INNOVATIONS IN SPORTS: Why not Let the Kids Coach the Kids?
An amazing story just came out of San Clemente CA. Apparently there was a team of 11-and 12-year-olds in that town’s Little League that, for some reason, had a difficult team in finding a Dad or Mom to help out as the team’s coach.
As a result, when the kids couldn’t find one, they asked the league officials if a 14-year-old and a 15-year-old could be named as co-coaches to lead the team. The league said yes.
The LL team lost their first two games of the season, but as the season wore on, they found their groove and began to turn things around. Sure enough, they ended up winning their league championship, all under the coaching supervision of a couple of kids who weren’t much older than they were.
It’s a cute story. But to me, this shift toward allowing kids to coach kids might be worth considering as a major innovation in youth sports. Look, we all know and have seen the out-of-control grown-ups who coach LL games and get in shouting contests with umpires, use profanity, show favoritism to their own kids, and basically adopt a win-at-all-costs mentality.
According to media reports, the LLers on this team enjoyed playing for the HS freshmen, because 1) they communicated better 2) they allowed the kids to play the positions they wanted to play, and 3) the kids weren’t intimidated by them. Too often, LLers are fearful of talking with a grown-up coach.
Bottom line? Not only did the LLers seemingly have more fun, but they also ended up as league champions. And their youthful co-coaches are to be commended.
If I’m Little League or the people who run other youth sports teams, I think this is an idea that is definitely worth considering. In short, just tell the parents to go and sit up in the stands. Let the kids play, and let them be coached… by other kids!
"The Sports Edge"
It is no surprise to me that the LL’ers had a good experience. My first formal coaching experience is when I was 13 and I first helped with my niece’s 11 year old softball team. It was a lot of fun and my sister(the head coach) really just let us work on the basics with the girls, hitting, fielding, throwing. But she kept us from being too mean to the girls, sometimes older kids don’t understand why someone 2 or 3 years younger can’t do something. Over the years of coaching, I’ve also seen teams where teen coaches are not really prepared to work with other. They haven’t matured to the point where they are sympathetic to other plights.
By the time I was 15 I was a co-head coach with 2 other 15 year old, we ran our developmental team (13 and 14 year old) practices and games. Our head coach thought it was a “good experience” for us to teach the younger players. He was right. Today, I will often bring my older son to my youngest son practice. The kids will listen and watch him closer than they watch me. Plus he is a little more in tune, maybe just more perceptive, with how the kids feel and why the behave in certain ways.
It depends on the coach. I’m 58 and started coaching at 18. While I won two championships at 18 and 19, I’m a much better coach today. Afterall, we’re not just teaching baseball….we’re aiding in the development of young adults and that requires more than just baseball experience. That being said, you don’t have to search too far to see a “grown up” who just doesn’t get that.
So….it depends on the coach.