The 7 commandments of coaching

Coach Cantwell says that the art of being a good coach can be found in a handful of sacred commandments when it comes to dealing with kids on the youth and high school levels. Following are seven strategies that you can use when you grab the whistle and clipboard.

1. Be a teacher – When you are asked to be a volunteer coach, the thing you don't realize is that you have to spend a lot of time to get your players' self esteem and self confidence right. This is not on a lot of coaches' radar screens. Coaches are teachers. Teachers are caretakers. There is not one coach who couldn't go into a classroom and teach. These are the successful ones. They all understand the process it takes to be good.

2. Be a coach –  After you take some time to learn what makes each of your players tick, you can begin the process of coaching. To be a successful coach, you must have patience. You must be a motivator. You must know how to communicate. Remember, every player has a different learning curve. Every player is different. They come from different backgrounds, different cultures. These are the types of things you must have on your radar screen to succeed. To be a good coach on a volunteer basis, you must simplify the process and make it fun.

3. Leave an impact – As a youth coach, one of the most important things you must understand is that you are going to make an impact on a player's life. The thing you have to decide is whether it's going to be a good impact or a bad one. Remember this: a lot of these kids' emotions have not even been touched yet. Things like never playing a kid or yelling at them instead of teaching them are things you must take into consideration. Some kids cannot handle this. The most important phase of coaching is that one-on-on instruction. Do it. Build self-confidence. Build self-esteem. This is what leaves an impact.  

4. Have empathy – Every coach should have empathy. Simply put, empathy implies sharing the load, or "walking a mile in someone else's shoes," in order to appropriately understand that person's perspective. You never know what a child is going through or has been through when he or she hits the court. Treat each player with respect and know that how you deal with him or her will dictate whether or not they return. Too many kids are pushed away from youth sports because of how a coach treats them.  

5. Know your role – This is a critical part of being a youth sports coach. You must establish your philosophy right up front. Are you going to be the coach who wants to win the league championship and bring home a trophy? Or are you going to be the coach who teaches his players how to have fun and provide a great experience? Make no mistake about it: You can't go in with both philosophies. Pick a philosophy and move forward.

6. Know the game – You would think this concept would be a no-brainer, but you'd be surprised at how many youth sports coaches don't understand the game. That is why the On Court Player Development® program offers its Coaches Certification program (see sidebar, The On Court approach) The game of basketball is a simple game; it's not hard. If you understand the rules, the philosophy and that your players are there to learn a little about the game and have fun, you will be successful.

7. Remember you're a volunteer – This is the mother of all youth sports commandments. You don't study film. You don't scout other players. You don't spend the whole day thinking about what offensive and defensive strategies you're going to implement at practice or in a game. Youth sports coaches are volunteers. You have a job. You have a life outside the couple days of week you spend on coaching. A professional basketball coach – from middle school, to high school and beyond – is involved in the game six days a week. If you approach your youth sports coaching assignment with a volunteer mentality,

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