by Rob Herringer, EAA Assistant Executive Director and Director of Soccer

After a two-year hiatus, I was thrust back into a head coaching position when one of our talented Nebraska Roots coaches, Jon Shaad, accepted a job at the University of New Hampshire, less than a week before tryouts. We are very excited for Shaad as he embarks on his new adventure in NCAA Division I Men’s Soccer, at a Top 25 program nonetheless, but this unexpected move definitely put us in a bind. There wasn’t enough time to conduct a search for a suitable replacement, and we didn’t have any coaches on staff who had the capacity to take on another Select team. I had no choice but to dust off my rusty whistle one more time.

I was not ready. In an instant I had a massive responsibility on my hands. Despite over 20 years of coaching experience, I spent the last two years in mostly an administrative role, occasionally conducting training sessions and managing games for our Select soccer teams. It was safe to say I was not as sharp as I needed to be, especially for a 19U team. Aside from the on-field concerns, I had to adjust my entire personal and professional calendar, which included navigating my son’s schedule and delicately rescheduling plans with my wife. In addition, I had to replenish my coaching equipment, design a team plan for the year and, most importantly, open my mind and heart to coaching a team of young men. There was a lot to do in a very short period of time.

Many youth sport coaches who have unexpectedly been asked or “voluntold” to take on a team can probably relate to my situation, so I have compiled a set of seven priorities for coaching youth sports, regardless of the age of your athletes or division of your team. Just like those Apple Music “essential playlists” on your iPhone, or maybe those smoking hot mixtapes from the late 80’s and early 90’s stashed in a Dr. Martens shoe box in your basement, keep these tips close at hand and in your heart when taking on the great responsibility of coaching a youth sports team.

TRACK 1: ORGANIZATION

Based on my experience, about 51% of any coaching position comes down to organization. Those who fail to plan and take care of administrative aspects of the job usually struggle to have a positive experience with their teams. Lack of organization leads to unhappy parents, undisciplined athletes and sloppy team play. This inevitably leads to frustration and a lack of enjoyment from all involved with the team.

The first step for any coach, regardless of their age and experience, should be to review club standards and expectations. They should also read all league and tournament rules. In addition, they should complete the necessary risk management certifications required by the club, state and national governing bodies. These things should be taken care of before tackling any other work with the team.

Next, it is important to put together a team plan that includes training and game schedules along with other essential information. Getting a team plan out to families as far in advance as possible allows parents to plan their lives and the schedules of their other children. This also helps increase the chances of getting all athletes to your events and prevents some parents from being in tough situations where they have to choose between activities. The best way to deliver this team plan is at a pre-season meeting with parents and athletes.

The administrative side of a coaching position should not be neglected, even though it is never as fun as what is done in the performance environment. Coaches should assess their strengths and weaknesses when it comes to these administrative duties and seek help from directors, colleagues or family members if necessary. Many teams utilize a “team manager,” oftentimes a parent of a child on the team, who helps with keeping the team organized. Recruiting a team manager should be considered if organization is not and may never be in a coach’s skill set.

Supporting Materials: The EAA Way- All Sports; EAA Athlete/Parent Handbook; Sample Team Plan

TRACK 2: CONSISTENT COMMUNICATION

Consistent communication with parents is critical to the overall success of a coach. Coaches should communicate with families on a weekly basis, and the easiest way to do this is through email or a team management app such as TeamSnap, SportsEngine or Demosphere. Weekly communication should include, but does not have to be limited to, the schedule for the week, what the team has been working on in training and the “game goals” that family members and fans should look and cheer for at the next game. Something to keep in mind is families are used to receiving regular communication from school. The communication with your team should be similar. This regular communication allows everyone to stay on the same page and provides family members with information they need to support the coach and what they are teaching at home, in the car and in the bleachers.

Having athletes communicate with coaches is also very important for creating healthy learning environments and fostering holistic development. Kids are oftentimes reluctant to tell the whole truth when speaking directly to adults, and 1:1 electronic communications between coach and athlete are not appropriate. Therefore, in order to give athletes an open line of communication with the coach, we have recently developed and implemented an Athlete Wellness Check. These check-ups, which can be collected on a weekly basis, provide coaches with valuable information on how athletes are doing physically, emotionally and mentally. The Wellness Checks have been used by several of our Select soccer teams over the last year, and all coaches who have used them agree they provide information that they normally would not get from athletes in a 1:1 conversation. Athletes are more willing to share information about themselves using the Wellness Checks, and coaches can follow-up with athletes at the next event and modify plans for practice or games if necessary.

Coaches should not underestimate the power of consistent communication. This is crucial for creating positive learning environments and for the holistic development of every athlete.

Supporting Materials: Guide to Weekly Emails to Families; EAA Athlete Wellness Check

TRACK 3: CREATING MEANINGFUL TRAINING ENVIRONMENTS

Making every minute count with your athletes and conducting meaningful training sessions is essential for the enjoyment and development of young athletes. The time spent with athletes in training is usually very limited, oftentimes only one-two times per week, so coaches need to make sure these opportunities are of the highest quality. We encourage all coaches at EAA to follow the “Five Elements of a Training Session,” which are: organization, game-like activities, repetition, challenge and coaching. These are described in more detail in the supporting materials below.

In his book, The Coach’s Guide to Teaching, Doug Lemov, American author, educator and expert on best practices for teaching and learning, states: “In any learning environment, some people develop faster and some people develop slower. One major factor in the rates at which people learn is their ability to sustain concentration and focus.” Taking the time to plan training sessions and always account for the “Five Elements of a Training Session” helps coaches stay organized and keep their athletes focused. These session plans do not have to be ultra-techy or much more than just your own chicken-scratched ideas, but coaches should always have a written plan. And although nothing in youth sports ever goes as planned, an organized coach is normally a successful one. Review Track 1!

Supporting Materials: EAA Guide to Meaningful Training Sessions; EAA Coaching Strategies for Holistic Development; Sample Training Session ; Sample Training Session; The Coach’s Guide to Teaching

TRACK 4: MANAGING GAME DAY

Game day is exciting for everyone involved with the team, but it can be very stressful for coaches. It’s important for coaches to prepare for games and have a plan for warm-ups, in-game coaching (including substitutions), halftime (if applicable) and post-game procedures. This also goes back to what was described in Track 1.

Another task that is oftentimes omitted is engaging athletes who are not in the game. This could include having them help keep track of game goals on a small whiteboard. At the very least coaches should be speaking to athletes and providing them with guided questions in order to help them stay focused on the game.

It is also a good idea to take notes during the game in order to compile comments for halftime or breaks. These notes should also be used for reflection and planning for training the following week. Coaches should spend less time stalking the sidelines and yelling at their athletes and/or officials, and dedicate more time to taking notes and being more “economic” with what they say during live play. In other words, yell less and write more!

Supporting Materials: Sample Game Plan

TRACK 5: GIVING AND RECEIVING FEEDBACK

An often neglected aspect of coaching is providing athletes with feedback. The coach should make a real effort to connect with each athlete in a meaningful way and frequently provide them with two or three “glows and grows,” highlighting what they are doing well and giving specific information on how to improve. Connecting with every athlete and providing them with feedback can be difficult, but it is absolutely necessary for learning and development. It is important to also keep in mind that quick feedback is usually the most effective. Most coaches provide feedback in the middle or end of a season, but feedback should be provided as soon after events as possible, and it needs to be provided regularly over the course of a season.

