Promoting the Sport at the Grassroots Levels

One of my biggest goals as a coach is to find ways to make the sport of track and field bigger and better, and more accessible to young athletes all across the country.  I, as a personal trainer, also have a goal of helping people across the country become more fit as well as helping young, non-track athletes, become better at their sport by increasing their fitness.  First and foremost I like to brainstorm on ways to create new and innovative ways to take to running and become better athletes.

There are ways, from a coaching angle and perspective, to create the atmosphere necessary for success on the youth level.  Here are a couple of ideas:

1)  Coaches should strive to learn how to be the best authoritative figure they can be.  Learning about the sport is a must.  If a coach expects his athletes to give effort in becoming the best athletes they can be, the coach needs to, at the very least, give an equal amount of effort into building the team and the individuals up.  Don't be stubborn and learn to be resourceful in your coaching.  Perfect conditions and scenarios day in and day out rarely exist as a coach.

2)  Remember that some things you say to a kid may stick with him for a long time, if not his whole life.  One of the most important things you can teach a young student athlete is to have a goal, and how to work with others to achieve that goal.  Having open dialogue about what the team needs are and how to give your share should be an important aspect.  

3) We need to prepare the young athlete for the future, and not just the immediate future.  Teaching them how to live by certain standards, and how to understand other peoples standards is a big part of success in college and in the workplace.  Personal responsibility and teamwork is never too plentiful.  An athlete that learns to be self sufficient and learns to revolve around standards will be less inclined to give up when the going gets tough or to cut corners in workouts or other aspects of their life.

Keeping kids healthy and active in investing in the future.  Track and Field offers a great opportunity for staying in shape and learning valuable lessons.