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Leading a school athletic program or youth sports organization, you have awesome power and responsibility to impact youth. Creating a positive, character-building youth sports environment may be the most important thing you ever do, because it can provide thousands of children with life lessons in teamwork, commitment, persistence, overcoming adversity, empathy, and leadership. And, as they cultivate a lifelong love of sports in your program, they will stay involved as athletes, coaches and parents in later life who carry forward the legacy they gain from your leadership to influence the next generation. Use the tools below to make it so.
PCA has developed "Standards of Excellence" for youth sports organizations (YSO) that aspire to be outstanding "educational-athletic" organizations. There are six elements:
- Mission Statement. Mission Statement Every youth or high school sports program needs a strong mission statement. Here are some ideas whether you're reviewing your current mission statement or embarking on creating one. Download (PDF)
- Coach Recruitment Step-by-step instructions for bringing together a great group of coaches who will stick with your program for years and help you develop your organizational culture. Download (PDF)
- Coach Development Program. Ongoing improvement in your current coaches and adding even more great coaches can strengthen your culture.
- Positive Coaching Awards. People tend to do what gets rewarded in an organization. Here is a
program for rewarding your coaches, complete with nomination forms for
the awards.
- Parent Expectations Program. An effective leader sets expectations for everyone in the organization. Include parents. They are the ultimate decision-makers as to the health, success and longevity of your program. Download (PDF)
- Honor the Game Day Information
- How to Intervene (When Someone Dishonors the Game) Follow this approach if you see behavior that threatens the positive youth sports environment you are working hard to create and maintain. Download (PDF)
- Honor the Game Day Instructions for conducting ceremonies that will help establish and maintain your organizational commitment to Honoring the Game Download (PDF)
- Recruit parents or board members whose job is to help maintain the positive environment within your school or organization. Culture Keeper Job Description (PDF)
This "Road Map to Excellence" is intended to help you become a change agent, so Positive Coaching will become the norm in youth sports. We need individuals like you to make your organization one that promotes and reinforces positive coaching rather than the win-at-all-cost model of coaching that is polluting youth sports.
For YSO leaders and board members, this Road Map can help you implement the Standards of Excellence. It also can help parents and coaches begin a conversation with the leaders of their YSO. The important thing is to begin talking about these things because action that results in cultural change rarely comes without a great deal of talk, with conversations at many levels. So let the conversations begin; start talking about the elements of this Road Map to Excellence and help us "transform youth sports so sports can transform youth."