The coach should also have methods in place for receiving feedback. This can easily be done through peer or director observations. Having a trusted peer or colleague provide feedback can be extremely powerful and have a dramatic impact on a coach’s development. Choosing the right people to provide observations and feedback is critical. It is important to select people who will provide honest feedback. They should also be capable of providing suggestions on how to improve.

Supporting Materials: Sample Athlete Progress Report; EAA Coaching Progress Report

TRACK 6: REFLECTION

During a fast-paced season, taking the time to properly reflect on events and ultimately learn from them often gets lost amongst the other tasks that can pile up. Taking time to review what went well, what didn’t go well and what you would do differently next time is extremely valuable for personal and team development. This does not need to take a lot of time. Taking 10-15 minutes after every event is a great place to start, and I encourage coaches to keep a journal of some kind, as the notes can help with planning for future events.

The best way to help with reflection is to film training sessions. This may not be possible due to time and resources, but the information gained from watching video of yourself and your team is the most effective way to learn from an event. EAA has partnered with Hudl to provide this resource for our coaches, particularly in Select sports, but a simple iPhone or iPad can do the trick as well.

Regardless of your chosen method for reflection, taking time to do this is crucial to growth and development.

TRACK 7: ENJOYMENT

Despite all of the responsibilities and amount of work, coaching should be fun! If coaching feels more like a burden than something that brings joy to your life, then please don’t agree to take a team. Coaching kids should be challenging and enjoyable. Always keep in mind your attitude and demeanor is contagious, and young athletes will feed off of the positive or negative vibes you put out.

It’s also important to mention that coaches should never take themselves too seriously. Unfortunately, this is oftentimes a problem in youth sports, and EAA coaches should be setting the example for all others when it comes to treating everyone involved in our sports with kindness and respect. If coaches are getting in arguments and altercations with officials, adults or athletes, they should not be coaching. Full stop.

Supporting Materials: Culture of Success at EAA; Culture Code; Fun Maps; What our players expect from their coaches

EPILOGUE

Clearly, coaching the right way is a serious commitment that requires a tremendous amount of time and effort. The rewards are endless, however. Having a positive impact on children’s lives should never be underestimated. All of the work good coaches put into working with young people can ultimately create ripples that can last a lifetime. Coaches have the power to be positive guides on children’s journeys to their dreams. This responsibility should never be taken lightly.

Coaching is a craft, not a science. The craft is different for everyone depending on their personality, skill set and appetite for continuing education. Good coaching comes in many forms, but in the end, good coaching will always embrace the seven aspects described in this article. Yes, coaches can be amazing in the performance environment, running training sessions and making in-game decisions that blow players’ and parents’ minds. But if they do not pay attention to the most important aspects of the coaching job, they will always fail their athletes. Their talent in the performance environment will only take them so far.

ENCORE

If I remember correctly, I bought the Beastie Boys’ Licensed to Ill cassette in about 1987. I was in fourth grade at the time, and I picked it up with my own money at the Shopko in Bellevue. It was the first album I ever bought, and to this day I have no idea how I slipped that purchase past my mom. The material on that tape is not appropriate for a nine-year-old, but I didn’t understand what it all meant. I just wanted to fight for my right to party!

After a few listens on the family boom box, I started memorizing the lyrics to every song; “Paul Revere” was one of them. I listened to the entire album countless times, but I eventually moved on to other artists. Over the years I kind of forgot about “Paul Revere,” but I was reminded of how much I enjoyed it when in ninth grade the upperclassmen on my high school soccer team played it in the car to and from training. It became sort of an anthem for our team that season. We would each take parts- MCA, Ad-Rock, Mike D. If there were four in the car then, well, someone was left to attempt a beatbox or just sit that play out. Thankfully, the lyrics were etched in my brain, so I always got a part. To this day when I hear the song, I sing along and reminisce about one of the best sports seasons of my life.

Why is this story relevant for this article? One day the young athletes you have worked with will have their own children, and they may find themselves watching them compete on a similar field, court or mat. The memories of their own sports experiences will likely come flooding back to them at some point, just like those lyrics to “Paul Revere” do for me. Will those memories bring them joy and remind them of all of the great times they spent with you like my ninth grade soccer season at Bellevue East? Or will it be like the first time I heard Milli Vanilli? The choice is yours.

by Rob Herringer, EAA Assistant Executive Director and Director of Soccer

Someday, everything is gonna be diff’rent

When I paint my masterpiece

Like most “seasoned” coaches, I have been developing a philosophy over the years based on my education, experience and beliefs. This philosophy consists of principles I feel are essential for holistic development- many of these have been highlighted in past issues of Beyond the Bench. Due to my career path, and having the opportunity to work with athletes of all ages in a variety of settings, I have been able to craft this philosophy over the last 22 years. There have been countless revisions throughout my journey, and due to my commitment to continuing education and inability to find satisfaction with anything I write, I have finally come to the realization there will never be a finished masterpiece. But my desire to make a difference and have a positive impact on EAA and the entire youth sports community remains as strong as ever, so I have no choice but to keep painting and encourage others with a similar passion to do the same.

One principle I have is adults should not overemphasize winning when working with athletes 4U-14U. Indeed, winning usually makes any activity more enjoyable. Winning makes people feel good about themselves, their teams and their coaches. The drive home is always better after a win, and the ice cream somehow tastes better too. Even Shakespeare wrote in Henry IV, Part 1 (1597): "To winners, nothing seems unpleasant." Since it seems the majority of humans prefer winning to losing, and evidently have for more than 400 years, youth coaches do not need to pressure young athletes to win.

Unfortunately, I frequently observe youth coaches placing far too much emphasis on winning, even in recreational programs at the youngest ages. Their team tactics are designed to win rather than develop each athlete. They withhold playing time from those who are less talented, and they do not allow athletes to learn how to play multiple positions. It is incredibly easy to identify coaches who are more interested in winning than developing athletes to their full potential. Some coaches believe their winning record and domination of opponents are the best ways to determine their success and coaching prowess, and this leads to their poor decisions. It becomes more about their ego than the holistic development of the children who have been placed in their care.

Instead of focusing on results, coaches at the youth level should concentrate their efforts on teaching skill acquisition, decision-making and tactics that allow the team to compete and be as successful as possible, while also teaching life skills such as communication (with peers and adults), teamwork and sportsmanship. Winning becomes a natural byproduct of excellent learning environments that teach individual development and teamwork. If the coaching methods being deployed help athletes improve mentally, physically and emotionally, then the team will also improve, and the wins will eventually take care of themselves.

In his book, More Than Winning, the great Tom Osborne provides insight on how he defined success for his program:

I’ve gotten away from measuring success in terms of wins and losses. It’s a mistake those of us in coaching too often make when we define a good season as winning a certain number of games or a championship…Therefore, it’s made sense to me to measure success more in terms of how closely a team has come to realizing its potential. As a result, I’ve never talked to a team about setting a goal of winning a particular football game but of getting into position to win the game. The important thing is to play the best we are able to play…Success, as far as I’m concerned, cannot be measured in terms of wins. It’s more than winning. It’s how close we’re coming to playing as well as we can. By this measure it’s possible for more people to feel good about themselves as athletes and coaches. They can see a realistic standard and some progress.

If Tom Osborne could take this approach when coaching one of the most successful collegiate football programs in the country, then we can certainly do it when coaching children!

Most adults understand and appreciate that success can be defined in many ways. Although consistently winning competitions and collecting championships are the easiest ways to measure success, winning should not be the only way to evaluate whether or not a youth athletic program is successful. What really matters are the life lessons children learn through participating in sports and the relationships formed with their teammates and coaches. Stop for a moment and try to remember the number of competitions you won in second grade. How many medals and trophies did you win prior to high school? My guess is you do not know, and at your stage in life you no longer care. Where are those medals and trophies now? What you learned through participating in sports, from your coaches, teammates and family, is far more valuable than any medals and trophies you may have received. More importantly, the knowledge gained through these experiences has shaped you into the person you are today. Therefore, it is important to find other more meaningful methods to determine individual and team success at the youth level.

