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Youth Sports Can Teach Kids Life Lessons Youth Sports Can Teach Kids Life Lessons

By Saral Khare

Saral Khare:Lauren Weise has been coaching youth girls soccer for 15 years at Syracuse Development Academy. One way she tries to help her players grow is to give them leadership roles. With giving her players leadership roles it increases their confidence in other areas of their lives.

Lauren Weise: So I think leadership if nothing else especially with SDA we have girls coming in from different school districts. I think when they go back to their schools they feel empowered to be a leader in the classroom. So I think it goes hand in hand with school.

Khare:In sports losing is inevitable. And while losing can be tough Weise emphasizes to her players that losing can be a good thing.

Weise:Losing can be winning also as long as we play super well and the score board may not say that we win. But there’s a balance. Even with winning sometimes we lose. So it’s kind of a balance we just try to teach them that failure is a part of developing and growing as an athlete.

Khare:Sometimes playing sports kids may not perform well or not get enough playing time. Weise believes the best way to encourage kids is to let them know what they can do better.

Weise: What can they work on? Maybe this is why you get to go this tournament maybe this is why you’re quite not ready yet. You just gotta let them believe you care about them and want them to progress they might not progress as everybody else.

Khare:Weise says youth sports gives kids an opportunity to be more well-rounded because they can meet people from different walks of life.

Weise:I just think they become more approachable themselves and are able to strike up a conversations with anybody even adults.

Khare:In order to get the best out of youth athletes Weise say’s it’s important to show that you care about them and are also strict with them when needed.

SYRACUSE, N.Y. (NCC News) — According to the National Youth Sports Strategy, 80% of parents believed their kids playing sports helped them learn about discipline and getting along with others.

Lauren Weise has been coaching youth girls soccer for 28 years and at Syracuse Development Academy for 15 years. She coaches 9- and 10- year olds. Throughout her time, Weise has noticed kids grow to be more social after being involved in a sports team.

“I just think with socialization aspect they’re so much more advanced, I think, when they get to middle school and high school,” said Weise.

With sports it’s a long process of getting better as a player and it requires a lot of patience. Weise believes breaking the game down to small pieces can help a player work on their weaknesses better.

“Teaching them that yes, the end result will matter if they decide to play in college the level of competition escalates a little bit,” said Weise. “But we just try to teach them what it’s like to win a small battle and those small battles can add up to the big battle later down the road.”

Sometimes kids may not be playing well and it’s hard for them to get playing time. While that can be tough on a child, Weise says it’s important to be straightforward.

“We have player evaluations where we sit down and talk with the player and their parents and we go through the four facets of soccer,” said Weise. “The tactical, the technical, the psychological and the physical. And we are straight up right off the bat before tournament time where they stand.”

The best way for youth coaches to get the best out of their players, Weise says, is to show they care about the athlete but also to be firm when needed.

“These kids have to know that they’re important and they need to know you want them to succeed,” said Weise. “You have to do the compliment sandwich you got to be firm but also let them know you love them.”

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