Choosing the right coach for your child’s development is one of the most important things you can do as a parent. A great youth sports coach should inspire an athlete both on and off the field and we know how important that is at Signature Sports Camps. Today we are diving into the hiring secrets that we use at Signature when selecting our Residential Coaching Staff each summer. Whether you’re considering joining a new team or club, or trying to choose a sports camp with the best coaches, you should know what makes a great youth sports coach (and what red flags to stay away from).
Experience Matters in a Youth Coach
Having experience playing the sport is important, but the ability to coach other (younger) athletes and elevate their game is key.
As young coaches are transitioning from life as players to life as coaches, they will have a few different realizations with time. First, not every young athlete has the competitive drive that they did (and that’s okay!). Experience in coaching gives coaches patience and understanding to know that not all athletes are the same, each player brings a unique role to the team. And maybe with the right coaching and motivation, that “next-level” of athletic drive can be nurtured.
The second major realization coaches have after a few seasons on the field is that communication is absolutely essential and the way you were coached (and what you responded to as a player) won’t work for every player on the team. Coaching has evolved over the years, just as kids have. So when searching for a coach for your young athlete, ask them about not only their playing experience but also their coaching experience and measure their maturity around communication and expectations (we certainly do in the interviewing process at Signature Sports Camps)!
Positivity and Encouragement from Coaches
Have you ever heard of the carrot and the stick? We prefer to use the carrot at Signature (in other words: incentive > punishment). While coaches need to push players to their potential on the field they also need to encourage them. A great coach focuses on support and improvement, not only results and wins. It’s essential for great coaches to celebrate the small things, motivating players to keep playing and growing their love for the game. No matter the level of play, it’s never worth it when the athlete burns out and quits the sport from never feeling the moments of success along the way.
A Great youth coach should be a Strong Role Model
It’s important that your child can look up to their coach and think “I want to be like her/him one day” and you don’t shutter at that thought. This topic goes beyond the field. Does your coach model healthy habits (essential for a young athlete), or do they consistently look disheveled and unhealthy? When it comes to Refs (hot topic, we know), does your coach scream and carry on? Or do they professionally advocate for the team with respect? Kids notice this and will think it’s perfectly okay to yell when something doesn’t go their way. I mean, their coach did it, why shouldn’t they? And finally, does the coach do the “small things” right: Are they on time? Are they prepared? We encourage you to stop giving “good coaches” breaks when it comes to accountability. Sure, a coach might win games, but are they the right role model for your young athlete?
HOW WE HIRE COACHES AT SIGNATURE SPORTS CAMPS
Signature Sports Camps is proud to be ACA-Accredited, a designation for meeting the highest standards of camp safety, health, programming, and staff training. A key part of this accreditation is our staff, here’s how we make sure we are hiring only the best, who will live and die by our incredibly high standards:
Our hiring process starts months before camp begins: our interns spend HOURS sourcing and recruiting reputable coaches who are known in their sports communities (we don’t just let them come to us, we go to them). We then guide candidates through the staff application and interviewing process (you heard that right, we conduct multiple rounds of interviews). During these interviews, we dig into their experience, coaching style, and core values. It’s important to us that the leaders we hire align with our mission and share our passion for teaching life lessons through sports. In between those interviews, we reference check and background screen. After our coaches are hired, they go through virtual training on our camp experience and our safety protocols before setting foot on campus. And sorry, we aren’t done yet: coaches arrive at camp a day early to go through more training, demonstrations, and role-playing to ensure we are living up to our on-field development and safety promises we make to each camp family.
Curious about the coaches at Signature Sports Camps? Register for an overnight sports camp at Signature to understand firsthand how our coaches rise above the rest.