Using traditional and innovative techniques, coaches can measure individual and team improvement by tracking various data points over the course of a season or entire year. Compiling team data over the course of a season is something I have personally put into practice, most recently with a team that struggled for more than a year to win a soccer game. In order to prove to our athletes and parents that we were improving despite the team’s record, I started having a parent keep track of some statistics during games. These were not the typical statistics one sees in box scores (shots, goals, assists), but data points such as number of times we successfully entered into the opponent’s defensive third of the field, the number of balls we crossed into the opponent’s penalty area and the number of times we won the ball back in the attacking half of the field. On a weekly basis, and particularly at the end of the season, I shared these statistics with the athletes and families. It painted a clear picture that we were improving in the areas we were working on in training, regardless of the results on gameday.

A similar method for creating standards and measuring progress is the use of specific “game goals” for individual athletes and teams. These goals, which should connect to what the team has been working on in training, serve as targets to reach each game. Some basic examples of individual or team game goals are the number of fly balls caught in a game, number of steals in a half or passes caught in a quarter. Again, these game goals should be connected to what the team and/or athlete has been working on in training, and the coach should share these game goals with the parents prior to games so they know what to look for and encourage during live play. Educating parents on game goals can prevent them from doing their own coaching from the bleachers, which can oftentimes contradict what the coach has been teaching the athletes during training.

An innovative resource we recently started using for analysis and tracking progress in the Select soccer program is Hudl. The ability to capture film and share clips and timely feedback using video analysis has been incredibly useful for showing individual and team progress. In addition, “Hudl Assist” breaks down each game into a variety of measurables and tracks countless statistics for each game and over the entire season. This tool has opened the door to countless ways to measure and define success for our athletes and teams. Setting specific targets and measuring progress using a variety of data points is certainly the wave of the future for holistic development of young athletes.

Defining, measuring and effectively communicating progress can be done in so many meaningful ways aside from team records and the amount of hardware collected. Yes, winning makes sports more fun, and everyone likes to win, but those of us involved in youth athletics owe it to our children to do more and be better.

The timeless Bob Dylan lyrics that kicked this article off have been on repeat inside my head for quite some time. Each article my colleagues and I craft for Beyond the Bench connects to my philosophy and that of EAA, so each piece we release is like unveiling another section of a work of art- our “masterpiece.” This article, and all of the research and collaboration that has been poured into it, has allowed me to explore a very important piece of our coaching philosophy. I hope it has a positive impact on our members and helps us continue to define our work within the club. It’s one thing to get our philosophy in a document and share it with our members. It’s quite another to have all of our members own it and live it each and every day. It can be quite exhausting trying to get everyone singing from the same sheet of lyrics. Yes, “it sure has been a long, hard climb” but, without a doubt, the research, development and implementation of best practices for holistic development of athletes has and will continue to be worth every ounce of time and effort.

The EAA Culture of Success

The following statement was recently developed through collaboration with various members of the EAA community- coaches, parents, board members and office staff. Together, this group has defined success at EAA, and we look forward to improving this statement with our members over time.

The culture at EAA is built on our core values of: integrity, respect, commitment, discovery and inclusion. EAA athletes and teams should always aim to compete and win, but our goals for the holistic development of young athletes reach far beyond results. We are successful when we maximize athlete, coach and team growth and development. We are also successful when we help provide our athletes with strong roots as they grow into adulthood. When this culture spreads through our teams and entire club, the individual and team results will ultimately take care of themselves, and our time at EAA will have a meaningful impact on the lives of our athletes, members and community.

An excerpt from The EAA Way
Ethics with regard to coaching for “process” versus “product”: Coaches who place the outcome of games ahead of the ongoing needs of the participants are being unethical.

The primary reasons children play sports are to participate and learn new skills, to be with friends, compete with and against others and to have fun. They enjoy learning from new experiences and, as time goes on, from direct instruction. They do not like being scolded or abused for making mistakes, and they would rather play in a losing effort than sit on the bench during a victory. They would also rather play in a close game than in a blowout. Very young children rationalize winning and losing to working hard. Older children equate winning and losing with their skills and abilities, directly influencing their self-confidence. Care must be taken to allow players between the ages of four and fourteen the opportunity to become skillful and game savvy by focusing on their long-term development rather than their win-loss record.

Supporting articles

Why Does My Kid Have To Win All The Time?

Why Competition Is Good For Kids (and How To Keep It That Way)

When Kids Start Playing To Win

Special thanks to Chris Ayer, Head Women's Soccer Coach at Lander University, for providing input on this article.

By Rob Herringer and Marissa Ringblom
This article was published in Performance Soccer Conditioning

PSC: What are the most obvious coaching strategies and how can you put them into priorities based on the constraints of time faced in coaching?

RH: Although we believe all of the holistic coaching strategies we have compiled are essential to our work with young athletes, the strategies we want our coaches to use in the performance environment take priority because the vast majority of time coaches spend with athletes is during training and competition. The strategies we want our coaches to use outside of the performance environment are also vital to our curriculum, but those activities do not take place as frequently.

PSC: What are positive performance indicators to look for on an individual and a team basis that reinforce that your strategies are working?

RH: If we are properly implementing our coaching strategies for holistic development, then our work should be seen and felt throughout the club. Our efforts should be evident in our “visual cultural standards”- the impression one gets when watching our coaches and athletes in and outside of the performance environment. Indicators or what we consider “measurables” include but are not limited to: attendance, participation in questioning and team-building activities, number of instances of unsportsmanlike behavior (yellow/red cards, technical fouls/penalties, etc.) and retention. Other indicators that are difficult to measure but paint a clear picture of the culture we are creating within our programs are: energy, attitude, positive communication (verbal and non-verbal) and positive interactions with teammates, coaches, opponents and officials.

In addition, a key indicator that is often overlooked but is extremely important to highlight is the presence of fun throughout our culture. Dr. Amanda Visek published an incredible study, The Fun Integration Theory: Towards Sustaining Children and Adolescents Sport Participation, that explores the aspects of sport programs that make them fun and keep young athletes participating for multiple seasons. According to Dr. Visek, children identify “fun” as the primary reason for participating in organized sports and its absence as the number one reason for not continuing. More specifically, her research revealed the top three “fun determinants” or aspects of sports programs that promote a culture of fun without sacrificing individual and team achievement- they are “being a good sport”, “trying hard” and “positive coaching.” We have used Dr. Visek’s research in a variety of ways in order to reinforce the need to create environments of “serious fun.” This means we aim to consistently provide organization, focus and attention to detail in the performance environment, while always making sure our athletes are enjoying themselves during their time with us.

PSC: What influence do parents have on your holistic strategies?

RH: Parents have a massive influence on the impact of our holistic coaching strategies, as they are the extensions of the coach at home and can help reinforce what we are teaching. In turn, coaches must support the parents with what they are doing to raise their children. Therefore, it is extremely important for coaches and parents to establish a meaningful partnership.

The overwhelming majority of parents only want the best for their children and prefer to take an active, supportive role in working with those who impact their development. Unfortunately, coaches can occasionally see parents as the enemy because some can be overbearing, critical and detrimental to the athletic development of their children. Coaches must take the time to build a strong partnership with parents so all children acquire the tools they need to reach their full potential as people and athletes. Establishing this partnership between parents and coaches is critical for individual and team success, so parents should always be treated as allies rather than enemies.

