That s why the Washington Council for Prevention of Child Abuse and Neglect and a University of Washington sport psychologist are teaming up to hold a series of 10 workshops across Washington to train at least a thousand coaches and make participation in youth athletics a more positive experience for youngsters, parents and coaches. The first two workshops are scheduled in Chehalis next Saturday, Oct. 18, and in Olympia on Nov. 8. 603 NW St. Helens Ave. St. Other workshops will be held in Spokane, Tacoma, Port Angeles, Moses Lake, Bellevue, Seattle and Bellingham. Unfortunately, abusive coaches are a significant problem in youth sports, says Charles Shelan of Olympia, program committee chair of the Washington Council for Prevention of Child Abuse and Neglect.
Most coaches are volunteers and receive little or no training.
Many don t understand child development and are only concerned with winning. This kind of coach can hammer a lot of self-esteem out of a child. The workshops will be conducted by Frank Smoll, UW psychology professor and one of the creators of the Coach Effectiveness Training program. Smoll and his colleague, Ronald Smith, another UW psychology professor, developed the program from nearly 20 years of research to determine the most effective and positive ways of coaching young athletes. They have taught their methods to more than 13,000 coaches in workshops around the United States.