by James Tonin, Clubspaces Editorial Team

If you’ve been thinking about translating your passion for sport into a gig as a youth coach, there are a few things you can do to prepare yourself for success. First, you should check and see if you need to attain any coaching certifications for your particular sport, or to coach the particular age group you’re targeting. The national or regional governing body of the sport you want to coach is a good place to start looking if you need further information.

Get Organized

Remember, a coach’s primary job is to provide team members with valuable lessons that will improve their skills. The best way to accomplish this is to create a step-by-step plan for practice sessions. Once you make an initial assessment of each player’s skills, identify a realistic goal for the season – if you’re lucky enough to have a lot of good players on your team (both skilled types and role-players), set your eyes on a championship. If your players need development, focus on making sure every member of the team ends the season a better player than they were at the beginning. Sports development experts also suggest that you teach necessary skills in small pieces – don’t try to do everything at once. Identify the crucial skills that players need to succeed in the sport, and dedicate a practice session to developing each of them individually.

Develop a Strategy for Success

Numbers don’t lie, so make use of them in keeping track of individual players’ progress. Not only will this help you identify areas that your players need further work on, it will also help you make informed decisions during those difficult, close games that could go either way. Knowing what each of your players does well – and what they don’t – is critical to a coach’s success.

Keep it Fun!

If you’ve decided to coach youth amateur sports, remember to let kids be kids. Don’t overwork them, and keep your criticism constructive at all times. Remember that kids have pressures of their own that can affect their play – problems at home, school or with friends can all result in sub-par performances. If there’s a player on your team that isn’t playing up to his or her ability, just emphasize their strengths and encourage the player to keep working at them. Keep the game fun for every player on your team, and you’ll already have succeeded in doing the most important thing a coach can.