It is also important to note coaches must deliver consistent communication in order to keep everyone on the same page. Weekly communication during the season is preferred, and this frequency of communication is similar to what parents are used to receiving from teachers and school administrators. Regular communication is essential for keeping parents informed about the schedule for each week, what the team has been working on in training and what the goals are for the next game/competition. It also helps to facilitate communication between parents and children, as information from the coach can spark healthy conversations at home. Keeping parents in the information loop is one of the best ways to establish and maintain a positive working partnership.

PSC: If the athlete is multi-sport is there a way you can share your strategies with other coaches?

RH: Our Coaching Strategies for Holistic Development resource has been compiled primarily with input from our Select soccer coaches, but coaches and directors across all eight of our sports have been and will continue to be given the opportunity to contribute to this resource. We consider this a “living document” that we will consistently review and attempt to improve. This resource is part of The EAA Way, our coaches guide for holistic development, and we consistently reinforce The EAA Way in every coaching resource we produce and clinic we conduct. We also reinforce our holistic coaching strategies through our sport-specific coaching handbooks, Beyond the Bench Coaching Journal and when providing coaches with feedback following observations.

PSC: What are key elements of properly reading athlete feedback and how do you determine/rank their importance based on the "makeup" of the athlete?

RH: It is essential for our coaches to receive feedback from our athletes, whether it is concerning their coaching or how players are feeling about their own development and overall experience. Coaches normally do not create enough opportunities to receive feedback, especially from their athletes, but feedback is extremely valuable for their growth and development.

We have recently introduced two new resources to assist our coaches with receiving meaningful feedback from our athletes- the Coaching Progress Report and Athlete Wellness Check. Additionally, Select coaches are expected to conduct player progress meetings (virtual or in-person) with athletes and their parents, along with routine 1 on 1 conversations that can take place before and after training and games/competitions. We cannot overlook the power of 1 on 1 in-person interactions between coaches and athletes. If coaches can establish positive relationships with their athletes, they are more likely to receive honest and regular feedback from them.

We believe all areas covered in our resources for athlete feedback are equally important. We have discovered that in order to receive this feedback in a timely manner it is important to keep them as concise and user-friendly as possible. We also believe it is important to provide athletes the opportunity to expand on topics if they feel it is important for coaches to know more about any situations they are dealing with, so giving them the space to write is essential to receiving meaningful feedback.

*View the entire article HERE

By Rob Herringer and Marissa Ringblom
This article was published in Performance Soccer Conditioning

“Nearly every club, ours included, talks about improving more than just the athlete but also the person. I think our coaching staff does that...but I don't think we have a specific and consistent way we do it as a collective. I think it could be a key differentiator if we could articulate that to our members.”

Recently, Carrie Adams, one of our longest tenured soccer coaches, provided our leadership team with this feedback when completing a questionnaire concerning the improvement of our club-wide “Coaches Culture Code,” a shared code of conduct for coaches across all eight sports (addressed in the last issue of BtB and in the archive). This honest and meaningful response gave us pause to reflect and triggered us to commit a significant amount of time to defining what “holistic development” really means to us at the Elkhorn Athletic Association (EAA).

Our club mission states: “We encourage and support the holistic development of every child, teach leadership and other essential skills, and inspire our athletes to seek excellence in all aspects of their lives.” But, as Coach Carrie so accurately pointed out, nearly every youth sports organization says they provide holistic development, but few invest in actually doing it. As an organization truly dedicated to developing children as people and athletes, and upon reflection on how we conduct our programs, we realized we have not invested enough time researching, designing and implementing best practices for developing the whole person, not just the athlete.

Although we are very early in the process of designing and implementing a comprehensive plan for holistic development, the areas we have chosen to concentrate on are:

• Cognitive: Problem-solving, decision-making, perception, working memory, long-term memory, concentration

• Physical: Sport-specific skill acquisition, speed, strength, fitness, agility, balance, coordination, mobility, flexibility, diet, nutrition, hydration, sleep, recovery

• Social: Collaboration, communicating effectively with adults and peers, being a good teammate (words and actions used when treating others with kindness, respect, support and positivity), developing relationships

• Emotional: Building self-awareness and confidence, managing impulses, staying motivated, learning how to be “mentally tough” and handling adversity

The next step we have taken is to create strategies for our coaches to use during their time with our athletes. Teaching fundamentals and the basic X’s and O’s comes naturally to most coaches, but we must also take the time to teach our young people what it means to seek improvement, work within a team to achieve common goals and develop the necessary social skills to be successful throughout their lives. Much of this can take place naturally in a positive and nurturing team sport environment, but we intend to provide our coaches with strategies they can use on a daily basis to assist them with our holistic development model. These strategies include:

• Cognitive: Guided questioning and promoting decision-making during live play

• Physical: Creating positive, meaningful and exciting learning environments for athletes to develop individually and as part of a team

• Social: Teaching sport-specific social skills and supporting parents and teachers with developing general social skills

• Emotional: Teaching strategies for dealing with adversity, promoting positive thinking, goal-setting and being open to learning new things

Review our new strategies for holistic development and reach out to your sport director with any questions.

It is also important to note that it is absolutely necessary for coaches to work with parents on the holistic development of young athletes. Therefore, we have designed or are currently working on materials to educate our families on:

• How to support the mission, philosophy and core values of the club

• Commitment to consistently attending training and game opportunities to support the developmental process

• Communicating effectively with their child, coaches and other members of the club

• Treating all members involved in our games with kindness and respect

• Providing athletes with proper nutrition, hydration, sleep and recovery habits

• Managing the athlete’s workload- making sure children have balance in their lives and not placing them in situations that could create overuse injuries and/or potential mental health issues

The definition of "holistic development" varies from person to person and club to club, but the bottom line is all youth sport organizations should be committed to developing athletes to their full potential as people and athletes. We are dedicated to providing all of our members with the necessary resources to assist them with guiding every EAA athlete on their journey to total development.

What are some external elements that create challenges with the holistic development of our young athletes?

The academic and extra-curricular expectations placed on young people have never been greater. Children involved in multiple activities, in and outside of school, must keep schedules many adults would struggle to manage effectively. Keeping up with these demands can potentially have a detrimental impact on their holistic development.

Coaches who do not have an understanding of holistic development can place unrealistic expectations on young athletes. In some sports like baseball, basketball, soccer and softball, programming, especially in competitive sports, can be spread out over the entire calendar year. Due to the escalating arms races between clubs, the increased emphasis placed on winning rather than development and the seemingly never-ending battles for the talented players (no matter what age), coaches can demand too much of a commitment from children. When talented players participate in multiple sports, each with their own high demands, they are oftentimes overtrained and suffer overuse injuries and burnout. They simply cannot perform at their best because of physical and mental fatigue.

Also worth mentioning are the demands high school coaches are placing on student-athletes. Training for many high school programs has evolved into a year-round commitment, and young athletes (and their families) feel tremendous pressure to participate in these activities, fearing if they do not, then it will hurt their chance of making their desired high school team. We are seeing high school coaches holding strength and conditioning programs and sport-specific training over the entire school year and into the summer months. Add these demands with what athletes are already expected to do in the classroom and with their club teams, and it clearly paints a picture of the stress and imbalance in our young people’s lives.

