 |
|
 |
 |
 |
|
Winning Redefined in Class for Coaches Don’t expect warm and fuzzy. But if Downtown Little League coaches this season seem a little cooler under the collar, or quicker to offer praise and a smile in the face of defeat, there may be a reason: They’ve been through sensitivity training. Last month, more than 50 of the league’s coaches assembled in the P.S. 234 auditorium for a two-hour lecture on the price of “winning at all costs,” with suggested strategies for managing the tough situations—not to mention parents—that come with the job. “You’re going to get a lot of tools to take with you,” began Catherine Gordon, a Division 1 soccer coach and former professional soccer player. “It’s good to have a full tool box when you’re out there coaching the kids.” Gordon represents the Positive Coaching Alliance, an organization hired by the league’s board of directors to improve what was seen as an overemphasis on winning. “We’re trying to get the managers to understand that they have a dual goal,” said Marshal Coleman, a board member who has coached in the league for seven years. “Winning, and more importantly teaching kids life lessons through sports.” Coleman said the league can do a better job of emphasizing sportsmanship, team camaraderie, and respect for opponents, umpires, and rules. “And having fun,” he added. “These are things we all lose sight of as coaches because there is pressure to win, even at the lower levels.” Al Martino, another league board member, said that coaches have to be reminded that every player needs them, not just the stars. “My hope is that with the training all the kids will get the same focus and attention in games and practice,” he said. Recognizing that parents, too, set an example for kids on the field, the league hired Positive Coaching Alliance to speak to Little League parents on April 21 at 10 a.m. at P.S./I.S. 89. Coleman said the league is requiring four parents from each team to attend, but he is hoping for more. “We want them to understand what the coaches’ and league’s goals are,” he said, “and most importantly we want them to learn how to be great fans of the game.” Gordon demonstrated how to keep parent-coach disagreements from overheating. Along with “buying some time” (“Don’t just blow them off. That will make them even angrier. Tell them you’ll talk to them tomorrow.”) she used an audience member to show the importance of keeping physical distance when a conflict arises. Facing him, Gordon moved in closer. “I’m coming into his space. That’s pretty uncomfortable,” she told the group. Now, nearly nose to nose, she asked the coach, “Is this weird?” “Yeah,” he muttered. Gordon threw out familiar situations and asked the coaches how they would handle them. (What do you do about parents who are screaming at officials over a bad call that ends the game, for example? Or how do you inspire your players before going against a team that has a good chance of beating you?) Much of the Positive Coaching Alliance philosophy is about what it calls “filling the emotional tank.” That is, kids are more receptive to coaching if they are helped to feel good about themselves rather than bawled for a fumbled play or missed opportunity at bat. “Praise,” Gordon said. “Praise has to be specific and it has to be truthful.” Studies, she said, show that “to get the maximum out of your athlete,” the ideal ratio of praise to criticism is 5 to 1. A similar study, she added, was done on married couples. “What do you think the best ratio was? Five to one. Remember that when you go home tonight,” she advised.
[Home][Back][Search] [Advertise][Contact] The Tribeca Trib · 401 Broadway, 5th Floor · New York, NY · 10013 · 212.219.9709 |
