Being a vlounteer youth athletic coach.....

Well, my best friend and I coach our kids soccer,flag football and pop warner football team. The organization we play for is the YMCA here in North Florida.  We have been coaching for about 3 years now (7soccer seasons and 6 flag football seasons). For soccer we always have about 25-30 kids, and for flag football we always have about 18-20 kids sign up to be on our team. Most of this is due to the parents feeling comfortable with us and trusting us with their kids.

 We teach having fun above anything else. But we also teach them fundamentals of the game by doing drills and games where they are learning while having fun and don't realize they are learning a skill at the time. We have kids of all skill levels every season, yet they always play so well as a team, and when they win or lose it is a team effort not individuals. We always stress that in the kids. Every child plays equal time as possible and are involved in both sides of the ball. We have never had 1 complaint about a kid not playing or being involved. 

 Anyway, we have developed a pretty good core of players. They are not the most talented in the whole conference by any means. The YMCA does not have tryouts or anything. We have merely taken what we have been given talent wise and made the best out of it whatever age group we happen to be in at the time.  Our kids have developed some very good chemistry, and play very well together. Partly due to playing together for a few years, partly due to having the same coaches year after year.  Our first year of soccer when we all met fo rthe first time  we went 2-6. The next season we turned it around and went 6-2, then went undefeated the next season. We then moved up an age group and went 3-3-1 the first season, then went 7-1 the next and undefeated the next season. Also we are not the only team in this particular situation there are 3-4 teams at each location that we play at that have been together for many season as we have.

 Well today I get a call form the YMCA sports director telling me that from now on we will only be able to bring back 5 kids for each team. You have 10 on a flag team and 16 on a soccer team.  We already have to tell a bunch of parents every year that we are unable to get their kids on our team every season as they do it first come first serve. The reason behind all of this  is every season there are more and more kids sign up, so that means more and more teams with new players and new coaches. The coaches come in mostly not knowing what they are doing and their teams get blown out by teams like ours. So they have been complaining about getting blown out, and that they have kids that are never going to play again because they are losing so much.

 So the YMCA decided to basically break up the teams that have been together because they are "stacked", again we have never had tryouts to take the best players and have a "stacked" team.  So now I have a bunch of parents / kids not wanting to play anymore if they cannot be on our team, as do a few of the other coaches. So now they are going to lose kids on the other side of this. There has to be a better way!

  The YMCA should have mandatory coaching clinics for new coaches to goto. There have been a few coaches devote personal time to have a "clinic" to help people out and people just don't show up.  I have alot of experience and I still go. If someone is willing to take the time then I feel we owe them to come no matter our experience.  It just gets back to the old male ego thing I guess.

 In my opinion that is the only way things will ever be balanced better is if all the coaches know what they are doing.  I guess I am upset to , because we have developed many friends, no tjust casual friends, but bail you out of jail type friends from caoching their kids. And these kids have become that close also. Now because a few whine, they are going to break up everything and make these kids and parents have to develop trust in coaches every year basically. I myself devote alot of my personal time to the YMCA, if I am not coaching I am reffing games, if I am not doing that I am a field monitor on my off nights. All for free mind you because they only like to operate off of volunteers and most people don't want to volunteer any time at all to make it succeed.

 Now that I got all that off of my chest, I have to leave work early to go and coach my soccer team.  You knnow sometimes you just sit back and wonder if being a volunteer youth coach is worth all the headaches you get. All the behind the scenes type stuff that goes on and the BS...... But, when you see the smiles on the kids faces when they learn something new.... it is just priceless, and if you have never experienced it I encourage anyone who has kids to get involved in their activities no matter their age, sport or whatever they do.  These kids are our future and we need to mold them into the adults they will become.

 So YES it is worth it, and I am a volunteer coach and would not change that for anything!

CAPSFAN