In addition, parents are feeling more pressure to have their children involved in as many sports, extracurricular and academic activities as possible so they do not miss out on perceived opportunities for their children to reach their full potential, be a local star and ultimately earn a college scholarship or professional contract. We are seeing more and more children participating in multiple sports and extra-curricular activities while trying to meet the high demands of their schools- all at once with very little downtime. This drive to participate in multiple activities while also achieving academic success can actually have a negative impact on the development of our young people if boundaries and balance are not established.

These external factors create obstacles for us as we attempt to create learning environments that support the cognitive, physical, social and emotional development of every athlete in our organization. Therefore, we need to commit to doing everything we can to mitigate these challenges through our communication, education and collaboration, internally and externally.

This article has only scratched the surface of our work with defining and implementing strategies for holistic development at EAA. We are excited to provide our members with more information on this topic in the coming year.

By Rob Herringer
with Emily Michaels and Marissa Ringblom

As we research and implement best practices for providing quality grassroots programs for all children in our community, we are constantly presented with opportunities to strengthen our club culture/DNA. In his book, The Culture Code, Daniel Coyle defines an organization’s culture as “a set of living relationships working toward a shared goal. It’s not something you are. It’s something you do.” As we work on building our culture, we want coaches and administrators across all activities to form meaningful relationships and consistently work together to make positive contributions to the club, always supporting our mission, vision and core values in our words and actions.

An important resource that has helped us shape our culture is The EAA Way (see below), and a critical piece to The EAA Way is the “Coaches Culture Code.” This agreement/code of ethics was created in 2016 by the coaches and directors of the Elkhorn Soccer Club. The crafting of these shared expectations for coaches provided us with a framework for building our culture, and the “C3” now guides us in our coaching and teaching across all eight activities at EAA.

Key takeaways from the current version of the “C3”:

• Coach and administrator commitment to:

  • sharing ideas/collaboration between coaches, teams and sports.

  • open, honest and frequent communication with players and families.

  • serving as role models for our athletes - treating everyone involved in our sports with courtesy and respect.

  • always valuing holistic development over results.

  • holding each other accountable for making positive contributions to our club culture/DNA, including setting the example for coaching within the rules, ethics and spirit of our sports.

Our EAA coaching community has grown significantly over the last two years, and we have placed an emphasis on defining our culture as we evolve as a club. As we work on shaping our culture and developing resources that support our mission, vision and values, it is important to receive input from our members so our standards and expectations are truly shared and embraced. These collaborations help bind us together as a community and push us forward in our pursuit to provide the very best youth sports experiences possible.

Therefore, we would like our coaches and administrators to contribute to the process of upgrading our “C3” by providing suggestions HERE. Deadline for submissions is November 1. Once submissions are received our sport directors will review, share with their respective committees and make adjustments to the document accordingly. Changes to the agreement will be revealed in the December 2021 issue of Beyond the Bench. Thank you, in advance, for participating in our efforts to enhance our culture at EAA. The work we put in now will have a lasting, positive impact on our daily practices and future of the club.

by Rob Herringer

"DNA": the fundamental and distinctive characteristics or qualities of someone or something

As we expand and improve our programming at EAA, we are provided with opportunities to strengthen our club DNA- the standards, expectations and philosophies that guide us in our daily work with young athletes. Strengthening the "EAA DNA" is an ongoing process, and one that must be shared by all members of the organization, not just coaches and administrators.

Our mission, vision and core values have provided an excellent foundation for building our DNA, but defining who we are and our unique ways of doing things in greater detail is necessary in order to continue on our path forward. The next waypoint on our journey toward being the leader in youth sports programming is providing our coaches with the support and resources they need to consistently carry out our mission of creating positive, developmentally-appropriate learning environments for our kids.

Coaching/teaching at EAA is different. We hold our coaches and administrators to high standards because we firmly believe a child's sport experience will always come down to their interactions with their coach and teammates. Therefore, we are making the commitment to provide the necessary leadership and resources for the education and development of coaches and administrators across all activities at EAA.

One of our newest resources for our parent/volunteer coaches can be found below. Please take the time to familiarize yourself with this document and reach out to your sport director with any questions. Thank you for your continued support of our programs at EAA and for your contributions to strengthening the EAA DNA!

By Rob Herringer and Marissa Ringblom

Whenever young athletes get the chance to pull on a uniform and enter into competition, it is a golden opportunity for them to learn, grow and fall further in love with the game. In order to ensure each game day experience is enjoyable and beneficial for the development of every player, it is extremely important for youth coaches to take the necessary steps to be organized and prepared for everything that goes into proper management of this special learning environment. The following are some tips for making each game day a success for everyone involved.

Start with timely and consistent communication

• Choose one method for sending and receiving team communications: SportsEngine, TeamSnap, email or a group messaging app such as GroupMe.

• Communicate the schedule for the week with families and consider providing a brief summary of what the team has been working on so parents know what to look for during the game(s).

  • Ask families to communicate their player’s availability for practice and games as far in advance as possible so you can plan accordingly.

• Remind families of the details about the upcoming game(s). Details should include:

  • Location (include physical address) and field/court number

  • Arrival time

  • What players should wear

  • What players should bring (water, alternate uniform, ball, etc.)

• The coach may consider finding a parent volunteer to serve as a team manager in order to help with communication with families.

Set game goals based on the training focus

• For example, if the theme of your training sessions leading up to the game is ball movement and possession, then a game goal could be: “Connect three or more passes in the attacking half of the field/court at least three times.”

  • This could be one of the stats players can help the coach keep track of when they are out of the game.

    • Consider having a small white board on the sideline that players can use to help keep track of the game goals.

Prepare a substitution pattern prior to the game

• Know ahead of time which players will attend the game.

• At the youth level, it’s important to make sure players receive an adequate amount of playing time on game day, so having a pre-prepared substitution pattern is a necessity, although the coach may have to slightly adjust the plan based on the situations the game presents.

  • Allow all healthy players to play in both halves.

  • Playing time for 13U+ should be earned based on attendance at practice, work ethic, coachability and other criteria established and communicated to players and families by the coach.

• Player development should be valued more than results.

Pack necessary equipment

• First aid kit with a few synthetic ice bags

  • Coaches are strongly encouraged to have emergency medical information for each player on hand at all times.

• Sunscreen for outdoor sports

• Equipment for warm-ups (cones, pinnies, agility ladder, etc.)

• Notebook/iPad or another method for taking notes

• Clipboard or marker board to give the team a visual representation of the starting line-up, team shape, or to show specific plays or movements on the field/court

• Filming equipment (if applicable)

Pre-game warm-up

• A proper pre-game warm-up should consist of a general warm-up period lasting approximately 10-15 minutes followed by a specific warm-up period.

  • The first part of the general warm-up should include aerobic movements that help increase body temperature, heart rate, respiration and blood flow.

    • Some examples include: jogging, skipping, shuffling, high knees, butt kicks, backpedaling and footwork.

  • The goal of the second half of the general warm-up is to activate and mobilize muscles. These movements should also be dynamic as opposed to static stretching.

    • Key movement patterns for this phase could include: walking lunges, lateral lunges, squats, single-leg RDL’s, hip bridges, inchworms, spiderman crawls and bear crawls.

  • The specific warm-up period should mimic skills and movements athletes are required to perform during the game. The length of the specific warm-up may vary depending on the warm-up space available prior to the game and/or the time in between games.

    • Skills may include: possession games, passing and receiving, dribbling, shooting, running routes, throwing and catching, hitting, pitching, jumping, or small-sided games.

In-game coaching

“One of the most common things coaches do to undercut performance is to try to explain to players what they want them to do during live play.”
from The Coach’s Guide to Teaching by Doug Lemov

• Challenge and encourage players to make their own decisions during the game. Coaches must refrain from “joysticking”- telling players exactly what to do and providing explanations during live play.

