These coaches spend much of their time teaching skills the young athletes need to be successful. Having fun is much more important to your athletes than winning. Sure, winning is part of the sport experience, but not the primary focus. Look at the list of concerns expressed by the athletes. Encourage your athletes to help each other, not criticize a teammate's performance.
Sportsmanship is taught by example.
If you can, you should be proud of yourself. If you can't, you must try harder the next time. This article is copyrighted by the author and may be reprinted for personal use. Any other use, including use for commercial purposes, requires the permission of the author. We sincerely appreciate Dr. Stratton allowing us to use his articles on our website.