opinion, it is a youth sports coach’s
responsibility to place the well-being of the youngsters he/she is coaching
ahead of their own personal priorities.
The main goal of the coach is to assist the athletes at enjoying the youth
sports experience and at having fun. NAYS believes the goal of the coach
is to put the athletes ahead of himself and the game should be about the
athletes, not the coach.
The research they have conducted has found when the coaches have gone
through their certification process, the number of incidents of negative
behavior with their coaches has almost totally decreased. It is their
belief it will not only benefit the athletes and coaches, but the fans
as well.
The following is the NAYS CODE OF ETHICS:
I hereby pledge to live up to my certification as a NYSCA Coach by following
the NYSCA Coaches Code of Ethics:
I will place the emotional and physical well being of my players ahead of
a personal desire to win.
I will treat each player as an individual, remembering the large range
of emotional and physical development for the same age group.
I will do my best to provide a safe playing situation for my players.
I will promise to review and practice basic first aid principles needed to treat
injuries of my players.
I will do my best to organize practices that are fun and challenging
for all my players.
I will lead by example in demonstrating fair play and sportsmanship
to all my players.
I will provide a sports environment for my team that is free of drugs,
tobacco and alcohol, and I will refrain from their use at all youth
sport events.
I will be knowledgeable in the rules of each sport that I coach, and I
will teach these rules to my players.
I will use those coaching techniques appropriate for all of the skills
that I teach.
I will remember that I am a youth sports coach, and that the game is for
children, not adults.
Copyright: National Alliance for Youth Sportsl