By profession, Howie (Howard) Danzik mentors, coaches, and teaches entrepreneurship as president of Danzik Enterprises. In his free time, Howie Danzik enjoys coaching local Little League baseball teams.
A coach is a key figure in the life of a Little League player. Children of Little League age tend to admire those adults with whom they share common interests, beliefs, and goals. The Little League coach falls firmly into this category for most children. Coach and child share a beloved activity and work together toward a common goal, which often leads to bonding and a player's modeling of the adult's behavior.
For this reason, it is important that Little League coaches honor this relationship and model positive, sportsmanlike behaviors. When his or her team loses a game, an effective Little League coach accepts defeat graciously and congratulates the other team. A coach can also help his or her team cope with defeat by avoiding blame, either of the other team or of a single player, and by identifying specific skills that the whole team can work on for the future.
A positive Little League coach addresses skill building as a team activity. Singling out a star player or identifying a “weak link” can make many young players feel uncomfortable or inadequate. Instead, the coach can offer praise whenever it is earned by an individual player and can encourage skill improvement as it is appropriate for each child.
A coach is a key figure in the life of a Little League player. Children of Little League age tend to admire those adults with whom they share common interests, beliefs, and goals. The Little League coach falls firmly into this category for most children. Coach and child share a beloved activity and work together toward a common goal, which often leads to bonding and a player's modeling of the adult's behavior.
For this reason, it is important that Little League coaches honor this relationship and model positive, sportsmanlike behaviors. When his or her team loses a game, an effective Little League coach accepts defeat graciously and congratulates the other team. A coach can also help his or her team cope with defeat by avoiding blame, either of the other team or of a single player, and by identifying specific skills that the whole team can work on for the future.
A positive Little League coach addresses skill building as a team activity. Singling out a star player or identifying a “weak link” can make many young players feel uncomfortable or inadequate. Instead, the coach can offer praise whenever it is earned by an individual player and can encourage skill improvement as it is appropriate for each child.