Positive Coaching Alliance was established at Stanford University in 1998. PCA believes that winning is a goal in youth sports but that there is a second, more important goal of using sports to teach life lessons through positive coaching.

In the United States, youth are dropping out of sports at an alarming rate. A major contributing factor is the "win at all cost" mentality of many parents and coaches that creates a pressure filled environment for the kids and ultimately turns them away from sports.

According to Michigan State University's Institute for the Study of Youth Sports, children participating in organized sports tend to achieve higher results in school, develop excellent interpersonal skills and lead healthier lives.

Bellaire Little League has partnered with PCA to bring this message to our leaders, players, parents and fans that at BLL, "We Honor the Game".

 

For more information, visit PCA's website.

The 100-Point Exercise The place where parent-athlete relationships usually start to go wrong is with goals. Parents often don't take the time to explicitly examine their own goals for their children, or ensure that their behavior is consistent with their identified goals...Nor do they consider that their goals may not match their son's or daughter's goals! The 100-point exercise will help you meet these challenges. Try the following: Identify your top five goals for your child's sports experience Assign points to each goal, in terms of their importance to you, so the total points equal 100 Commit to ensuring your words and actions, on and off the playing fields, are consistent with the goals you've identified The final piece to the puzzle? If your child is old enough, ask him or her to do the exercise. The similarities and differences you discover will serve as talking points for wonderful conversations that will help all of you get the most from your young athlete's sports experience!

adapted from The Power of Double-Goal Coaching by Jim Thompson