How To Facilitate

At Practice (Coach)

Plan to dedicate the first 5-10 minutes of your practice to Team First.

Each lesson begins with a demonstration or activity that will be used to help support the weekly topic.

Follow the demonstration/activity with a conversation. Ask questions and encourage player participation. There are no wrong answers, but a general idea is provided for each listed question, in case you need to help steer the team in the desired direction.

End the conversation with the provided "Key Points." This is a wrap-up of the lesson and provides the "take-away."

"The Ride Home" (Parent)

In the eyes of a youth athlete, the ride home is often times the most dreaded 10 minutes of their day. These 10 minutes can easily change the mood, leaving the field where they were having fun playing a game, to being subjected to an unwanted game of 20 Questions. While parents may not intend to criticize, "Why did you" and "You should" questions and statements often may interpreted as such.

The concept of the "Ride Home" is for parents to instead compliment their ballplayer on something they did well and focus the conversation on reinforcing the Team First topic.

A list of conversation-starting questions are provided. Coaches are encouraged to send these questions via email or web link to parents prior to practice.

Parents' roles in this program is VITAL. They are encouraged to be involved!

Team First Rewards

Team First rewards may be distributed at the coaches' discretion. The only rule should be that they are to be awarded to players for demonstrating "Team First" behaviors, rather than superior athletic performance. When awarding players, always praise the player and identify the specific behavior that was noticed. Team First rewards have included everything from helmet stickers and game balls, to being named as this weekly holder of the championship belt or "gold" team first chains/necklaces.

Ideas for distribution include, but are not limited to:

Coaches may identify players whose actions have embodied "Team First."

Naming a parent volunteer the Team First observer, allowing coaches to focus on game/practice management. Parent may be rotated.

Allow players to pick the recipient during a post-game huddle. Ask them which player/s demonstrated "Team First" behaviors, and identify those behaviors.