Sport Psychology for Youth Coaches

Today, more than 60 million children and adolescents participate in sport programs in the United States. The growth of highly-organized youth sports during the past half century has been dramatic in its scope, but not without dispute. Much of the controversy that surrounds youth sports concerns the roles that adults, particularly coaches and parents, play in the process. There is general agreement, as well as scientific evidence, that the relationship between coach and athlete is crucial. Coaches not only occupy a critical leadership position in the athletic setting, but their influence can extend into other areas of life as well. The manner in which coaches structure the athletic situation, the goal priorities they establish, the attitudes and values they transmit, and the behaviors they engage in can markedly influence the impact of youth sport involvement on youngsters' psychological and social development. Sport Psychology for Youth Coaches assists coaches in using their leadership role to achieve optimal benefits for young athletes. Sport Psychology for Youth Coaches is designed to help coaches create positive sport experiences for young athletes and assists coaches in using their leadership roles to achieve optimal benefits for young athletes. The book provides specific behavioral guidelines that have proven to have positive effects on children and youth, both on and off the field. The authors address a wide range of practical concerns ranging from how to develop a positive coaching environment to how to avoid legal liability. This user-friendly book is a practical how to do it guide to producing a positive and growth-inducing sport environment. Written in an informal colloquial fashion that is accessible to coaches of all educational levels, the book provides clear behavioral guidelines with numerous examples, enabling coaches to easily apply the principles. It not only tells coaches what to do, but also how to do it. Throughout the book, the authors summarize key concepts and principles, enabling the reader to quickly preview or review the material. Chapters focus on values in youth sports, behavioral guidelines for effective, leadership, motivation, stress reduction, psychological skills in sport and life, relations with parents, legal responsibilities, and other areas of importance to coaches and athletes. No coach should be without this short, yet important, guide, whose principles have been applied and research-tested on thousands of coaches around the world and shown to have positive effects on young athletes.

Ronald E. Smith, Ph.D., is professor of psychology and director of the Clinical Psychology Training Program at the University of Washington. Frank L. Smoll, Ph.D., is professor of psychology at the University of Washington.