SportsEvents Magazine

JUN 2013

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▲ Youth SPORTS Special Bond According to Tony Giarla, associate director of KIS, young coaches play a special role when they work with younger kids at summer camps, clinics or yearround programs. "They more easily relate to the environmental struggles and challenges our participants face on a day-to-day basis," he said. "This allows them to build strong, lasting relationships with their players. They bring fresh ideas, positive energy and large amounts of enthusiasm, which increases the engagement between themselves and their players." Ortega agreed. "I think that coaches who are in high school and college can form a special bond with younger kids because of the closeness in age and experiences," she said. "I think there is often more of a connection because we are still at the age where we understand how they feel and can relate to what they are going through. I think we can connect better sometimes. Also, the kids seem to enjoy working with someone closer to their own age. Perhaps it's just more fun." Billy Goldstein, San Francisco area manager for Skyhawks, a program that offers fun and skill-based sports camps for kids aged 3-12, said high school and college students who serve as coaches for his program tend to inspire the younger kids. "When 16- and 17-year-olds are out there coaching, the younger kids really look up to them," he said. "Since our programs are locally based, these youth coaches often play for the high school teams and are known in the community." 22 June 2013 Skyhawks Benefits Of Coaching Skyhawks started in 1979 teaching valuable life skills through sports and today offers youth sports camps in 500 communities around the United States. Participants choose from 15 different sports at weeklong summer day camps or year-round after-school programs. According to Goldstein, who works with about 120 coaches and directors in his area, there are a number of ways that high school and college students benefit from coaching Skyhawks programs. He explained that Skyhawks' program directors and coaches, who are paid staff, must be at least 17 years old and complete an extensive certification process that includes background checks. In addition, there are volunteer coaches-in-training (CITs) and interns, aged 15-17, who help instruct the younger kids. "It's a first-time job for many of our coaches, so we provide lots of on-the-job training," Goldstein said. "Our CITs and interns have the opportunity to receive a lot of great teaching and leadership experiences that will benefit all types of careers. They typically work for three weeks and are evaluated. Many who pass the evaluation come back and eventually become paid coaches." According to Giarla, KIS coaches— who are all volunteers—typically become more connected to the neighborhoods they serve, laying the foundation to become the next generation of leaders within the community. "Coaching gives them a sense of pride and responsibility along with a greater sense of the importance and impact of volunteerism," he said. "It also provides them opportunities to lead, motivate and get groups of people to work together for common goals. All these are important traits employers are looking for in potential employees." Ortega related that "serving as a role model helps older teens become more responsible. It helped me become more confident and become a better leader. It's also a lot of fun. I love playing sports, and I love giving back by coaching." Requirements For Youth Coaches High school and college students who are interested in coaching younger kids should, first and foremost, be enthusiastic about sports and interested in working with younger children, both Goldstein and Giarla said. Giarla said the recruitment of KIS coaches requires constant effort since more than 500 volunteers support the program in a variety of roles each year. "Our program is split into three seasons each calendar year, and each season requires a three-month commitment," he explained. "High school students can reach out through email or by phone. We provide training on how to be a positive and supportive coach as well as sportspecific skills and drills training. KIS is flexible and tries to build their schedules around each coach's availability." Goldstein said he looks at many "intangibles" as well as things like academics and teacher recommendations, when choosing young coaches. "It doesn't work out for everyone," he said. "Coaches need to be strong leaders and have good speaking skills, but they also need to be able to listen, to praise rather than criticize. The best athletes aren't always the best coaches." ■ Experts say that youth coaches gain both a sense of pride and a greater understanding of the importance of volunteerism. www.sportseventsmagazine.com

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