Editorial

For the record

At the risk of becoming a broken record, or at least, a stuck needle, there's a strong youth sports flavour again this month. I can scrape up two reasons for this. First, the well-publicised problems with youth sport remain, e.g. early specialisation, an overemphasis on winning (or securing professional contracts!) too soon, inappropriate talent identification, physical and psychological overloading, the misleading of parents about their child's chances of making 'the big time', and so on, and so on. Secondly, coaches - as so many of you are (thanks!) - can be a powerful force for change: by coaching with the participant's long-term, whole-of-life interests at heart; through engaging with parents in a positive, informative, and ethical way; and by advocating for change when it comes to the systems and structures which facilitate unhelpful practices in youth sport. Actually, there's a third affirming reason why I'm stuck on the needle of youth sport reform  €_ more and more and more people are publicly stating the need for urgent change. Hence, many of the articles and videos below  €_

One of other 'stories' I'd like to draw your attention to this month is the video 'Ten virtues of the modern age'. At a time when we have a desperate need for ethical leadership in all domains of life, this nifty little video provides a nice 'call to arms' to lead a life of integrity  €_ and niceness!

And to finish, a reminder: "The first rule of training is that no rule holds good for all; that every athlete must adapt general practice to the way that best suits their own character and their own physique; and that every coach must understand that the rigid application of a 'system' may harm and even ruin an athlete of great natural gifts". There has been much written about the prescriptive, rigid coaching style of 'yesteryear'. However, as this quote* from Athletics, first published by the Achilles Club in 1938, and revised in 1951, shows, it has long been recognised that 'one size does not fit all' when it comes to coaching.

*Yes, some poetic licence was taken with the gender-specific language of the era.Be good, do good!

Ngā mihiBrett Reid, Community Coaching Consultant

Quote of the Month

'The coach is first of all a teacher'  - John Wooden

Rethinking youth sports  [Video by Matt Roth]

Listen, learn & love  [Video by Wayne Goldsmith]

So what is developmentally appropriate sport?  By Richard Bailey

If, like me, you are a rather sad individual, with shoddy friends, and no life worthy of the name, you will spend many hours reading academic literature.  [UKCoaching].

Youth sports: the fast lane to retirement  [Video by Steve Locker]

Ten virtues of the modern age  [Video by the School of Life]

How to identify talent: five lessons from the NFL draftThis week the Cleveland Browns will decide which, if any, of the top quarterback prospects to acquire with the first pick in the NFL draft.  [FarnhamStreet/Cade Massey]

Nine characteristics of a great teacherYears ago, as a young, eager student, I would have told you that a great teacher was someone who provided classroom entertainment and gave very little homework.  [Faculty Focus/Maria Orlando]

The trick to making sports fun for kids? Good CoachingAs the chairman of an international nonprofit that focuses on using the power of sport to affect social change, a recent article from USA Today titled "Fun - Not Winning - Essential to Keep Kids in Sports" about children dropping out of organized sports struck a nerve.  [HuffingtonPost]

Behaviourism, constructivism and sports coaching pedagogyIn recent years, scholars of coaching science  €_  [ResearchGate]

The law of unintended consequencesIn 1890, a New Yorker named Eugene Schieffelin took his intense love of Shakespeare's Henry VI to the next level.  [Farnham Street]

Self-Determination Theory  [Video by Professor Edward L. Dec]