I quit hockey and basketball before the age of 13. 70% of children in North America do the same. Yet still, coaches, “leaders”, and even parents make the same mistakes over and over. They create an environment that de-emphasizes fun and fulfillment. They emphasize all the wrong things instead.

Winning. Pressure to perform to one’s best at every single moment, every single game. We’re yelled at for our failures. Made to feel small and insignificant. Made to feel like we’re not as good as our peers. So many adults forget that their child’s sport is not for them. It’s supposed to be fun. It’s supposed to help them make new friends. Develop new competencies. It’s supposed to set them up for a life of success. Not resentment.

I had many great coaches. I’m still in love with soccer and running because my coaches created optimal atmospheres to succeed. To actually enjoy the experience and feel excited to come every single week to train.

But I haven’t been able to look a basketball or hockey stick in the eye ever since quitting before 13. I haven’t watched either sport since. Coaches, leaders, and parents in any sporting environment are the most impactful on a young person’s life. You never want to be an athlete’s last coach.

So don’t be the coach that causes a child to quit before the age of 13. Be the coach that inspires children to continue playing sports year after year. That’s what it’s all about. Your number one mission as a U12 soccer coach is to create sixteen U13 soccer players. It’s not to win. It’s not to push athletes to perform at their very best. It’s to foster a love of sport that simply allows them the desire to return the following year. That’s the #1 way to excel as a coach.

Thanks for reading and see you soon.