Put me in, Coach.
For a while during the height of the pandemic, high school sports lost its collective legs altogether — and team sports in the younger grades didn’t even begin to bump the needle.
Now, the seasons are back.
But with student athletes specializing in one sport and oftentimes training all year for it, the joy of varied competition might not be.
At least not like it was, pre-COVID.
Monongalia County Schools last week, however, set about putting the fun back into the fundamentals.
That’s when the district announced a partnership with Oakland, Calif.-based Positive Coaching Alliance, a national outreach program all about bettering the people who try to give life lessons while laying down the rules and techniques of the game.
As Adam Henkins, who is the district’s director of safe schools and athletics, said, good coaches don’t just make for winning teams.
They also turn out people who go on to win at life, he said.
“This collaboration offers an incredible opportunity to enhance the sports experience for both kids and coaches,” Henkins said.
WVU’s College of Applied Human Sciences is supporting the partnership with money from its Sport Parenting Fund.
“We are proud to contribute to a program that reinforces the vital roles that sports and coaching play in fostering character, resilience and mental wellness in student-athletes,” Dana Voelker said.
Voelker directs the School of Sport Sciences, which is part of the college.
Training sessions, workshops and other resources will now be offered for coaches, the athletes on their teams and the parents of those athletes, she and Henkins said.
“By learning what makes kids perform better and enjoy sports more,” Henkins said, “we can continue to self-evaluate and strive for excellence as coaches.”
In the meantime, the alliance has some frontline tips for student athletes designed to reduce the pressure of balancing practices and games — with schoolwork and tests.
Set a regular bedtime that works for your schedule.
Give yourself positive pep talks, especially during practices or games when you weren’t at your best.
Make sure you have hobbies and friends outside of the sports you play.
Look at mistakes on the playing field as springboards to get better.
If you’re a starter and an injury has put you on the sidelines for a game or a season — be sure and “coach up” your replacement.
Visit https://positivecoach.org./ for more information on the Positive Coaching Alliance.
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