For Coaches

Coach Conduct Agreement and Zero Tolerance Policy

Ball Sizes Per Division

Health and Nutrition Education

Safekids Worldwide has some great resources for sports safety. Check out this Safety Checklist for Parents. https://www.safekids.org/sites/default/files/documents/sports_safety_checklist_for_parents_2014.pdf
When in doubt, sit them out. This guide, created by SafeKids Worldwide and the CDC, is a great way for parents to recognize, prevent, and prepare for concussions. https://www.safekids.org/sites/default/files/documents/concussion_guide_for_parents.pdf
It is important for parents to understand how to protect youth athletes from sexual abuse. This resource developed by Positive Coaching Alliance has some great guidance for parents to follow.https://devzone.positivecoach.org/resource/article/protect-athletes-sexual-abuse-key-actions-parents-coaches
Overuse injuries can cause down time and long term damage. Safekids Worldwide has some simple tips parents can take to keep their athletes healthy and in the game. https://www.safekids.org/sites/default/files/documents/sports_overuse_injury_tip_sheet_2015_skw_jnj_0.pdf
The American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine has created an extremely informative website called Stop Sports Injuries that provides a plethora of information by sport, injury, and role to help educate coaches, parents and athletes on keeping kids safe and healthy. https://www.stopsportsinjuries.org/STOP/Prevent/STOP/Prevent_Injuries/preventinjuries.aspx?hkey=605a1398-5a54-49ab-924e-7f55965d8409
Specializing in one sport too early can cause overuse injuries, burnout, and quitting at an early age. The American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine has created a thoughtful tip on the benefits of multi-sport play and the risks of early specialization on its Stop Sports Injuries site. https://www.sportsmed.org/aossmimis/STOP/Prevent_Injuries/Revised/Sports/Sports%20Specialization.pdf
It is important that parents encourage kids to try different sports and play multiple sports, especially at young ages, to keep them healthy and engaged. This Ted Talk given by Dr. Nikhil Verma, Director of Sports Medicine at Midwest Orthopedics at Rush University Hospital details the dangers of early sports specialization. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n_Slxq7qajs
Good nutrition is critical to a student-athlete performing their best in school and in sports. TrueSport’s TrueFood nutrition resources are a great offering to fuel the mind and body of student-athletes. https://truesport.org/true-food/
Team sports participation is essential for good mental health. This study, published in Jama Pediatrics in 2019, showed that, among those with adverse childhood experiences, team sports participation during adolescence was significantly associated with better adult mental health outcomes, especially for males, including lower likelihood of having ever received a diagnosis of depression or anxiety and having current depressive symptoms. https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamapediatrics/fullarticle/2734743

Effective Motivation Techniques and Life Skills

Positive parenting support in youth sports is a big factor in kids having a quality experience. Positive Coaching Alliance has developed Ten Tips for First Time Sports Parents that provide some great advice on how to best support your athlete.https://devzone.positivecoach.org/resource/article/10-tips-first-time-sports-parents
This resource developed by Positive Coaching Alliance reminds parents to see the big picture and focus on what their athlete is learning from youth sports. Second Goal Parent is a registered trademark of Positive Coaching Alliance.https://devzone.positivecoach.org/resource/article/second-goal-parent
This Positive Coaching Alliance resource helps parents develop positive relationships with coaches. https://devzone.positivecoach.org/resource/article/tips-positive-parentcoach-partnership
It’s imperative that parents and coaches focus on effective and positive ways to support kids in youth sports to keep them in the game. This Ted Talk by John O’Sullivan, author of Changing The Game details what has gone wrong in youth sports and what parents and coaches can do to turn it around. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VXw0XGOVQvw&t=18s
A vitally important life skill we are focused on at All Kids Play is racial awareness. We believe racial awareness requires an understanding of perspective-taking. This video produced by the RISE organization is a great resource for athletes, parents and coaches. https://youtu.be/tqz7UcCgbLA
Time management is an absolute essential life skill for busy student-athletes. Check out Positive Coaching Alliance’s Development Zone for time-management tips for student-athletes. https://devzone.positivecoach.org/resource/article/time-management-student-athletes

For Coaches

Coach Conduct Agreement and Zero Tolerance Policy

Ball Sizes Per Division

Health and Nutrition Education

Effective Motivation Techniques and Life Skills

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