Coaching clinic–A parent told me recently their child felt calm when I showed up at their match. Here are some match coaching tips-and if you watch the veteran coaches some are really good at these skills!
How do you calm an athlete? Read on!
1. Look calm, smile, and look relaxed, even if you are not.
2. Stop with the hand signals-I do these rarely and when I do most are mis-interpreted. Some coaches and parents try to do too much at match time. Why not let Junior or Missy figure out things on their own and learn the game?
3. Think ahead to the time outs-think what advice you can give that will help-think how to make that advice simple-not complex:
Complex-after they pinch the ball I want you to hit a down the line on that side-or a cross court pass back where the shot came from
Simple-“Hit more one wall shots from the front court!”
Really simple-“When you hit that down the line it was perfect. Loved the down the line!”
4. Do not try to impress the crowd with your knowledge as a coach. Grandstanding and taking credit for wins, and distributing blame to the athlete for their loss is poor coaching! It is the athlete’s show, not yours! A good coach is like a good ref–hardly noticeable!
Oh and…….
5. Make sure your athlete is drinking water every time out and some form of glycogen; 1 part to 3 parts water every other time out as the match progresses. This keeps energy levels steady and the athlete hydrated. I see many amateur coaches neglecting this and watch some athletes “bonk” during long matches.