I COACH KIDS

When coaching children, goal setting isn’t just about performance—it’s about shaping experiences, behaviours, and long-term development.

🌱 The key takeaway: Goal setting in youth sport isn’t about rigid targets—it’s about guiding principles that keep us aligned with what really matters:
👉 Happy, engaged children who are learning and growing

Let’s move beyond scoreboards and start setting goals that truly make a difference.

One of the most important principles in youth sport is simple:
👉 Make the sport fit the child—not the child fit the sport.

🌱 Because when we adapt sport to the child, we don’t just improve performance—we build enjoyment, confidence, and a lifelong love of physical activity.

Let’s rethink how we design youth sport—and put children first, every time.

Mistakes are inevitable in sport. In fact, they’re essential for learning. But how coaches respond in those moments can make all the difference.

🌱 Ultimately, it’s about helping players move closer to the ideal response: learn, reset, and carry on. Because what happens after the mistake matters more than the mistake itself.

👉 A great reminder that coaching is not just about correcting errors—it’s about shaping confident, resilient, and self-aware young people.

When athletes feel known, valued, and supported, development becomes more meaningful and impactful.

⚖️ Importantly, holistic coaching isn’t about removing challenge—it’s about balancing care and stretch. That’s where confidence, resilience, and long-term engagement are built.

👉 The takeaway: coaching isn’t just about developing better players—it’s about helping young people thrive as individuals and fostering a lifelong love of sport.

Helping More Girls Start, Stay, and Succeed in Sport

Girls continue to face barriers to participating in sport—and too often, they drop out early. But this isn’t about lack of interest or ability. It’s about the environments we create.

👉 Whether you're designing sessions, shaping programmes, or influencing policy, this guide provides a clear framework to help more girls enjoy and continue being active for life.

Let’s move beyond one-size-fits-all approaches and start listening, adapting, and creating environments where every girl can thrive.

If you’re passionate about helping children thrive through sport, teaching, or physical activity, the ICOACHKIDS Hub is a must-explore resource.

👉 Whether you're new to coaching or an experienced practitioner, this platform helps you reflect, learn, and grow—so every child gets a positive, meaningful experience in sport.

💬 Let’s keep raising the standard of youth sport—together.

In 20 minutes you could mow the lawn, make a cup of coffee, unload the dishwasher or…

You could take the free ICOACHKIDS Essentials course that’s made for all youth coaches and is in collaboration with Nike ✔️

You’ll learn how to create safe, fun and engaging environments and earn a new badge to add to your collection.

Head to https://icoachkids.org/courses/essentials/begin to get started!