By David Jacobson
Positive Coaching Alliance

With temperatures rising these hot summer months, your youth athletes will need their Emotional Tanks to stay fuller than ever. Remember, a person’s emotional tank is similar to a car’s gas tank: when it’s full we can go anywhere, and when it’s empty we can go nowhere.

Just as a car’s engine can overheat and break down, so can youth athletes who keep pushing in extreme heat and humidity. In addition to plenty of water or sports drinks, an extra helping of praise can drive players through the doldrums and dog days of summer.

Generally, Responsible Coaches strive for a “Magic Ratio” of 5:1 – five specific, truthful praises for every one constructive criticism. Consider upping the ante a touch when even ordinary effort, such as jogging to position from the sidelines, feels extraordinary, due to heat or humidity. Watch a clip on how a youth coach puts the Magic Ratio to work in practice in our Media Library. Watch Responsible Sports – Magic Ratio >>

You know the feelings heat can produce in adults: crankiness, short tempers, and the feeling that you would rather be anywhere else as long as it was air-conditioned. Now imagine being a child – heating up more quickly and cooling more slowly than an adult – facing a coach who demands extraordinary effort. In that context, it’s easy to see how a little extra praise could make a big difference in your players’ attitudes and performance.

There is bad news and good news for coaches facing these circumstances. The bad news is that the heat itself is one more distraction for players. Their attention is that much more likely to wander, and the combination of physical and mental fatigue may lead to more mistakes than you are accustomed to seeing. You may have to find a new reservoir of patience, especially as you battle the effects of the heat on yourself!

The good news is that the heat creates an environment where players are exerting extra effort. Therefore, you have extra opportunity to praise them for those efforts. For example:

• “Melissa, you’re doing a great job today, hustling in and out of the dugout. That will keep our team pumped up and let our opponents know we’re not tired.”

• “Will, that’s the way to chase down that loose ball. You see, guys, all of you can put out that kind of work.”

You may have to look a little bit harder than usual for the praise-worthy, or at least take into account how the heat affects your players’ energy levels. Fortunately, you can use a “Buddy System,” which has your players responsible for filling each other’s Emotional Tanks. One way to set up a Buddy System is to assign players in pairs to notice each others’ efforts and results and provide occasional support and encouragement throughout the practice or game. Watch Responsible Sports – Buddy System >>.

With the coaches on the sidelines, the Buddies most likely will be closer to each other on the field and therefore better able to notice when each other needs a boost. Also, some players just respond better to teammates than to coaches, especially when they know their buddies are working just as hard as they are.

In the summer heat, nothing is more important for youth athletes’ health than good hydration and the watchful eye of a Responsible Coach. And nothing is more useful in keeping them happy and productive than a full Emotional Tank.

In an effort to benefit millions of youth athletes, parents and coaches, this article is among a series created exclusively for partners in the Liberty Mutual Responsible Sports ^TM program (ResponsibleSports.com) powered by Positive Coaching Alliance (http://www.positivecoach.org).