Even though most state that coaching is simply to teach others how to play a game, it is much more than this.  The effects that coaching can have on a young child or youth, can help them to gain some important tools that they can keep for the rest of their lifetime.  The tools that you will be teaching to your players will help them to grow and flourish, no matter what turn they make in their lifetime. 

The first major lesson that individuals can learn from playing on a team that you are coaching comes from the relationships that they build with each other.  When one is able to work with a team, no matter what the project, and learn how to compromise and fit into the bigger picture, it makes it easier for them later on.  The youth and children that are involved will grow up with ideas about what it means to help others as well as take on their own leadership roles.  They will also be able to see these same relationship values coming from the leadership role that you present. 

For the individual child, participating in sports can have the same major effect on them.  This first begins with the child having the ability to understand the importance of health and exercise in order to stay at their best.  Recent studies have shown that adults that played sports when they were younger are much more active and exercise as adults up to three times more than other average adults. 

Beyond this, children and youth will gain insights into which they are as individual players.  Not only does their physical health improve, but their mental health will as well.  Once a child or youth understands the game and begins to get positive feedback from the moves that they make, they are likely to also get a good boost of self-esteem.  This doesn’t just happen with self-esteem, but also with perceptions of themselves, such as body image.  The attitudes that the children learn with positive outlooks on their mental and physical health, will eventually carry over into how they see themselves in the future and as adults.  The foundation begins when they are young and playing on any type of field. 

What does all of this mean to you as a coach?  The basic rule is that you should have the ability to coach right.  You are not just playing a game.  You are also building a foundation for them.  This foundation includes personal changes that are important to the child as well as a building of who they are mentally, physically and relation to others.  If you want to play a good game as a coach, it means making sure that everyone starts off on the right foot.

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Many people don’t take the time to stretch their muscles before and after exercise and then they wonder why they are getting injured all the time.

It only takes minutes to stretch your muscles and by doing so you will pump more blood into the area that needs it thereby reducing the chance of injury.

Considering the time it takes to recover from injury and the loss of valuable fitness training, stretching is something that should never be left out of any training routine.

It is just as important to stretch whether you are on a resistance-training program or simply going for a walk.

Many different muscles are activated with the various types of exercise we do and it is essential to target those muscles when stretching.

If you are intending to do a heavy weight session on the lower body then you would need to warm up your leg muscles with some time on a stationary bike and then possibly touching your toes to limber up your lower back and hamstrings.

If you are going for a run, you would also need to stretch your legs, and in particular your hamstrings, where many runners have problems.

Tight hamstrings can also create problems with your lower back so often the problem is coming from an area other than where the pain is felt.

Stretching should always be light and never forced as that alone can cause more injury than some of the exercises we perform.
You should never bounce when stretching either as this can tear muscles or strain them enough that they will tear during the course of training.

If you are doing resistance training it is wise to start the first movement of any exercise with little or no weight to get the blood into your muscles and warm them up for the heavier weights that are to follow.

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There’s no doubt about the importance of regular and sound sleep for optimum health.

One of the benefits of regular exercise is the fact that it also helps to encourage better sleep patterns.

By exercising there are benefits such as a reduction in stress levels that will also help you to relax more easily and this in turn will help you to sleep better.

You should not however exercise just before going to bed as the stimulation that you get from exercise can hinder your chance of going to sleep.

The best times to exercise are in the morning or early afternoon.
This is not always convenient and many people are unable to exercise any time earlier than after work.

If this is the case then it is still best to exercise as early as possible and allow a little to unwind and relax before retiring for the night.

As your sleep patterns become more regular from the exercise your energy levels will increase from the additional sleep and this in turn will allow you to exercise more often and for longer periods.

With exercise and sleep complimenting one another you can make quite rapid gains in fitness and overall health provided you exercise consistently.

If you don’t focus on getting good sleep, then there is a possibility you could wind up over training if you are exercising intensively.

Aside from good exercise and good sleep, you must always maintain good nutrition.
Nutrition also has a bearing on your ability to sleep well, so as you can see, you need balance in your life to get the most out of it.

When any element is missing and there is something out of balance all else suffers.
Even a little exercise will help a lot over a period of time, as will increasing your sleep and relaxation time.

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