Love the Game

• Good coaches instill a love for the game in those that they are leading. Nick, a 14-year-old surveyed by Teens Health, said, "A good coach coaches for the love of the game, not for the publicity." Teens are perceptive of the motives behind why a coach is there. If the coach is grounded in a love for the game that he shares with his players, then the kids will want to be there and to succeed.
  
  

Life Lessons

• Good coaches teach positive life lessons to their players. These lessons will stay with teens throughout their lifetime and can be carried over into all aspects of their life. A variety of skills can be learned from quality leaders including how to bounce back from failure. According to TeensHealth, "Most of [of the teens surveyed] said the best lesson [they had] learned from a coach is 'never give up.'"
  
  

Respect

• The TeensHealth survey found that good coaches make players feel respected. Teens want to be involved in the decision making of the team. While the ultimate responsibility for making decisions falls to the coach, a good coach will at least allow the players to be heard. Rebecca, 13, said to TeensHealth, "A good coach understands that respect is to be earned and understands that they do not control the team, they are part of the team."
  
  

Development

• Player development is the result of having a good coach who can make a difference in a teen's life. A young soccer player named Brynn shared with TeensHealth, "It's not experience that makes a coach great (although it does help); it's the quality of their coaching." She said it was through the help of one coach who took the time to work with her and develop her skills that she was able to make the roster of a club soccer team.
  
  

Example

• A good coach provides a positive example that kids will follow. The survey from TeensHealth demonstrates that teens are learning from what coaches are doing. As one student shared with TeensHealth, "It helps having someone besides a parent that's an adult that you can talk to in some situations." The importance of having a good coach is that she is a positive influence in children's lives.