Make Every Session - Their First Session.
Be a Memorable Coach.
By Wayne Goldsmith
Imagine you had one session - just one practice or workout - to inspire a kid to want to become part of your program.
The kid turns up with their parents. They’re looking for a club, a coach and a sport to join and play sport. So they’ve arrived at your club, briefly met you - the coach of under 10’s or the club squad - and they’re looking to try what you’re offering.
You’ve got one session - one moment - one opportunity - to show them what you’re all about.
How would you do it?
You’d welcome them warmly and try to learn their name quickly.
You’d be full of positivity, energy and do all you could to make them feel like they belong.
You’d introduce them to a buddy - a member of your team - who could help them, guide them, introduce them to other players and make them feel part of your group.
You’d make the warm up fun and enjoyable.
You’d do some skills work which the “newbie” would find interesting, fun, engaging and enjoyable.
You’d be encouraging throughout the session - calling them by name often and praising them for trying irrespective of whether or not they got it right.
You’d play a fun game.
You’d end the session with a positive wrap up and leave them with something encouraging to make sure they know they’re welcome to come back again.
We’ve all done the above - or something like it for the “first-timers”.
We all know what kids want from sport.
We all know that it’s about creating an environment where kids have the opportunity to fall in love with the experience of sport.
We all know that coaching is very much about building relationships that matter with kids and their families.
The problem is - we forget it.
We become obsessed with talent and winning and success and scoring points and trying to turn 10 year olds into champions that we forget that our number 1 - our primary job as coaches - is to make our coaching programs so engaging, so memorable, so enjoyable - that they want to come back.
The only kid who can’t get better - is the one who is not there.
Who cares how much talent they’re supposed to have - if they are not coming to practice.
The key to coaching success?
Make EVERY session - like their FIRST session.
Copyright Wayne Goldsmith. All Rights Reserved.