http://ResponsibleSports.comBring your written practice plan to each practice. Consider sharing it with your players, especially your objectives for the practice. If they know what you want them to accomplish, they will be more likely to cooperate.5/12/2008Help your players set and meet a “Just-Right Challenge.” It’s “Just-Right” because it is neither too easy nor too hard to achieve. Often this is as simple as asking players, "How many do you think you can do?" rather than telling them.5/5/2008Help your players establish and strive for stretch goals. Stretch goals are just beyond a player’s reach but can be achieved with effort over time. The best stretch goals are set by the players themselves.4/28/2008To keep yourself in the game when something bad happens, use a Self-Control Routine. That may include taking a deep breath, reminding yourself that you need to be a role model, counting to 20 (or 50!), and •quickly refocusing on the next play.4/21/2008Use the unique opportunity to teach life lessons that sports offer. Your players will never remember acing an exam in school the way they will throwing the block that sprung a teammate for the winning touchdown.4/14/2008Lead by example. When your players and their parents see you keep your temper in check, for example, when an official misses a call, they are more likely to check their own tempers.4/7/2008Conduct yourself by a code. To remember components of this code, remind yourself and your players that Honoring the Game means respecting the sport’s ROOTS, where ROOTS stands for Rules, Opponents, Officials, Teammates and Self. 3/31/2008Coaching your own child requires a delicate balance between coaching and parenting. Make it clear when you are in coach "mode," and beware of overly favoring or penalizing you child. 3/24/2008Keep your reserve players involved by asking them to do Positive Charting (i.e., recording their teammates’ positive plays), helping identify defensive shifts, etc. In addition to preventing those players from becoming a distraction, it will help prepare them to see the game differently when they return to action.3/17/2008Implement "Positive Charting," recording positive efforts and plays made during practices or games. List all your players with space to note two or three of their specific positive acts.3/10/2008Catch players doing things right. This is harder than it sounds. You have to get into the frame of mind to ignore the little “wrong” things so you can reinforce players when they do the right things.3/3/2008Use "if-then" statements, such as "If you break hard to the post, the midfielder is more likely to find you." This puts the player in control and increases self-confidence.2/25/2008