Okay, here's a test for those of you who played sports when you were a kid at nine years old.
Ready?
Tell me the name of the coach of your team.
Now tell me the name of your 4th grade teacher.
If you're like the 87 percent of people we surveyed at several coaches clinics a few years ago, you are more likely to remember the name of your coach than the name of your 4th grade teacher.
So what does that tell us from this, obviously, unscientific survey? I think it points to the notion that coaches have a tremendous influence on kids in sports.
What's interesting is that our organization estimates that the average youth league coach spends a total of 81 hours coaching kids in a typical season while at the same time a 4th grade teacher spends an average of 900 hours teaching kids in a typical school year. Yet, according to our survey, the coach just might be more influential than the teacher. Makes you think, right?
Now here's the important issue. Your child's teacher must have completed a full four years of college learning all aspects of how to be a teacher. Yet at the same time, your child's coach isn't required to be trained in anything that has to do with your child's overall being while playing sports.
Read the following story. If your child's teacher's name were replaced with this coach's name, would you want the school to get rid of the teacher?
Youth softball coach arrested, charged with disorderly conduct
A youth softball coach in Maine was arrested and charged with disorderly conduct after allegedly threatening umpires during a game involving 9- and 10-year-olds.
The 40-year-old coach had allegedly been ejected after arguing and cursing at the umpires following a base runner being called out at the plate.
When others attempted to calm him down he allegedly threatened them with physical violence.
Police responded to a 911 call and the coach was given a chance to calm down, but he refused to cooperate.
He was taken to the county jail after his arrest and later released on bail.
While this is a pretty "ugly" story, the sad truth is that it happens far too often and too often people like this person are still out there coaching.
Perhaps the reason adults remember their youth sports coach's name isn't always for the right reason.
The next time you sign your kids up for sports, ask the head of the program if the coaches are trained and held accountable. If not, well, your kid's coach may just be in the next story like above.