  • Limit the number of coaches on the sideline- too many voices creates confusion for players.

• Praise effort and quality plays in order to build players’ self esteem.

• Manage substitutions and ensure athletes receive adequate playing time.

• Coach the substitutes

  • As noted above, engaging the substitutes ensures players remain focused on the game goals and they benefit from their time sitting out.

  • A common mistake coaches make is focusing only on the live play and ignoring the players who are on the bench.

  • This can be difficult for those coaching very young teams, so it is beneficial for the Head Coach to recruit an assistant or parent volunteer to help engage the substitutes and keep players on task.

• Take notes in order to prepare talking points for halftime, natural breaks and post-game reflection.

  • It is best to take notes by hand or with a note-taking device rather than a cell phone. Using a cell phone gives people the impression you are texting and not focused on the game.

Coach during breaks in the game (halftime, timeouts, between quarters/innings, etc.)

• Allow players to talk amongst themselves and hydrate.

• Ask guided questions and allow players to discover their own answers to the problems the game is presenting to them.

• Reinforce what is going well.

• Provide the team with up to three objectives to focus on in order to be successful moving forward in the game.

Post-game

• Keep comments brief and take a positive twist, win or lose.

  • Give the team at least one grow (thing to work on at the next training session) and one glow (something the team did well).

  • How you send them home may be how you will find them the next time you get together.

• Self-Reflection

  • Take a few minutes after every game to reflect on the following questions:

    • Did you achieve your goals for the game?

    • What did the team do well?

    • What could the team do better?

    • What would you do differently?

    • What should the training themes/focus be working up to the next game?

• Film review (if applicable)

  • Watching film is a great way to assess the team’s performance and provide players with essential feedback, particularly with older teams.

  • Hold short film review sessions with the team from time-to-time.

    • This can be done virtually or in person.

    • Film sessions should be no longer than 45 minutes.

    • Highlight good plays rather than focusing on mistakes.

• After reflecting on the game and possibly analyzing the film, coaches should begin to prepare for the training session(s) leading up to the next game.

• Consider having another coach or sport director come out and watch your team play and have them provide feedback in order to get a different perspective.

Clearly, there is a lot of work that should go into game day- before, during and after the event. Coaches must take the time to address every detail that goes into managing these special learning opportunities. This attention to detail will create a fun and developmentally appropriate experience for players every time they hit the field or court.

*Coaches are encouraged to reach out to Marissa Ringblom, Director of Sport Performance, with questions about the warm-up exercises described in this article. Other questions about game management can be sent to your sport director or Rob Herringer, Assistant Executive Director for Coach and Player Development.

By Rob Herringer

Recently, while reading an article on strategies to improve teaching in the physical and virtual classrooms, I came across a sentence that really resonated with me: “Don’t waste your students’ time.” The author was referring to the instructional time that can be wasted during classes due to the lack of organization, careful planning and effective teaching techniques of the educator. Over the course of a school year, these wasted minutes add up to a significant lack of time on task, which leads to a negative impact on learning.

For nearly 20 years I have taught coaching education courses and presented at a variety of clinics. I often address the steps that should be taken in order to create meaningful learning environments and execute effective training sessions because what coaches do with their teams during training has the greatest impact on player development. In order to improve training strategies, I like to take ideas from the world of education, as there are a lot of similarities between classroom teaching and coaching, but I never thought of summarizing what coaches must do on the field/court in a simple phrase like the one above. I will from now on and here’s why.

The article got me thinking about the demands being placed on children at very young ages. Schools are increasing the workload on students, with many raising expectations for homework and placing significant emphasis on performance on standardized tests. In addition, there are more extra-curricular activities for kids to choose from than ever before, each of which require a different time commitment. Youth coaches should keep these things in mind when managing their teams and putting plans together for individual player and team development. Children in 2021 have a lot of things on their plates that require their time and attention, and if they choose to spend some of their time with us, then we owe it to them to value that time and give them our best effort each and every day.

Something else the article got me thinking about is the amount of time coaches actually get to train their teams. Most youth coaches are given one or two, 60-90 minute training sessions a week. Therefore, it is critical for coaches to do everything in their power to make the most of every training opportunity. If the ultimate goal is to guide each player to their full potential, which should be the target for any quality coach and youth sports organization, then we must create learning environments where players improve by at least 1% each time they attend a sporting event. This will only happen if we take the time to properly organize our training sessions and do what we can to make every minute we have with our players count. The following are some strategies to help with this:

Start with timely and consistent communication

• Use one method such as: TeamSnap, SportsEngine, email or group messaging

• Notify families of training sessions and games as far in advance as possible so they can make arrangements for their players to attend.

• Send reminders so everyone is clear on the schedule for each week.

Start and end sessions on time

• Players and families have multiple commitments, whether it be homework or other activities. Do not waste your players’ time and opportunities to improve by starting late, and let them go on time so families can get to whatever is next.

• A general guideline is training should be about as long as a game. Training for youth players should rarely exceed 90 minutes in length.

No laps, no lines, no lectures

• For ball sports, do not waste time by having players do conditioning that does not involve a ball. At the youth level, time should be spent on development, not conditioning. If sessions are designed properly, players will gain fitness by playing.

• Limit the use of substitutes during training; keep players active.

• Keep lines short (no more than 4 deep) so players stay on task and receive as many repetitions as possible.

• Coaches should keep comments short and to the point. Players need to play, not listen to their coach for long periods of time.

Prepare a lesson plan for each training session

• Timed activities and breaks in order to be as efficient as possible

• Training should consist of:

  • Skill acquisition activities: hitting, throwing, catching, shooting, tackling, individual defending, etc.

  • Game-based activities

    • “Distorting” the game/putting constraints on players in order to make certain events occur. Examples:

      • Must complete three passes before shooting

      • Half-field/court game so there are more opportunities to work on defending

    • Using smaller numbers (3v3, 4v4, etc.)

    • Emphasize the most important foundational concepts

  • Tactical activities

    • Games that recreate specific game conditions and situations

  • Free play/scrimmaging

Set up your learning environment with necessary equipment before training starts

• This reduces the time spent transitioning from one activity to the next and increases time on task.

Make sure your sessions are fun and players leave wanting to play more!

I have come to the realization that one of the worst things coaches can do is waste their players’ time. At EAA we are very fortunate to have many knowledgeable sport directors who our coaches can reach out to for ideas to improve in all areas. Please do not hesitate to get in touch with one of us if you need some assistance with creating meaningful learning opportunities for your players.

*Credit to Doug Lemov's The Coach's Guide to Teaching for some of the training ideas shared.

By Rob Herringer

My mom was the ideal youth sport parent. After long days of teaching high school Math, she would load my sister and I into her Pontiac Grand Am and haul us all over Omaha for our various athletic events. She did this nearly every day of the week for the better part of eight years. Now, she wasn’t just good at getting us to our activities on time, which was always a firm requirement- “early’s on time, and on time’s late.” She was also the model of a positive, supportive youth sport parent. She never expected anything out of us but our best effort. She would never sit us down and discuss her expectations for our performances, or offer up any kind of advice on the ride home after a big loss (or win for that matter). She never called our coaches and questioned our playing time or their decision-making. She was simply our biggest fan. When looking back on her support and the many sacrifices she made in order to allow us the opportunities to participate in the competitive sports we loved, I am simply amazed.

Unfortunately, not all children get to experience youth sports like my sister and I did. The reality is some kids receive little support from their parents and sometimes have to cope with a negative home environment that includes unrealistic expectations. Although in their eyes they are merely supporting their child’s dream of making the high school Varsity team or receiving a college scholarship, it is very clear some parents simply want those dreams more than their kids, and it seems as if they are willing to do whatever it takes to get them to the highest level of competition possible.

