{"id":2632,"date":"2015-08-13T15:15:07","date_gmt":"2015-08-13T15:15:07","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/?p=2632"},"modified":"2025-08-11T04:39:09","modified_gmt":"2025-08-11T08:39:09","slug":"how-to-interview-and-choose-the-right-coach","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/how-to-interview-and-choose-the-right-coach\/","title":{"rendered":"How To Interview And Choose The Right Coach"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"600\" height=\"300\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/parents-role-in-motivating-sports-kids.jpg\" alt=\"Youth Sports Psychology\" class=\"wp-image-3642\" style=\"object-fit:cover;width:600px;height:300px\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/parents-role-in-motivating-sports-kids.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/parents-role-in-motivating-sports-kids-300x150.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-align-center\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Interviewing_A_New_Coach\"><\/span>Interviewing A New Coach<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2><div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_82_2 ez-toc-wrap-center counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-grey ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<div class=\"ez-toc-title-container\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<span class=\"ez-toc-title-toggle\"><a href=\"#\" class=\"ez-toc-pull-right ez-toc-btn ez-toc-btn-xs ez-toc-btn-default ez-toc-toggle\" aria-label=\"Toggle Table of Content\"><span class=\"ez-toc-js-icon-con\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/how-to-interview-and-choose-the-right-coach\/#Interviewing_A_New_Coach\" >Interviewing A New Coach<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/how-to-interview-and-choose-the-right-coach\/#Finding_The_Coach_You_Want\" >Finding The Coach You Want<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/how-to-interview-and-choose-the-right-coach\/#How_do_they_ensure_kids_have_fun\" >How do they ensure kids have fun?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/how-to-interview-and-choose-the-right-coach\/#Related_Articles_on_Kids_Mental_Game\" >Related Articles on Kids&#8217; Mental Game:<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/how-to-interview-and-choose-the-right-coach\/#Improve_Your_Mental_Game_From_Anywhere_In_The_World\" >Improve Your Mental Game From Anywhere In The World<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n\n\n\n\n<p>As the summer winds down and you\u2019re preparing for fall, it\u2019s critical to ensure your kids have a coach whose style and philosophy builds their <strong>confidence.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Whether your young athletes are already on a team or will be with a coach for the first time, it\u2019s important to consider how a coach affects sports kids\u2019 experience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Coaches can increase kids\u2019 <strong>confidence<\/strong> and impart important life lessons\u2014or they can sink kids\u2019 <strong>confidence<\/strong> and even prompt them to quit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Coaches who <strong>focus<\/strong> too much on winning, or yell, pressure or put kids down often undermine kids\u2019 <strong>confidence.<\/strong> On the other hand, coaches who <strong>focus<\/strong> on teamwork and growing and learning through sports will often boost kids\u2019 <strong>confidence.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Finding_The_Coach_You_Want\"><\/span>Finding The Coach You Want<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Do your family a favor and be sure to interview your kids\u2019 existing or potential coaches. This will help you understand a coach\u2019s philosophy and whether it\u2019s right for your kids.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>What\u2019s more, if you decide the coach is appropriate for your kids, gathering this information about him or her can help you identify how best you can support the team.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>When you approach a coach to ask these questions, be sure to do it in a diplomatic way. Don\u2019t put the coach on the defensive.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>You could say something like, <em>\u201cHey coach, before I sign my child up for your team this year, I want to ask a couple of questions.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>First of all, ask about the coach\u2019s <strong>philosophy.<\/strong> How important is winning? How important is having fun? You learn a lot asking this question. If coaches say their goal is to win, win, win, make sure this goal aligns with yours\u2014and think twice if your child is a new or young player.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If coaches say their goal is to ensure kids have fun, you might politely dig a little deeper.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"How_do_they_ensure_kids_have_fun\"><\/span>How do they ensure kids have fun?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>If the answer is, <em>\u201cThey\u2019ll have fun if they win!<\/em>\u201d you might want to think twice about the coach. You want to make sure the coach has really thought about the importance of having fun and has a plan in place.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Keep in mind:<\/strong> When kids have fun, they\u2019re likely to learn more and feel more <strong>confident<\/strong> about sports!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>You might also ask other parents about this coach\u2019s <strong>philosophy<\/strong> and style.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>What\u2019s more, try to watch the coach in action. Does he or she provide genuinely <strong>positive<\/strong> feedback, make kids laugh and smile, and help them understand how they can learn from mistakes? Does the coach seem <strong>focused<\/strong> on building <strong>teamwork<\/strong> and a <strong>positive<\/strong> team culture? Those are all important traits.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity is-style-dots\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"related-articles-on-hockey-mental-game\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Related_Articles_on_Kids_Mental_Game\"><\/span>Related Articles on Kids&#8217; Mental Game:<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/the-dangers-of-over-coaching-your-child-before-games\/\"><strong>The Dangers of Over-Coaching Your Child Before Games<\/strong><\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/help-athletes-improve-confidence-for-the-new-season\/\"><strong>Help Athletes Improve Confidence for the New Season<\/strong><\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/new-study-identifies-four-keys-to-happy-athletes\/\"><strong>New Study Identifies Four Keys to Happy Athletes<\/strong><\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p id=\"block-f49818fa-7c7a-4ee3-b5ee-66581aad2c71\">*Subscribe to\u00a0<strong><a href=\"https:\/\/podcasts.apple.com\/us\/podcast\/sports-psychology-podcast-by-peaksports-com\/id152566009\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">The Sports Psychology Podcast<\/a>\u00a0<\/strong>on iTunes<br>*Subscribe to <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/open.spotify.com\/show\/0ynyaalKxbnNmsoeL8gF5X?si=8224669de9b3435b\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">The Sports Psychology Podcast<\/a> <\/strong>on Spotify<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-css-opacity is-style-dots\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Improve_Your_Mental_Game_From_Anywhere_In_The_World\"><\/span><strong>Improve Your Mental Game From Anywhere In The World<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"alignright is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"150\" height=\"150\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/mental-training-for-young-athletes.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-6868\" style=\"width:138px;height:auto\"\/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>We\u2019re certain that, as a parent,&nbsp;you want to help your child develop confidence and discipline in sports and life.&nbsp;And as a sports parent, you\u2019d love for your children to reach their potential in sports.&nbsp;But encouraging your child to <strong>strive for greatness without pressuring them<\/strong> can be a challenge.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>You can get expert mental coaching with us from anywhere. Meet with us via Zoom, Skype, FaceTime or phone call. With today\u2019s video technology, we are able to connect with athletes and coaches all over the globe.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center\"><strong>Call Us Today to Schedule Your Free 15-Minute Session.<\/strong><br><strong>Find Out How Your Athlete Can Benefit From One-on-One Mental Coaching!<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Interviewing A New Coach As the summer winds down and you\u2019re preparing for fall, it\u2019s critical to ensure your kids have a coach whose style and philosophy builds their confidence. Whether your young athletes are already on a team or will be with a coach for the first time, it\u2019s &#8230; <a title=\"How To Interview And Choose The Right Coach\" class=\"read-more\" href=\"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/how-to-interview-and-choose-the-right-coach\/\" aria-label=\"Read more about How To Interview And Choose The Right Coach\">Read Sport Psychology Tip<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":3641,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[17,25,6],"tags":[592,321,262,251],"class_list":["post-2632","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-sports-parenting","category-youth-sports-coach","category-youth-sports-psychology-blog","tag-choosing-a-sports-coach","tag-young-athletes","tag-youth-sports-coaching","tag-youth-sports","resize-featured-image"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2632","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2632"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2632\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/3641"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2632"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2632"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2632"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}