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- The Huddle - Edition 63
The Huddle - Edition 63
A weekly newsletter from The Coaching Dad.
The Coaching Dad
September 11, 2025
Intro
From Their Perspective
As a coach and a parent, you’ve likely felt the emotional highs and lows that come with youth sports. The wins feel amazing. The losses sting. But here’s the reality check: your child’s athletic experience isn’t about your emotions or ambitions. It’s about theirs.
We often talk about game plans, skill drills, and discipline—but rarely do we stop to see it all from the kid’s perspective. Imagine being 8 years old and having every move you make watched, critiqued, and sometimes unintentionally judged by the people you want to impress the most—your parents.
This week’s edition is about making sure we’re part of the solution, not a source of stress. The sidelines matter. The car ride home matters. And how we support our young athletes shapes not only how they play, but how they feel about playing at all.
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Lets go!
Insight of the week
See the Game Through Their Eyes
There’s a powerful mindset shift that can change how we coach and parent in youth sports: stop asking what you want from the game, and start asking what your kid is experiencing in the game.
That doesn’t mean lowering expectations or avoiding competition—it means tuning into the whole athlete, not just their output on the field or courtWhat Are Kids Really Feeling?
Younger athletes often carry a mental load that adults underestimate. They’re not just trying to remember plays, execute skills, or react quickly—they're also navigating emotions like:
Fear of failure (“What if I mess up and get benched?”)
Pressure to impress (“My parents are watching every move.”)
Comparison anxiety (“Everyone else seems to be better than me.”)
Uncertainty (“I’m not sure where to go or what to do next.”)
The truth is, many kids don’t yet know how to process those emotions, and unless we make space for that part of their experience, we risk turning something that should be joyful into something they dread.Your Role on the Sidelines Matters More Than You Think
A parent’s or coach’s body language, tone, and words are under a microscope—even when we don’t realize it. That deep sigh after a missed shot? That head shake after a mental mistake? Kids see it. They feel it. And it shapes their perception of self-worth.
Instead, we want to lead with support, curiosity, and encouragement. Ask questions like:
“What was your favorite part of today’s game?”
“Was there anything that felt tough or confusing out there?”
“What’s something you want to work on this week?”
These conversations show your child that the sport is a safe place to grow, not just perform.
Shift From Performance to Process
As coaches and parents, one of the best gifts we can give young athletes is a love for the process. Help them understand that improvement is the goal, not perfection. Celebrate the reps, the hustle, the mental bounce-back—not just the win or stat line.
When you consistently reinforce values like effort, teamwork, and coachability, you're doing more than developing a player—you’re shaping a resilient, confident human being.
So next time you’re watching a game, try putting yourself in their cleats. See what they’re seeing. Feel what they’re feeling. Then ask: “Am I helping or hindering their experience right now?”
Drill of the week
Corner Pressure + Outlet Drill
Sport: Hockey
This week’s drill helps young hockey players improve their defensive awareness and ability to handle pressure in their own zone—particularly in those gritty corner battles.
Set-Up:
Use one half of the defensive zone near the boards.
Player 1 (defender) starts inside the faceoff circle.
Coach dumps the puck into the corner.
Player 2 (offensive pressure) pursues.
Execution:
On the whistle, Player 1 hustles into the corner, engages with Player 2 using body positioning and stick control to gain possession.
After retrieving the puck, Player 1 must scan and make a clean outlet pass to Player 3 waiting near the hash marks or blue line.
Rotate positions every few reps.
Coaching Points:
Head up before the pass—teach players to scan quickly after winning possession.
Emphasize quick decision-making under pressure.
Reinforce body leverage and puck protection against the boards.
This drill is fast, competitive, and simulates real-game scenarios that kids will see in any age-level match.
Coaching tip of the week
5 Real Ways to Build Confident Athletes
Confidence isn’t something kids magically wake up with—it’s shaped through consistent messages, safe environments, and small wins. Whether you're a coach or a parent, here are five specific strategies to help build confidence in your athletes:
1. Catch Them Doing Something Right
Instead of only correcting mistakes, make it a habit to point out what they are doing well. “Nice job staying with that play” or “I saw how you hustled back on defense” goes a long way. These moments reinforce the idea that effort and awareness matter just as much as results.
