What's your favorite memory of a coach that impacted your life?

By Mike Eddy

I recently asked a group of friends which adults they remembered most from their childhood. Unanimously, youth coaches were among the most prominent names they listed. The most remembered were those who had either left a very positive or negative impact on their youth sporting experiences.

For me, the conversation again reinforces the vital role our youth sports coaches play in the personal development of today’s young athletes. To some degree, we are all molded by our past. For many kids, sports are a highly productive tool in helping build self-esteem, character and habits that carry them into adulthood. On the other hand, sports can also place a child’s future at risk through the destruction of self-esteem, character and bad habits.  

In many cases, it is the adults – parents and coaches – who can make the difference in a child’s sporting experience. I remember my good coaches because they saw something in me that others didn’t see. They motivated me because I felt good about myself. Sure, some of these coaches probably weren’t the best tacticians or the most knowledgeable about the sport, but they connected with me.

But I also remember the bad coaches. And while some of them were very knowledgeable about the sports they coached, they were more concerned about how I could help them, not the other way around.

If you have the honor of being a youth sports coach today, you have an amazing opportunity in front of you. Over the years, you may forget most of the names and faces of the kids you coach, but many of them won’t forget you.

The question is: How will they remember you?

This summer, legendary basketball coach Don Meyers won the Jimmy V Award for Perseverance during this year’s ESPY awards. I believe the video dedication and acceptance speech captures the essence of what sports are really about – Watch it here. I can’t imagine any parent watching this video and not wanting their child to play for a coach like Don Meyer.  

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