As youth sport coaches, we have the great responsibility of creating enjoyable learning environments for our athletes that foster individual player development. An important part of creating this healthy environment is getting our parents on the same page with us and guiding them in a positive direction. We can do this through regular communication and providing our families with expectations for supporting their athletes on and off the field. Some ideas for doing this include:

• Hold a pre-season meeting that covers topics such as practice and game schedules, player and parent expectations and goals for the season.

• Provide short emails to families each week with reminders and a brief progress report on the things the team has been working on. Most parents want to be clear on the schedule of events for each week and also want to know how things are going with the team. Taking the time to communicate on a weekly basis can eliminate some questions and concerns that may come up.

• When necessary, conduct quick 10-15-minute Q&A sessions after practices or games so everyone is on the same page.

• Involve some of the more energetic parents by having them take on team duties such as stat keeping, videotaping or even putting together a team newsletter. Having them coordinate team building activities and assisting with some parts of your practices are things to consider as well.

These are just a few ideas for keeping our parents informed and involved. Keeping them in the loop is essential to team and player success, and it’s the coach’s job to build a strong partnership with their families.

The overall message of this article is that the absolute best youth sport parents are the ones who generally let their children do their own thing and support the coach and the team’s goals in every way possible. Coaches must take the time to build a strong partnership with their parents so all young athletes have the tools they need to reach their full potential and develop a never-ending love for the sports they play. This partnership between parents and coaches is key for individual player and team success.

By Rob Herringer

"If you see players who hate practice, their coach isn't doing a very good job." -Bill Walsh

Smiles and hard work. Laughter and time on task. Those are some of the first few things to look for when evaluating the effectiveness of a youth training session/practice. If our athletes are having “serious fun”- working hard, staying focused and enjoying themselves- and they head home wanting to play more, then we are doing our jobs as coaches. When we create a positive and enthusiastic learning environment, the sky is the limit for developing our kids to their full potential. This is why having “serious fun” is so important when hitting the practice field.

According to the the United States Soccer Federation: “At the grassroots level, children learn and develop to their full potential through game-like experiences in an enjoyable environment which supports individual growth.” Unfortunately, not all young athletes are afforded the opportunity to participate in positive learning environments, and therefore, youth sport participation tends to decline sharply around the start of adolescence (Eime et al., 2016 ; Temple & Crane, 2016 ). The primary reason given for youth sport dropout is that it is not fun anymore (DuRant, Pendergrast, Donner, Seymore & Gaillard, 1991 ; Fraser-Thomas, Cote, & Deakin, 2008 ; Mork Armentrout & Kamphoff, 2011 ). We, as EAA coaches, have the great responsibility of putting a dent in this trend. Our kids should never quit because they aren’t having any fun!

As highlighted in a past issue of Beyond the Bench, Dr. Amanda Visek conducted a study with more than 200 players, parents and coaches from recreational and Select soccer teams and asked them to list all of the things that make playing organized sports fun. The top 10 “fun determinants” regardless of sex, age or level of play were:

1. Trying your best

2. Working hard

3. Exercising and being active

4. Playing well together as a team

5. Getting/staying in shape

6. Playing well during a game

7. Getting along with your teammates

8. A coach treating players with respect

9. Getting playing time

10. Being strong and confident

Based on this research, it’s important we understand that a win at all costs approach and the old command style of coaching no longer work for young athletes and their families. We must take the findings of Dr. Visek’s study into consideration as we move forward with developing our own learning environments for our athletes. And the best way to create the right environments for “serious fun” is to follow the 5 Elements of a Training Session. This includes:

1. Organization: The training environment is safe and fun for players. The players are clear on what is expected in each activity. Management of players throughout each activity so all players participate (limit the use of substitutes). Little downtime between exercises.

2. Game-like Activities: The environment provides players with an enjoyable, game-like experience. Players learn the rules of the game. Activities are realistic to the game. Players are provided with ways to score points and win each game/exercise.

3. Repetition: Player’s experience meaningful repetitions and do not stand in long lines waiting for their turn.

4. Challenging: Players have a balance between successful and unsuccessful actions. Moving between less challenging and more challenging developmentally appropriate exercises.

5. Effective Coaching: Coaching interactions allow for maximum play time (no long speeches/lectures). Players experience success and use mistakes as meaningful learning opportunities. Coach uses key words and guided questions that support the topic of each session.

Finally, a great way to reflect and evaluate the effectiveness of your training sessions is to use our new Training Session Observation Form. Either use the form to reflect on your session, or ask a fellow coach or your Sport Director to observe one of your sessions and provide you with feedback using the form as a guide. Taking the time to reflect on our sessions in meaningful ways is a necessary tool to use as we continue to work on developing the proper learning environments for our players.

Best of luck and enjoy your coaching!

By Aaron Key, DPT and Marissa Ringblom, CSCS

With the start of each new sport season, coaches and parents need to be on the lookout for potential tendinitis injuries in their athletes. These injuries occur due to repetitive strain, or overuse, of a particular tendon. Tendinitis, or inflammation of the tendon, occurs when it is unable to effectively deal with the load that it is subjected to. Three common causes of tendinitis are inactivity overload, increased activity overload and growth.

Let’s first consider tendonitis developed due to inactivity. Perhaps the athlete took a few weeks off in between seasons, or had been overly inactive due to the ongoing pandemic, or has been sitting in class all day. This inactivity leads to tight muscles, which will put more strain on the tendon. This also leads to weak muscles, which will disperse more of the demand on the tendons during activity. As the athlete jumps into evening training after sitting all day, his/her tendons will not appreciate the change in demand.

Secondly, if the athlete suddenly increases his training activities, say his/her practices go from one hour sessions to two hour sessions, the tendon may respond negatively to such a large jump in activity.

Lastly, as the athlete grows, his/her bones grow faster than his/her muscles and tendons. This growth “spurt” is known as the Peak Height Velocity (PVH), basically meaning the time in which the athlete is showing the fastest amount of growth in his/her bones. This may place excessive strain on the tendons until they are able to elongate. Please take into consideration that PVH occurs, on average, at 12 years of age for females and 14 years of age for males.

Now that we’ve talked about the causes of tendinitis, let’s talk about it’s stages. There are three stages of tendinitis:

1. Pain only occurs after activity

2. Pain occurs at the start of activity and after activity

3. Pain occurs before, during and after activity

So, how should an athlete, coach and/or his parents treat tendinitis? It depends on the stage.

Stage 1 = continue with athletic activity, perform proper warm-up activities, stretching (if appropriate*) and ice after activity (two 15 minute applications).

Stage 2 = decrease activity levels, perform proper warm-up, stretching (if appropriate*), avoid explosive movements, ice regularly throughout the day

Stage 3 = stop activity, rest, frequent stretching (if appropriate*) and consult physical therapy/trainer to develop a program to gradually return to activity as symptoms resolve.

*If the muscles attached to the tendon are tight, they do need to be stretched. However, if good flexibility already exists, stretching may cause further irritation of your tendon.

The best treatment against tendinitis is prevention! Here are some tips to prevent developing angry tendons:

1. Reinforce high quality movement patterns for running, jumping, landing, and changing direction in a controlled environment.

2. Target flexibility restrictions and muscle imbalances. For optimal and efficient movement, athletes should have flexible ankles, hips, and thoracic spine and stable knees, lumbar spine, and shoulders.

