• Needs Improvement - My written and communicated philosophy focuses on goals for the program which assumes athlete development but does not clearly communicate athlete development. My focus on winning may overshadow athlete development.

• Acceptable - My written and communicated philosophy prioritizes athlete development over winning at all costs. My philosophy also outlines athlete development goals focused on physical, mental, and social development.

• Exceptional - My written and communicated philosophy prioritizes athlete development over winning at all costs. My philosophy also outlines athlete development goals focused on physical, mental, and social development plus I have implemented daily strategies that I use in practice and games to reinforce my philosophy and help athletes develop.

Check out these resources if you are interested in improving coaching practice:

Athlete-Centered Coaching

A Holistic Approach to Coaching

Coaching Athletes from a Holistic Perspective

Building your Coaching Philosophy

Living your Philosophy

• Needs Improvement - I prioritize athlete development but I do not specifically note which physical, social, and emotional skills I develop. Further, the development is not aligned with athletes’ age and development stage (i.e., it is not clear that practices and activities are developmentally appropriate). I place an emphasis on being physically active but checks are not in place to ensure the athletes have the fundamental movement patterns (e.g., running, jumping, throwing, striking) to be successful in sport participation.

• Acceptable - I have clear physical, social, and emotional skills that are identified for improvement that are appropriate to the age of the athlete and their stage of development (i.e., I identify key skills that are developed at age 6 and these are different and/or more developed for athletes at age 8 and further developed at age 10). I encourage athletes to develop their fundamental movement patterns (e.g., running, hopping, dodging) and I check these movement patterns to ensure successful execution of sport specific skills.

• Exceptional - I have clear physical, social, and emotional skills that are identified for improvement that are appropriate to the age of the athlete and their stage of development. I encourage athletes to develop their fundamental movement patterns (e.g., running, hopping, dodging) and these patterns are checked to ensure successful execution of sport specific skills. Further, I possess awareness of markers of early and late maturation to make adjustments in development plans of athletes.

Check out these resources if you are interested in improving coaching practice:

Key Principles of Coaching Kids

Introduction to Long Term Athlete Development

Longterm Development in Sport & Physical Activity

When to Specialize?

Developing Social and Emotional Skills Through Sport

Understanding Physical Literacy

• Needs Improvement - While I encourage athletes to set goals, goals are not created for the season or emphasized in practice. If my athletes do set goals, they tend to only focus on physical development.

• Acceptable - I set goals for the season (sometimes in consultation with athletes) and the team goals are shared with athletes who are encouraged to create goals aligned with the season goals (depending on the athlete’s age). These goals are related to physical, social, and psychological development of the athlete.

• Exceptional - I set goals for the season (sometimes in consultation with athletes) and the team goals are shared with athletes who are encouraged to create goals aligned with the season goals(depending on the athlete’s age). These goals are related to physical, social, and psychological development of the athlete. Additionally, goals are incorporated into practices regularly and goal progress is monitored throughout the season.

Check out these resources if you are interested in improving coaching practice:

Basic Goal Setting Principles

Steps to Accomplishing Team Goals

Develop Goal Setting Meetings

One Method for Monitoring Team & Athlete Goals

• Needs Improvement - I develop my sport program based on previous athlete and/or coaching experiences with little consideration of current athletes or community

• Acceptable-I developed my sport program with an understanding of the specific skills and conditioning of the incoming athletes (e.g., built around improving their physical, technical, and tactical potential, playing to strengths, and understanding team dynamics specific to the age and stage of my athletes).

• Exceptional - I developed my sport program with an understanding of the specific skills and conditioning of the incoming athletes (e.g., built around improving their physical, technical, and tactical potential, playing to strengths, and understanding team dynamics specific to the age and stage of my athletes). Additionally, I consider school and community resources, support, and commitment in my programming planning.

Check out these resources if you are interested in improving coaching practice:

Understand the Role of the Coach in Why Athletes Drop Out

Adopting an Athlete-Centered Training Model

Encouraging Multi-Sport Participation