Living the athlete’s life is a dream for many kids looking to make it big. The lucrative future that awaits them can be tempting but as coaches, you have two responsibilities. The first one is to groom them into great athletes and people, but the other one is to ensure they keep up with their studies.
While aptitude in academics and talents in sports are two different things, they are interconnected too.
How sports improves confidence in the class:
You have to raise your players’ confidence within the sport because this confidence can be transferred into the classroom. Athletes can also perform better on the field when they aren’t worried about declining grades.
Understanding coaches make better athletes:
When students have coaches who understand the rigors of their academic schedules, they feel free to be honest about their challenges. You can ease their schedules by giving them a day off to study if needed, and also talk to them about the importance of completing their education.
As a coach, you can mold their personalities by teaching them about the importance of responsibility from such a young age. If done right, this will help them grow into confident, well-rounded and smarter individuals in the future, apart from being great athletes too!
Coaches can also use unique methods to motivate students to perform better, sharpening their focus in the class, which can alternatively convert to the field too. In high school, my coach assigned me extra running if he saw my grades dip. I didn’t like it at the time, but now I’m grateful he too this measure!