How Quality Youth Sports Coaching Drives Player Development and Boosts Retention
Posted in:
Sean Jensen explains how quality youth sports coaching drives better player development, boosting retention along the way.
Have you ever heard that 90 percent of restaurants fail in the first year?
That’s apparently a myth, according to reputable sources such as the National Restaurant Association, and the actual first-year failure rate is closer to 17 percent.
But within youth sports, there’s never a shortage of new programs with slick logos and jerseys, ambitious promises, and flashy video clips. Yet more often than not, the newbies don’t survive beyond a few seasons because there’s more style than substance.
Just as a successful restaurant depends on the quality of its chefs, successful youth sports organizations usually rely on their coaches, who lead the day-to-day engagements with players.
That’s my big takeaway from my experience as a youth sports parent, coach, board member, and — to an extent — lover of food!
The survey is a bit dated, but an Aspen Institute Project Play Survey of Parents in 2014 noted that the two biggest concerns for parents wrestling risk of injury (87.9%) and the quality or behavior of coaches (81.5%).
Cost (70.3%) and commitment (67.9%) were the third and fourth concerns, respectively.
Yet my own experience reinforces my belief: When my son was 6 years old, I switched him out of a club after one season because the head coach had never played or coached soccer. Upon arriving at the first practice, the players were aimlessly running around for 20-plus minutes, as the stupefied coach stood among cones and balls with no place to go. It’s clear why quality coaching drives player development.
Let’s take a closer look at 3 keys on how quality coaching drives player development and retention.
3 Keys: Quality Youth Sports Coaching Drives Player Development and Retention
Coaching Support Matters
Our experience when my son was 6 years old is not an uncommon one. According to data from the Sports & Fitness Industry Association, fewer coaches were trained coming out of the pandemic. Less than one-third of youth coaches in 2022 were trained within the previous year in concussion management, general safety, physical conditioning, sports skills and tactics, and effective motivational techniques. The only notable area of increase was for CPR and basic first aid, jumping from 37% in 2019 to 42% in 2022.
But the vetting process of coaches can often leave more questions than answers. The strongest youth sports organizations not only have a clear mission, vision, and values but collectively work to reinforce them daily. Longevity cannot be discounted in youth sports; surviving to thriving isn’t a coincidence and means that the organization has done many things right for a sustained period of time. And they are mindful of who represents them on the field and in the community — and beyond, given the increase in travel tournaments.
There are many different styles to playing specific sports, but stronger clubs have distinct personalities and traits, which are cultivated by their coaches. And those coaches are supported by experienced and accomplished leaders who answer questions, provide feedback, and support them when issues arise with players or parents.
They are also provided resources and opportunities for continuous learning through workshops and access to coaching materials.
My most frustrating season as a youth sports coach was one in which I was both the head coach and team manager because no parent would volunteer to help with communication and logistics. Though we had some success, it was not enjoyable for me, due to the stress of all the needs that were required of me.
Players Benefit
My 17-year-old son has helped me with some coaching during summer soccer camps that I lead, and his passion for the small details of soccer, as well as his infectious personality, make him popular with little kids. So when he asked about helping me coach a team, I connected with one of the biggest clubs in Minnesota to see if there were any opportunities.
Would we be interested in coaching an under-8 team?
We were open to it. But before venturing too deep, I had a conversation with the under-12 boys’ technical director to discuss his philosophy and his approach to development.
Thankfully, we were similarly aligned, especially on some of my non-negotiables for players so young. For instance, I believe players at that age should receive equal playing time because the light-bulb moment for a child may not come in weeks but rather months or even years. With a large roster of players, I wanted to create balanced teams, meaning one wasn’t loaded with the “top” players and the second with the rest.
As a new coach, it’s been challenging to learn the club’s communication and tools, but I wasn’t starting from scratch, which was much appreciated.
Even before I joined this particular club, it seemed like its coaches enjoyed being a part of the club. This was apparent because, at bigger local tournaments, coaches would take time out of their schedules to watch a fellow coaching friend, help on the sideline, or cheer on a former player.
Reminds me of the old saying: Happy wife, happy life. In youth sports: happy coach, happy player.
Generally speaking, of course.
Defining Success
I have the privilege to be the Varsity Boys Soccer Coach at a private school in Minneapolis. As part of my role, I am responsible for leading the entire boys’ program, which includes three high school teams and two middle school teams.
In hiring coaches, I tell them all this: I am the only coach in the program who has any pressure to win.
What’s more measurably important to me than wins and losses, especially for the middle school teams, is that the players want to continue on in the boys’ soccer program.
While we have many boys whose favorite sport is soccer, we also have quite a few who play other sports — and they are never pressured or discouraged from pursuing them. In the midst of a very strong season so far, two of our Varsity starters are standout basketball players.
So why do the boys in our program continue on at a high rate?
Because they are having fun, because they love playing with their classmates and friends, and because they are getting better. With a robust summer training schedule, players in our program are consistently improving from month to month, year to year. We have several strong Varsity and Junior Varsity players whose introduction to the sport was through our program.
My inspiration and approach is fueled by a Spanish-based soccer program, whose founder often says, “From baseline to better.”
Key to Player Retention
I can’t think of a better way to articulate a key in player retention. No matter the player’s starting point, are they better when the season concludes?
At our small private school, we are not flush with high-level club players. If that were all we relied on, we could barely field one high school and one middle school team.
But at the club I’ve just started coaching at, some age groups are four or five teams deep. But one of the benefits of that is the teams are more fluid, meaning players may get opportunities to move up within their age or play up, altogether.
No matter the number of trophies or wins, the bottom line every parent wants to know is: Did my child improve? Did he strengthen some weaknesses? Did he learn more about the intricacies of the game? Or, did he grow in character, through interactions with coaches and teammates?
And no matter what the exit surveys say, the parents will provide resounding feedback in at least one way: Will their child continue on? Player retention is crucial to sustained success for youth sports organizations, and children returning season after season is something that isn’t taken lightly.
About Sean Jensen:
Sean K. Jensen was born in South Korea, but he was raised in California, Massachusetts and Virginia, mostly on or near military bases. Given his unique background, he’s always been drawn to storytelling, a skill he developed at Northwestern University and crafted for 16 years as a reporter and columnist, almost exclusively covering the NFL. He’s now an inspirational speaker and author of The Middle School Rules, a book series that tells the defining moments of professional athletes. He is also the Head Boys Varsity Soccer Coach at Minnehaha Academy in Minneapolis and the host of Winning Is Not Everything, a podcast that aims to “bring sanity back to youth sports” through conversations with high-character athletes, coaches, and parents. TeamSnap is the Presenting Sponsor of the podcast.