CONFERENCE/WORKSHOP CALENDAR

Philosophy in Youth Sport The theme of this issue relates to the philosophy of coaching youth in sport. Although it might be one of the most talked-about topics, it seems that we have a hard time articulating the need for "best practice" in youth sports. My aim with this time around is to give sport leaders some good "ammo" to use when attempting to justify positive change in current youth sport practice. I have provided a series of excerpts from current readings (Featured Articles) in youth sport as well as some other topics which relate to appropriate philosophy, such as a cutting practices and volunteer screening policies in youth sports (Coaching Issues). Gibson Darden Coaching & Sports Section Editor

Featured Articles

Canada's Fair Play Philosophy is inspiring, as well as what they say should be a Coaches Game Plan. The American Sport Education Program has long held a wonderful philosophy of Athletes First, Winning Second. Good Sports reinforces the above information with interesting statistics and trends. The American Youth Soccer Organization (AYSO), a highly successful organization in the training of coaches and parents, gives a nice overview of their 5 Basic Philosophies, as well as their Codes of Conduct for all participants. You should see that it is consistent with earlier philosophy excerpts. Here is a great overview of 5 different Models of Sports by the Character Counts folks. Which one applies to you? How can you articulate your model for youth sport? The whole paper on this link is also worth checking out!

Bulletin Board for PE Teachers & Coaches

Quick Facts

FACT:	According to a USA Today/NBC poll almost three out of four children age 10 to 17 years said they wouldn't care if no score was kept during a game.
FACT:	According to the Coaching Association of Canada, 70% of kids drop out of sport by the age of 13 because they aren’t having a good time.
FACT:	In a Poll of 12,000 kids given 12 reasons to choose for why they play sports – both boys and girls picked fun as #1 – boys picked winning as 8th – girls picked winning as 12th.
FACT:	Many parents cite poor coaching and administration as primary reasons for dissatisfaction with their children's sport programs.

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Quality Coaching Initiative Quality coaching at all levels starts with the educational programs available to the coaches. One organization, The National Council for Accreditation of Coaching Education (NCACE) is making it possible for coaching education providers/programs to improve their programs. This systematic effort fertilizes the roots of quality coaching. They are offering a conference called "Quality Sports Through Quality Coaching" at the end of June. Many may want to learn more about this groundbreaking initiative! Parents Initiative Sitting on the sidelines, parents are in a good position to determine whether the sports experience is a good one for children. This checklist is for parents. Parents Checklist for a Good Coach.

Promoting Better Health for Young People Through Physical Activity and Sports A Report to the President From the Secretary of Health and Human Services and the Secretary of Education Fall 2000

The Science of Coaching

By nature, coaches analyze and predict. This continuing column is for those who inquire about the latest scientific advances to further best practice coaching. There is some really useful information in these studies. Should Boys and Girls be Coached the Same Way? "Should I coach girls differently than boys?" is a question addressed by Craig Stewart. As the number of athletic opportunities for females increased, the louder the question has become. It is not being asked to identify either gender as less competitive than the other, but by dedicated coaches who sincerely desire to use the best methods to prepare female athletes. This study contributes to the determination of how to best coach athletes of either gender. New Information in Strength and Conditioning Mike Stone summarizes recent studies on a variety of topics. The good part is that each study includes practical applications to coaches! The effects of combination strength training vs heavy weight training and speed-strength training alone. Running endurance may be improved by explosive strength training. How does training variation impact speed performance, and what are implications of heavy lifting to overtraining?

Improving Our Coaches

After-School Sport Opportunities for ALL This neat program offers a packaged, ready-to-implement program for a variety of age groups. SPORT FOR ALL is designed to encourage physically active lifestyles for youth who may otherwise not get the opportunity. It provides training for program leaders, and all materials for an appropriate and positive sport program. Opportunity for Parent Education Coaches who are working to improve the role of parents in the youth sport experience are encouraged to visit the Parent Section of the Ask Coach Mike web site. It's best part are the playbooks that provides easy-to-understand information that is important for parents, coaches, and athletes. It also provides a certificate opportunity for parents. Check it out! A great collection of coaching and instructional books for coaches of all levels and all sports can be found at Human Kinetics.

Featured Web Site

A sport-specific website, the American Youth Soccer Organization has lots of excellent resources available for downloads. Go to their resources link. They also have an excellent volunteer protection program (SafeHaven) and materials for enhancing volunteerism.

Benching and Cutting The "Benching and Cutting" of young athletes in sports was a topic introduced in previous PELINKS4U issues. In fact, Stephen Jefferies, founder of our great website is currently conducting an extensive project in the area. The project promises to be a wonderful resource to educate many about this issue. You are encouraged to contact Steve to share any insights or information in this area. For now, check out this interesting paper by Ted Lea on the subject of Benching Kids in Sport. The Early and Late Maturers Developmental characteristics of young athletes play a large role in the sport experience. This short paper provides an overview. Protecting Young Athletes: Volunteer Screening A recent issue concerns what is done, and what is advisable, to screen volunteers who work with children. Increasingly, screenings are needed to insure that they are quality citizens and not going to be harmful influences or exploiters of the children put in their charge, especially in unsupervised situations. Volunteers in elementary/secondary schools present a complex problem as there is a strong need for community involvement in the schools, and with the children of those schools. At the same time there is a strong need to prevent those who may serve as harmful influences from being present in those schools. Here are some citations, or links to resources that may be useful in providing input towards determining the shape and nature of a policy that meets the security and ethical considerations of providing quality volunteers for educational programs, sport or otherwise. I hope that these resources will provide useful input for those trying to determine screening and supervision policy for volunteers who work with children in youth sport or school settings. Volunteers in Public Schools This new volume from the National Research Council provides the first overview ever compiled of volunteer activity in U.S. public schools; reporting on how volunteers are being used in schools; what factors make programs successful, what further research will enhance our ability to create good programs, and what directions our national policy should take. VOLUNTEERING A neat page from a school system on recruiting volunteers. PLAYERS: first report A good sport-specific resource for coach screenings. See the links off this page. Volunteer Management Library A good reference on the topic of Volunteerism. Index of web sites featuring volunteer management information & resources.

Contribute YOUR Ideas

If you have ideas, comments, letters to share, or questions about particular topics, please email one of the following Coaching & Sports Section Editors:

	Rich Stratton
	Gibson Darden
	Mike Clark

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