Some free advice for youth coaches from Seahawks coach Pete Carroll

Tons of parents head out the sidelines with a clipboard and a little knowledge about the game. But what kind of principles should really be driving youth coaches to get the most out of athletes and make sure athletes get the most out of the experience?

In a conversation with KIRO Radio’s Dori Monson, a girl’s varsity basketball coach himself, world-champion Seahawks coach Pete Carroll outlined a few ideas he has about how coaches should work with athletes.

“I think it begins with, really, a thought that you want to help people be the best they can be,” he said.

“For the youth coaches, if they had that approach and that mentality, and they really meant what they were saying, then they would work with the thought of what is best for the kids, and they’d work to put them in a position and a light that would help them excel and do well,” said Carroll. “As opposed to setting expectations that really are unreachable and having ideals about things and how it should be.”

No matter what position or role a person is playing on the team, Carroll said to work with them and let them know that their contribution is valuable.

“You can help a kid be the best third-base coach he can possible be. It might not be the star pitcher or the shortstop or the point guard, but there’s ways to help people feel really good about their effort,” said Carroll. “I think it’s hugely important to make it a great experience for the young people.”

In the Seahawks organization, Carroll said this type of philosophy applies to everyone. “We’re trying to help everybody find their way to their best,” he said. “We do that with everybody in the program whether you’re a trainer or a coach or a doctor or a player.”

“We’ve found when we work with our individual people with that kind of language and conversation, and that true intent, we’re able to tap into the best they have, and they also are able and willing to give what they have too,” said Carroll. “So it can make for a really good experience and it isn’t about the winning and losing, it’s about doing the best you can.”