Becoming a Youth Sport Leader

Wednesday, April 22, 2015 - 09:00

There is no arguing the inherent value of sport and its positive effects on today’s youth.  Sport offers the opportunity for so many things, social interaction, the value of team work, building confidence, not to mention the healthy lifestyle that is closely associated with sport and physical activity. This summer, if you know a young athlete that is looking to take the next step to becoming a better leader and competitor, they may wish to look into signing up for a youth sport leadership camp.

These camps can be great for providing participants with increased knowledge and the opportunity to develop dynamic skills such as critical thinking, creative problem-solving and organization skills. Ideally, they wish to bring together youth who have the potential to be leaders in the sport community. Key leadership skills are identified and participants learn how they can contribute to another young person’s success.

Sport camps can cover a lot of valuable topics:

• Safety and supervision for sports programs
• Teamwork, communication, professionalism, group dynamics
• Fitness
• Activity lesson plans and goal setting
• Skill teaching, teaching a diverse group, behavior management
• Sport Fundamentals

Many camps will integrate activities that are engaging and fun but are also valuable learning tools. By creating a welcoming environment for young athletes, sport camps are great for youth wishing to create their own way to learn and practice leadership.

Getting involved in a sport leadership camp can be a very practical and exciting experience for future employment or volunteer positions.  They can give campers a broad range of experiences and opportunities in order to develop young people into confident leaders that give you the skills to be a positive role model within your community.  They offer support to youth while they learn more about themselves, broaden campers’ horizons and help to facilitate a learning environment they may not easily find available elsewhere.

References from the SIRC Collection:

Blanton J, Sturges A, Gould D. Lessons Learned from a Leadership Development Club for High School Athletes. Journal Of Sport Psychology In Action. January 2014;5(1):1-13.

MacPhail A, Kirk D, Eley D. Listening to young people's voices: youth sports leaders' advice on facilitating participation in sport. / A l'ecoute des jeunes: leurs conseils pour faciliter la pratique d'un sport. European Physical Education Review. February 2003;9(1):57-73.

Rickabaugh T. Exploring Commitment to Youth Sports Leadership. Strategies (08924562). November 2009;23(2):12-15.

Vella S, Oades L, Crowe T. A Pilot Test of Transformational Leadership Training for Sports Coaches: Impact on the Developmental Experiences of Adolescent Athletes. International Journal Of Sports Science & Coaching. September 2013;8(3):513-530.