This document provides guidance for coaching kids, teenagers, and young adults in sports. It emphasizes that the well-being and development of the child should be the top priority. The coaching philosophy focuses on teaching skills, developing self-esteem, promoting fun, fostering relationships, and instilling a lifelong appreciation for physical activity and fitness. Outcomes for the child include learning skills, developing a positive self-concept, and enjoying the experience. Coaching requires a collaborative effort between the coach, child, and parent to ensure the practice environment is safe and conducive to success. The document also cautions about unrealistic expectations and promotion of an unhealthy lifestyle in professional sports.

1. Coaching Kids, Teenagers & Young Adults
• It’s for the kids! Kids are the most important
• Kids/Children’s overall health and safety are top priorities
• Promotes maintenance of physical activity for lifelong leisure & fitness skills

2. Philosophy
1. Teach skills and skill development
2. Develop self esteem, feel worthy
3. Have fun
4. Foster healthy parent-child and adult-child relationships
5. Socialization
6. Put forth an “effort to win”
7. Learn life long fitness and sports leisure skills

3. Outcomes
1. Learn skills – get better, “more-skilled”
2. Feel good (develop positive self-concept)
3. Have fun

4. This is a joint/symbiotic effort of
coach + child + parent

6. Practice and competition
environment is safe
All surroundings are “accident proofed”; progressions use the right
equipment (example - size and weight of ball, etc.); the sequencing of
skill acquisition does not include unsafe practices (example - heading
a soccer ball at very young age); there are established routines for
examining the environment for injury prevention.
Kids feel good about themselves – self esteem, self efficacy; good
opinions and/or complimentary comments are expressed when
describing/seeing overall program; program is accepted by others
(peers, families, coaches, etc.); skill progressions and practices are
conducted in an environment prepared/arranged for success.
Physically
Emotionally

7. Proper placement of child in
a program or league
1. Recreation vs. Elite Club
2. Playing up in age
3. Girls playing with boys;
boys playing with girls
4. Playing time

8. Specialization
1. At what age
2. At what level
Possible solution – playing
multiple or all positions
until age 13 or 14

9. Playing multiple sports
Generalization of skills, cross training,
development of different skill sets, development
of different muscle groups, etc.
Time commitment (over scheduling), burnout,
“jack of all trades and master of none”
syndrome, etc.
Pro
Con

10. Promotion of Fitness and
Life Long Leisure Skills

11. Professional Sport may be
incompatible with good health
1. Sedentary spectator behavior in stadium and in front of
television – “couch potato”
2. Increased ingestion of food – high in fat (spectator)
3. Increased ingestion of alcohol (spectator)
4. Violence in Pro Sports
5. Professional athletes as improper role models

12. The reality of competing and
making teams at higher levels
1. High School Varsity
2. College Varsity (less than 3% of all who play sport)
3. College Scholarships (less than 1% of all who play sport)
4. Professional, National Teams & Olympics (less than .1% of all
who play sport)

13. Percent High
School to NCAA
3.3%
3.7%
6.5%
6.8%
11.3%
5.7%
Percent NCAA
to Professional
1.2%
0.9%
1.6%
9.4%
0.8%
1.9%
Percent High School
to Professional
0.03%
0.03%
0.08%
0.50%
0.07%
0.09%
Student Athletes
Men's Basketball
Women's Basketball
Football
Baseball
Men's Ice Hockey
Men's Soccer

14. Women’s College Volleyball in the US
NCAA Divisions: I (311), II (260), III (406) Total NCAA: 977
NAIA (fifty states & BC): 257 schools
NCCAA: 60+
Community College: 380+
Grand Total: 1674+

15. Obtain a copy of the NCAA
publication – “Guide for the College-
Bound Student-Athlete”
– download a PDF file on www.ncaa.org

16. Out of the millions of kids that play
age group/high school sports only
3% will participate on a college
varsity sports team, only 1% will
receive any type of college athletic
scholarship

18. Head count versus equivalency
scholarship
Sport at the highest levels is a
“meritocracy”

19. The coach’s “recruiting game”
A school may be in contact with as many as 250-350 players
40-50 seriously (notes & letters, one call per week, etc.)
6 to 12 all out
top 3-4 they will ask for early commitments
36 to 48 scholarships for all of the PAC-12 for each year

20. You must be proactive
Do your research
Visit college campuses
Write preliminary letters
Prepare and send skills video
Follow-up letters, telephone calls, and e-mails
Find out where you are in the coach’s pecking order (which tier,
which # scholarship)
For Division I and II schools get an exact offer verbally – how much
$ and what will it cover – tuition, room & board, fees, books, etc.

21. Write or call schools
The better you do academically the more
choices you will have!
During your freshman and sophomore years – request a
school bulletin and information about the sport that you
are interested in.
Determine the academic requirements of the schools you are
interested in and the academic requirements for the NCAA (GPA
& SAT or ACT Qualifier Index and 13 core course requirements).

22. If you intend to participate in NCAA Division I
or II athletics as a freshman, you must register
and be certified by the NCAA Initial-Eligibility
Clearinghouse. Your school counselors can obtain
registration materials, at no cost.
Register

23. at the start of your sophomore year
write letters directly to college coaches.
Give the coaches your sports bio and
academic record. Inform them of the
games/matches/tournaments that you
will be playing in (post card!)
Get your name out there

24. Meeting with coach/coaching staff –
let your child lead the discussion…
What do you know about the head coach?
The coaching staff?

25. Ask the schools if you may
contact former and current
players and/or parents.

26. Would you attend this school even if
you had a career ending injury and
could not play?

27. Your top five choices – you can add and
drop as you go along
Rule of 5

28. Academic interests
Campus/facilities
Family/friends/significant other enrolled
Geography (close to home, out of state, etc.)
Level of volleyball (Pac12, Division I, Division II, etc.)
Personnel (coaches, teammates, advisors, etc.)
Preparation for future (professional/national player, internships, job networking)
Program history (NCAA championships, conference titles, etc.)
Role on team (playing time, position, etc.)
Sand team
Scholarship/financial aid
Size of school (big "football school, small and intimate, etc.)
Weather
Rank
Most Important: 1
Least Important: 12
Give a rating for each school in each category
OregonState


Rank order of your priorities, listed with
all of your school choices

29. Division III Institutions
“Life Long Leisure Skills”
Intramurals and Club sports.

30. Questions?

31. Please visit the website bellow to review this presentation as well as other coaching
and athletic resources I have prepared for you.
Continuing Education
Drills, tactics, techniques, philosophies, fitness tips, nutritional advice, mental training – it’s all
here at TheArtofCoachingVolleyball.com - all taken from the valuable input of numerous
coaches across the country who have mentored players at every level and every age.
www.theartofcoachingvolleyball.com/terry-calgary-jan2017