First of all, our warning. Coaches who teach by being negative
or intimidating can really hurt your kids’ confidence and
enjoyment of sports. No, these coaches do NOT toughen up your
young athletes, as they might insist. They don’t improve kids’
performance, either. Actually, coaches who bully—either with
harsh words or physical harm—can hurt young athletes’ self-
esteem, undermine their social skills and make it hard for them
to trust. In some cases, these coaches can make kids feel
anxious and depressed. What’s more, coaches who use such
negative feedback are generally focused too much on one thing:
winning the game or competition. They give kids the message that
winning is everything. That makes kids focus too much on
outcomes—such as the score or win. It can prevent them from
reaping the social and emotional benefits of taking part in
sports. Focusing too much on the score or win also can hurt
kids’ performance. They often develop fear of failure. That
means they stop taking risks and they play too tentati