2. Use Specific, Actionable Praise
“Good job” is fine—but “I loved how you kept your head up while dribbling” is better. The more specific your feedback, the more it reinforces controllable actions that kids can repeat. Confidence grows when they know why something worked.
3. Let Them Struggle (Safely)
Resist the urge to step in too quickly. Confidence is built when a player overcomes a challenge on their own. Create space for them to work through problems, adjust, and try again. Struggle isn’t failure—it’s fuel.
4. Model Composure and Belief
Whether it’s a big game or a rough practice, kids mirror the energy of the adults around them. Stay calm, encouraging, and solution-oriented. If you show you believe in them—even after mistakes—they’ll learn to believe in themselves.
5. Celebrate the Process, Not Just the Outcome
Praise the things they control: effort, attitude, teamwork, and persistence. When kids feel valued for how they play—not just the scoreboard—they’re more likely to take risks, stay engaged, and develop the kind of confidence that lasts beyond sports.
Blog highlight
What’s it like to be coached by you?
As adults—whether you’re a coach or a parent—it’s easy to forget that youth sports isn’t just a miniature version of the high-stakes, ultra-competitive adult sports world. It’s its own thing entirely. Kids aren’t just smaller adults. They’re learning, processing, and experiencing everything—competition, teamwork, pressure—for the first time. That’s why it’s essential to take a step back and look at youth sports through the eyes of the athlete.
Understanding what it feels like to be coached, critiqued, celebrated, or benched at 8, 10, or 12 years old gives us, as adults, a chance to lead and support them better. And when we get it right, we’re not just developing athletes—we’re building character, confidence, and a lifelong love for the game.
The Volunteer Coach Academy
The Resource I Wish I Had When I Started Coaching
You’ve seen the tips and tools I share each week—now imagine everything you need to coach with confidence, all in one place. I’ve built a complete course designed specifically for volunteer and parent-coaches to help you feel prepared, supported, and ready to lead. Whether you’re stepping on the field for the first time or just want to get better for your kid’s sake, this course was made for you.
Oh and if you aren’t ready for the course yet, still check out the link to learn more because there’s a free Coach’s Guide that you can start using instantly.
Book highlight
The Constant Coach
This isn’t just a book—it’s your daily reset.
The Constant Coach delivers 366 motivational messages for coaches and parents who lead with more than a whistle and a clipboard. Whether you’re on the field, in the gym, or at the kitchen table planning practice, this book will guide you to show up with purpose, patience, and presence.
Each daily entry is built around real coaching values—like character, communication, confidence, and composure—and comes with practical insights, tough love, and thoughtful reflection. It’s written for:
Volunteer parents stepping up to lead
Career coaches seeking steady perspective
Anyone trying to grow the next generation through sports
You won’t find fluff here. Just honest encouragement, insights, tips, and reminders of why the work matters—even on the hard days.
Friends of The Coaching Dad
A Refreshing Look at Fundraising
How many of you have teams that use fundraisers to help support the teams activities for the year. I don’t know about you, but I get tired of selling pizzas and other things that seem to be played out. These are customizable and so big! You’ll love them, I have no doubt.
Give our friends over at Fundraiser Blankets a look. Here’s a little bit about them: Fundraiser Blankets offer a unique and profitable fundraising opportunity for K-12 schools, sports teams and community groups. These $12.50, custom logo, full-color blankets are provided by a veteran teacher’s, women-owned small business and are printed in the USA.
Content
Free Content
You might be new to coaching a team or sport. You may be a grizzled coaching veteran. Either way, check out the content section of thecoachingdad.com. You’ll find resources that cover a large number of sports, including game refreshers, position breakdowns, injury management, practice ideas and more.
Engage
Email Us
Did you miss a previous newsletter? Do you have a topic you’d like us to cover? Looking for broader insights on a particular topic? Send us an email at [email protected]
