It is the coach’s job to make sure the team‘s practice goes smoothly and that the children are learning the foundations for the sport that they are playing. For this reason, it is important that a coach has the ability to control every situation and to be able to deal with the different children’s personalities on the team. A great coach is one that maintains orderly practices and then there is more discipline one the field when it is game time. There is a fine line that a coach has to walk to ensure the entire team is getting what they are trying to teach about the sport without becoming too boring.
One of the best things a coach can do is work drills that offer a good grasp of the basics while still showing the children that the sport can be fun. Not every practice can be a scrimmage which is much more fun than running drills. But if the coach makes a game of the drills, then it does not seem so bad to the children and they learn while having fun. Keep away is a great game that is fun and for any sport, it instills defensive and offensive skills.
The coach simply needs to make sure that the children are working the skills that are being taught and not just messing around. This is why many teams have more than one coach so that there are more eyes on the children to help them use the proper forms and to keep them in line. Once this discipline is instilled, no matter what the situation, the children will react and act appropriately.
You can always tell a team that is not being taught the sport in an efficient way. The children are running around, playing and screaming rather than sitting on the sidelines waiting for their turn to play or actually playing the game properly while they are on the field or pitch. Teams that win and compete successfully are because the coach has instilled a work ethic that the children are happy to follow because the coaches are respected.
Any team, no matter the age, starts with strong coaching and this begins with orderly practices that teach as well as entertain. Winning teams bring that discipline to the game and these teams are successful more often than those who lack the strong leadership.