What does it take to be a winning youth coach? Listen in as Coach and Sports Psychology professor Dr. Lindsey Blom shares coaching stories and discusses her journey to becoming a successful youth coach.

Dr. Blom is a lifelong soccer player, she is married and mother of a 6 year-old daughter and 2 year-old son. She is an associate professor of sport and exercise psychology at Ball State University in Indiana. She and her husband co-authored ‘Survival Guide for Coaching Youth Soccer’ and she has actively participated on boards across the country involving youth sports.  She has coached soccer from the youth level through high school.
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Coaching/Leadership Quote
▪   ‘Catch them Being Good’ – Tony DiCicco

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Coaching your own Kid
▪   After practice or a game - Take the time to stop instructing them and just enjoy being with them
My ‘Cringe’ Moment
▪   Having kids stand around too much and waiting in lines

▪   Used imagery before a game – but it actually caused the kids to be too relaxed during the first half of the game
Teaching Children
HUGE IDEA #1: Imagery

▪   Use an analogy like spaghetti noodles – if the child is nervous they may be stiff like uncooked noodles, but if they are relaxed they are loose like cooked noodles

▪   Teaching a new skill – Have the child picture themself doing the new skill perfectly first, then have them go through the motion without a ball and picture success, then finally add the ball after the first two visualization steps
Coaching AH-HA Moments
▪   Embrace the Chaos

▪   Build relationships and individualize coaching

▪   Slow down and simplify things
Best Stolen Idea
▪   3 things to say to your child:
1 – I love you
2 – I love to watch you play
3 – What do you want to eat?

Coaching Resources
▪   Book : Survival Guide for Coaching Youth Soccer

▪   Positive Coaching Alliance
Discipline
▪   Logical consequences – Take away what the kid really wants. She doesn’t recommend physical punishment(running, push-ups) because we want kids to enjoy doing these activities.
Reward, Recognition
▪   Catch them being Good - Catch Them Being Good: Everything You Need to Know to Successfully Coach Girls by Tony DiCicco and The Champion Within by Lauren Gregg
Teambuilding
▪   Teams work together when they know each other and appreciate each other’s differences, strengths, interests – so spending time away from the field getting to know each other can be a great way to build teamwork
Inspiring Story
▪   Lindsey coached a 12 year-old girl who was a little lanky and not that coordinated yet – but Lindsey stuck with her and kept challenging her – eventually she went on to be one of her best players and played high school and collegiate soccer.
Winning
▪   Winning is a part of sports – you can’t get away from that. But the first goal should be to develop players and develop a love for the game.

▪   Playing time should not be dictated by talent level – but by effort in practices.
The One that Got Away
▪   In her early years of coaching – she had a season where many of the parents had a win-at-all-costs mentality – and she let them intimidate her into coaching with that mindset
Coaching/Leadership Motivation
▪   Anything by John Wooden
Parting Advice
HUGE IDEA #2 - Make each kid have a moment of success at each practice
Sport for Social Change
▪  Dr. Blom and Ball State are involved in a project using soccer and sports to improve social environments in Tajikistan and Jordan - http://www.bsusfsc.com.
Interview Links
▪   HUDL
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