12.12.2014 - By Craig Haworth: Youth Sports Coaching Strategist and Podcaster
What does it take to be a winning youth coach? Listen in as Coach Robert Taylor shares coaching stories and discusses his journey to becoming a successful coach.
Coach Taylor runs Smarter Team Training, which is involved with equipping and training athletes all over the world - his clients include Super Bowl champions, World Series champions, and players who have been drafted #1 in the NBA draft. Coach is married and just had his first daughter.
Website: smarterteamtraining.com
STT Podcast: Coach Taylor hosts a radio show on iTunes and iHeart Radio - Half hour released every Sunday - interviewing coaches and athletes around the world - Join the 37,000 subscribers listening to over 280 episodes - STTpodcast.com
Twitter: @SMARTERTeam
Facebook: /smarterteamtraining
Listen Now:
Listen in ITunes: Itunes link
Listen in Stitcher: Stitcher link
Coaching/Leadership Quote
'At the youth level of sports - you don't want more reps- you want better reps.'
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My ‘Cringe’ Moment
One thing they don't teach you in college is how to value and develop relationships - with the athletes, the parents, your coaches
My ‘Ah-Ha Moment’
Stop chasing the word success and start chasing the word impact
Teaching Children & Keeping it Fun
Keep it fun!
Don't expect perfection - instead enjoy the process of incremental improvements
Have very few rules
'We don't do 10 reps. We do one perfect rep ten times'
HUGE IDEA #1 - 'At the youth level of sports - you don't want more reps- you want better reps.' More leads to drudgery and hating the sport. Better leads to excitement and loving the sport.
Best Stolen Idea/Advice from another Coach
Praise in public. If needed criticize in private.
Discipline
Have the kids take a picture of their bed made in the morning and send it to one of the coaches - 'You can't start the day undisciplined then expect to be disciplined the rest of the day'
Coach doesn't like making them run as a punishment - we want them to love exercise and running - so don't use it as a punishment. 'If they miss a layup - don't have them run - have them practice layups!'
Reward and Recognition
Count high-fives during a practice. Then try to beat that number in a future practice.
At the end of practice - have players say something positive about a teammate.
Spend one practice evaluating players' GPA - Good Positive Attitude. Are they giving a high-five coming off the field; are they picking up a teammate's water bottle, etc. If there's a bunch of 4.0's - the team spirit is good, if not - think of ways to recognize those who have the best GPA to encourage the whole team to raise the GPA level.
Mental Edge
HUGE IDEA #2 - How do you de-emphasize the importance of the moment? One method is a trigger mechanism - something you have practiced and evaluated what works with each individual - something to get the player to smile and realize it's just a game. Maybe it's slapping your leg. Maybe it's a teammate saying 'Spongebob is ugly', etc. But you have to practice putting kids in those situations during practice!
The One that Got Away
Coach Taylor believes in living/playing present - so doesn't get caught up in reliving wins and losses in the past.
Favorite Quote/Book
Books: 'The Hinge- the importance of Mental Toughness' by Dr. Rob Bell; 'The Talent Code' by Daniel Coyle; 'Lead for God's Sake' by Todd Gongwer; 'The Sports Gene - Inside the Science of Extraordinary Athletic Performance' by David Epstein
Authors: Brian Cain, Graham Betchart