March 2024 - Parks and Recreation - 39

Youth sports coaches in Davis, California,
participate in a Positive Coaching Alliance
workshop focused on developing
competitors through positive coaching.
and work. " He recommends pairs
or teams of coaches when needed.
Okamoto suggests
encouraging
former youth sports participants to
consider coaching roles. " Inviting
[former participants] to assistant
coach and receive training in coaching
can be an ideal way to create
more available coaches.... " These
individuals already are familiar
with the organization's values and
mission and can act as young adult
mentors and role models for youth,
she says. This approach not only
attracts a diverse pool of potential
coaches, but also contributes to the
overall inclusivity and success of
youth sports programs.
When recruiting coaches, be sure
to " ...consider what you're looking
for in a coaching résumé versus
what can be trained, " says Minjares.
" It can be easy to overestimate the
importance of sports knowledge or
coaching experience and overlook
individuals who have great rapport
with kids, understand the community
and would be willing learners.... "
Retention Strategies
Equally important to recruitment is
coach retention. By valuing coaches
and giving them the tools needed for
success, park and recreation agencies
can maintain a strong pool of
quality coaches and reduce turnover.
Retention strategies include fostering
a supportive environment, recognizing
and celebrating coaches'
contributions, offering training opportunities,
clearly communicating
expectations via a signed coaching
agreement or handbook, and asking
for coaches' feedback and making
improvements based on their input.
Park and recreation professionals
should establish expectations for
coaches around the environment
and experience they want to offer
youth sports participants, says
Minjares. He recommends hosting
a pre-season coaching orientation
and being intentional about fostering
community among coaches, as
" [c]oaching can be isolating with
few interactions between coaches to
talk, share, mentor or help. "
Sacks encourages park and recreation
agencies to listen to coaches
and encourage their feedback, show
appreciation for their efforts, celebrate
their diversity, offer opportunities
for professional development,
and
provide
support. He adds,
" Consider spending some time
with new coaches to help them get
used to the facilities, expectations
and roles of everyone involved at
the center. The more coaches know
what to expect and who to contact
in a time of need, the more likely
they'll be to continue on. "
A challenge to coach retention
can be the stress of negative parent
behavior, says Minjares. " Agencies
should have strategies in place for
managing
parent
conduct,
while
also supporting coaches with parent
management, including guidance
around parent communication, leading
a pre-season parent meeting, setting
healthy boundaries with parents
and managing conflict situations. "
Okamoto says, " There will always
be some turnover [of] coaches,
but being generous in showing and
telling coaches you value their time
and energy can be really impactful. "
Through intentional efforts and a
commitment to youth development,
park and recreation agencies can
leverage coaches to create a transformative
impact on the lives of youth
in their programs. " At its core, youth
sports coaching is about how we
make kids feel - confident, connected
and empowered, " says Minjares.
This spring, NRPA will partner
with several coach training providers
to offer no-cost training programs
to park and recreation agencies
nationwide as part of the Million
Coaches Challenge initiative. Reach
out to youthsports@nrpa.org with
questions.
Alexandra Reynolds is Associate Editor of Parks & Recreation
magazine (areynolds@nrpa.org). Nelson Musselman is an
NRPA Program Specialist (nmusselman@nrpa.org).
PARK S ANDRECRE AT ION . OR G | MARCH 2 0 2 4 | Parks & Recreation
39
PHOTO COURTESY OF POSITIVE COACHING ALLIANCE
March 2024 - Parks and Recreation

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