An Essential Book for New and Experienced Coaches Across the country millions of children from kindergarten through high school participate in organized athletics. Whether in a school system, a local league, or through a national or regional organization, all of these sports programs require adult coaches, most of whom are parent volunteers or classroom teachers with little formal experience in coaching. Given the high stakes placed on athletic performance, a coach's role in the development of a child's sports-life is under more scrutiny than ever before. But for new coaches or those wishing to improve their coaching abilities there are few resources available that explain the fundamental techniques and key principles to success in the profession. In Effective Coaching: Teaching Young People Sports and Sportsmanship, Pat Cassidy offers guidelines, examples, and tips for coaches of all levels and of all sports to improve their communication skills with athletes and parents and to better understand their role as mentors in young people's lives.
Believing that athletic competition is primarily a tool for helping to develop the character of young people, Cassidy explains from his personal experiences and observations of great coaches the essential methods of teaching sports and getting young people to understand the role of sports in their lives.