For Love of the Game

Today's Blog was written by Ted Williams.  Ted is a senior Civil Engineering major at the University of Notre Dame and a student in the Social Foundations of Coaching course taught by Play Like a Champion Founder and Director Professor Clark Power and Program Director Kristin Sheehan.  Ted is also a Senior Football Equipment Manager for the Notre Dame Football Team.

I would like to highlight the issue of burning athletes out of the sports they love. This is often the result of the extremely competitive culture that can be found in all levels of sports. Today, young athletes are frequently required to attend early morning off-season workouts, adhere to strict diets, specialize in one sport, have a personal coach and travel, all around the significant distances to compete. These demands have become commonplace in the sports world, because failure to meet these demands will result in less playing time, which can decrease the desire for kids to continue playing.  All of these reasons and many more have taken the fun out of sports for young athletes. Without the “fun” aspect, sports become a burden and make young athletes feel like they are all work and no play.

I feel that coaches need to focus on developing their players and be concerned about the player’s overall enjoyment of the sport. This is critical of high school and youth sport coaches. I know this from personal experience, as I work as an equipment manager for the University of Notre Dame Football Team. This job allows me to see the attitudes and mindset of college athletes on a daily basis. Players sometimes complain that football has isn't fun any longer, and they wish they could return to their high school playing days. However, I also see the techniques the coaching staff uses to combat this mindset. The coaches often schedule fun activities or events that help promote team chemistry and bonding. Some examples of this include golf outings, team dinners, and periods of practice where the players can listen to music and even dance. All of these efforts are attempts to lighten the mood in an otherwise intense atmosphere.

My advice to high school and youth coaches would be to devote time during each practice to a activity that has nothing to do with the sport the kids are playing. This will allow your players to get outside of the constant pressure of their sport. This will also be beneficial for your team because they will bond and form relationships as a result of these activities. My high school coach started every practice with a joke; the jokes usually weren't very good, but it was a fun way to start a tough workout. Anything a coach can do to make his or her players feel more at ease is heading in the right direction. The main point I would like to emphasize is that the amount of enjoyment a player has is far more important that wins and loses or anything else. Playing "for love of the game" is a right that every kids should have, and it's up to coaches and parents to ensure this happens.