You have welcomed the new members to your team and are ready to make the best of it. You have a list of things that you want to teach them, ranging from the basics of the sport to the different techniques that individual players can use. You already have everyone’s position in mind and know exactly how you want the games to look. All of the children and youth are looking at you for the next direction. It seemed so easy when it all began.
After a specific amount of time, it becomes hard for children and youth to continue to stay on the path that you have so carefully laid out for them. Some may get distracted, others may get bored, and some will get frustrated. After weeks and hours of not getting the perfect position, throwing the wrong ball, or just not being pushed into the right spot, it is easy for kids to loose the interest that they first had in the sport.
The first thing to do is recognize that this reaction after several weeks of practice is natural. Children and youth are naturally curious and are interested in learning about new things. At the same time, it is easy to become distracted if something just isn’t working right. You will need to...