Youth Sports Coaching Information

Coaches' Training Powerpoint

Mission Statement:

"It is the mission of the Parks and Recreation Youth Sports programs to serve young players, their families and the Jefferson City community at large by providing fun, safe and enjoyable youth sports experiences by recognizing each player’s physical and emotional well-being, by teaching skills development, by treating them with respect and dignity, by encouraging positive parent involvement and by enriching young lives with meaningful recreation and socialization.”   

Program Objectives:
The Jefferson City Parks and Recreation Commission has established the following objectives for its youth sports program.  It is our hope, our goal, and our responsibility to see that youth sports will be approached by all concerned as programs which will:

  1. provide enjoyment for the participants, coaches, and parents;
  2. contribute to the mental, emotional, physical, and social development of the children;
  3. foster character by teaching participants how to win and how to accept defeat, while continually placing emphasis on fair play and fun;
  4. provide an opportunity for parents and children to participate in a common leisure interest;
  5. provide all children, regardless of skill level, the right to participate as a child with competent, caring adult leadership and guidance;
  6. treat all children with dignity;
  7. provide adults with an opportunity to teach children the importance of sportsmanship, mature behavior, and the fun of participation in sports.

NAYS badgeThe Role of Volunteer Staff Members: 
You have generously volunteered to assist with a youth sports program offered and conducted by Parks and Recreation Department.  The Department appreciates your willingness to help.

As a volunteer staff member, it is imperative that you understand our expectations for this position, in effect, your job description.  This begins with the explanation that these programs are designed to provide all participants with an opportunity for fun and success; an occasion for youngsters to improve their physical fitness, their social talents, and their attitudes towards exercise and sports while developing skills.  These programs must be a positive learning experience for all children who wish to participate.

You, therefore, are now a Teacher.  As with all teachers, the expectations are demanding.  If you are good at instructing sports skills and the children perceive you to be a fair person, they will respect you greatly.  You have a wonderful opportunity to enrich their lives by setting an example of sportsmanship and personal integrity.

Your job is to instruct, guide, direct, and assist youngsters in developing skills and enjoying the sport; to help the youngsters grow, mature, and develop a healthy attitude toward recreation and sports; and to foster an atmosphere of mutual respect with the dignity and self-esteem of the children as the highest priority.

It is expected that you will provide safe, well-organized practice sessions (classes); that you will communicate constructively with the youngsters and their parents; that you will effectively teach the fundamental skills of your sport; that you will know and abide by all league rules; that you will respect Parks and Recreation staff and provide a positive example of sportsmanship for your team;  and that you will remain drug, alcohol, and tobacco free at any and all activities involving your team and will assure that your assistants do the same.

Teaching is a hard job.  The children are watching all the time.  We cannot let them down.