3. Decrease the volume and/or intensity of training during periods of rapid growth.

4. Ensure plenty of time for recovery between sport seasons.

5. Learn fundamental movement skills and the basics of resistance training from a qualified strength and conditioning coach.

6. Implement healthy lifestyle habits in terms of proper nutrition, hydration, and sleep quality.

7. Encourage youth athletes to participate in a variety of sports prior to PHV and delay early sport specialization.

8. Perform dynamic exercises and movements during warm-up that mimic movements that occur during the sport.

As always, if symptoms persist and self-treatment is unsuccessful, please consult a medical professional (MD, PT, ATC).

By Rob Herringer

Take a minute to hit the pause button on your life. Close your eyes and rewind. Rewind your mind back to when you started coaching. Were you forced into doing it because no one else would volunteer? Did a club director or friend talk you into it, promising you a lifetime’s worth of warm fuzzy feelings if you agreed to do it? Maybe you felt called to do it in some way and didn’t really need any convincing. If you think about it for a little while I’m sure you can remember how you got your start. I imagine this small exercise will bring back memories that will make you smile or snicker, for one reason or another.

Whether you were roped into it or it is something you are passionate about doing, you have a tremendous responsibility when taking on the role of coach for our young athletes. Coaching youth sports shouldn’t be about reliving your glory days (like Uncle Rico in Napoleon Dynamite) or trying to mold your own child into the next super athlete for the Cornhuskers or Bluejays. Simply stated, it shouldn’t be about you. It should be about them- all of the kids who are participating on your team who are looking to you for guidance and mentorship.

Fast forward to present day. Think about the reasons you are coaching now and jot them down. Hopefully your answers (your why) connects in many ways with our EAA Coaching Philosophy:

Developing the Person: We are determined to have a positive influence on the holistic development of every child, teach essential life skills and inspire our athletes to seek excellence in all aspects of their lives.

Developing the Athlete: Our goal is to unlock the full potential of every athlete in a positive, safe and educational environment.

Our job as coaches is to provide our athletes with the tools to be successful on the field but, more importantly, throughout their lives. It’s really not about the number of wins or trophies that are brought home each weekend. Those things are nice and the part of the goals for every team, but those things are not what measures a good coach from a below average coach or a good season from a poor season. It has been said in various professional coaching circles that some of the best youth sport coaches lose 50% of their games over time because they always put player development before results. They rotate kids into different positions and provide all of them with ample playing time. They teach their players about the benefits of life skills such as work ethic and sportsmanship and spend less time worrying about the scoreboard.

The best coaches teach their players the fundamentals and the essential skills of the game while also teaching valuable life lessons. They do these things while letting the score take care of itself. If the process and learning environment is right then the wins and team success are inevitable.

Additional reading: "Winning vs Development" by Paul Cammara from The Coaching Journey.

By Rob Herringer

All of us involved in athletics know how good music can set the right tone for our events. Whether it's for 90,000 strong at Memorial Stadium or running through a personal workout, a killer playlist can be a great motivator and has the ability to positively impact our mindset before, during and after an athletic activity.

If you have participated in an EAA coaching education presentation or read the first few issues of Beyond the Bench, you may have noticed some musical references sneaking through the message from time-to-time. Although I have no musical talent, I am a huge fan of many different genres of music, and I oftentimes try to connect what we are doing at EAA to pieces from the world of music. Doing this brings some fun and an outside-of-the-box approach to painting pictures in the minds of our players and coaches while connecting what we do between the six sports at EAA with common threads/themes.

Colleagues often ask me how EAA can bring six sports together through a shared coaching philosophy and standards- this is no simple task. And, interestingly enough, a recent interview with Bob Weir, the legendary rhythm guitarist for the Grateful Dead (now Dead & Company), got me thinking about what we are doing at EAA to establish and maintain our culture and expectations for teaching and learning through The EAA Way.

In his "Shakedown Stream" interview, Weir spoke about the use of "vamps", or what he refers to as the "carpet" off of which songs can be built. In more formal music terms, the vamp/carpet is a short passage, which is simple in rhythm and harmony, and played in preparation for the entry of a soloist. Several different songs can use the same carpet, which likely helps bands such as Dead & Co. move from one song to another with such fluidity during a set.

Our "carpet", the golden thread that runs through the center of everything we do at the club, is The EAA Way. It is our: mission, vision, core values, coaching philosophy and expectations. It defines our culture. It is who we are and what we stand for at the Club. It is included below and is required reading for all coaches at EAA.

The EAA Way sets the tone for everything we do in all of our sports. The individual differences in HOW we coach our sports are somewhat like the lyrics, solos and other elements of the songs we are creating, but the carpet, The EAA Way, will always be there to set everything up for the right performance. All of us must choose to use it, however. With a lot of work and a little luck, we will all be singing and playing from the same sheet of music in no time!

Rock On, EAA!

By Rob Herringer

One of our goals for coach and player development is to establish a style of play across all six sports at EAA. A club-wide style of play provides a framework for player development, and if implemented correctly, emphasizes competing in a fun, fast and aggressive way that allows our athletes to express themselves with no fear of failure.

Regardless of the sport, all of our athletes and teams at EAA should compete with an "Always Attack" mentality. We want our team sports to work extremely hard on defense and look to score quickly and in bunches on offense. In addition, we should always look to establish the tempo of the contest and make our opponents adjust to our style rather than allowing our opponents to dictate the speed and type of game that is played.

Keep in mind competing in this style requires a great deal of athleticism and fitness, so our ability to incorporate sport performance training, primarily in the 13U-19U age groups, will be vital to helping our players reach their goals and our ability to play in this style. We are looking forward to providing more sport performance programming for our athletes, as that has been a point of emphasis as we develop and improve our sport curricula. Our new Sport Performance Director, Marissa Ringblom, will set us on our way to developing better athletes with the tools to perform in our preferred style of play.

When in doubt, we should always encourage our athletes and teams to take the initiative, be on the front foot and compete with fun, freedom and no fear of failure. When we do this we can never lose because we are putting player development and enjoyment ahead of simply finding ways to win games and competitions.

By Rob Herringer

As a teenager growing up in the 90s, I remember watching nearly every Chicago Bulls game on WGN-TV. I was blown away by Jordan, Pippen, Rodman and Company- what a time to be a kid! I remember saving up for over a year to purchase a new pair of Air Jordan's and trying to "Be Like Mike" on every playground and in every gym. Genetics and other athletic interests steered me away from basketball, but I continue to be a fan of the sport (and the 90's era Bulls) to this day.

As a college soccer coach I had all of our sophomores read Sacred Hoops by Phil Jackson during our annual off-season book study. In the last four years at ESC/EAA, I have also used bits and pieces to form the vision, mission and leadership team expectations within the soccer program.

The recent airing of the The Last Dance on ESPN provided motivation to re-read one of the best books on coaching and teamwork I have ever experienced. Below are two lessons highlighted in the book, which I believe can provide guidance to all of our coaches at EAA. I highly recommend picking up Sacred Hoops for your own personal and professional development.

1. The journey is the reward. Guiding our athletes through the natural ebbs and flows of a season while helping them grow intellectually, socially and athletically should be what our coaching is all about at the youth level. The wins and trophies are not what matters- it's the journey we take with our kids each season and having a positive impact on their lives, not just their athletic experience.

2. Love is the force that ignites the spirit and binds teams together. If we truly love working with young people it will shine through everything we do with them. In turn, our kids will no doubt feel that passion come through during every interaction we have with them, and that passion is highly contagious. When kids love coming to play with your team it only enhances the camaraderie between teammates and the ability of the team to be successful.