The value these athletes ascribe to their experiences and the safety of their participation depend largely on the quality of coaching they receive. The Citizenship through Sports Course represents a great opportunity for a sport administrator or coach to grow in their leadership skills. Although the topic of citizenship is hardly new, few coaches or sport administrators have felt adequately equipped to take an active role in implementing such a program. A lack of expertise, time, or an inability to perceive that a problem exists has led most coaches or administrators to relegate citizenship to a low-priority. It's now time for coaches to take a proactive approach to citizenship issues.
Coaches stand in a very powerful position as leaders of young people.
Coaches have a special ability to motivate athletes to live up to their potential for athletic performance. This course offers coaches the opportunity to take the next step and also motivate athletes to become better citizens. In the course the coaches will reflect on their own experiences and express the values they bring to their coaching. Coaches will explore concepts of respect for opponents, officials, and between coaches and student-athletes. Coaches will recognize various strategies for using teachable moments to promote citizenship with their student-athletes.