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Cabarrus High School Swimming: Positive Youth Development ProgramMegan E. Sparks Michigan State UniversityAbstractThe purpose of this paper is to implement key points of positive youth development programs into a high school swim program. Sports have the ability to make a positive impact in youth’s lives if implemented correctly (Gould & Carson, 2008). By using a positive youth development model to frame a youth sports program athletes will be set up to learn life skills such as leadership, responsibility, team work, and healthy life styles which will help athletes be successful in school and later in life (Hodge, Danish, & Martin, 2013). In order for life skills to be taught to the swimmers, coaches need to develop trusting relationships with their athletes (Smith & Smoll, 2002) and use a transformational coaching philosophy. Once these relationships are in place, explicit life skills instruction will take place. Weekly lessons will focus on key life skills such as community, communication, justice, and competition (Ehrmann, 2011). Teachable moments during practices and games will also be used to reinforce the lessons. This paper will also discuss how to evaluate the program to make sure the goals of the program are being met (Martinek, 2003). Keywords: positive youth development, youth sports, life skillsCabarrus High School Swimming: Positive Youth Development ProgramYouth sports programs can have positive impacts on the lives of the participants. Not only can programs help youth avoid risky behavior such as drugs, alcohol, and sexual activity; but properly developed youth sports programs can help athletes build positive life skills in areas such as decision making, critical thinking, communication, empathy, and coping skills (Hodge, Danish, & Martin, 2013). By learning life skills in these areas, youth have an increased likelihood of success. Youth athletes have been shown to be more successful in school, posess higher self-esteem, and demonstrate leadership skills (Gould & Carson, 2008). Sports in schools can make this type of impact by becoming co-curricular activities instead of just extra-curricular activities (Ehrmann, 2011). By making sports co-curricular, sports become an educational activity in which positive life skills are taught. It is important for youth sports to fill the need of teaching active lifestyles and positive life skills as obesity increases in America and physical education in schools decreases (Farrey, 2008). A positive youth development program should provide a safe physical and emotional atmosphere where athletes can belong, trained and trusted coaches, high expectations, and the opportunity to gain skills (Coatsworth & Conry, 2011 and Larson, Eccles, & Gootman, 2004). In order to turn the Cabarrus High School swim team into a co-curricular activity rather than just an after school activity, it is necessary to evaluate the needs and goals of the team (Pitman, Diversi, and Ferber, 2002) and use these goals to set a clear mission (Coatsworth & Conry, 2011). Identifying Outcome Goals The first step to developing a positive youth development program is to identify the outcome goals for the program (Pitman, Diversi, & Ferber, 2002). The outcome goals for the Cabarrus High School swim team is to teach positive life skills in a co-curricular setting that will help athletes be successful in school as well as other areas of their lives. By learning these life skills, athletes will gain autonomy, competency, and relatedness for a more optimal psychological well-being (Hodge, Danish, & Martin, 2012). Once the goals are set for the program it is necessary to evaluate the target group, time frame, support systems, and available resources (Pitman, Diversi, & Ferber, 2002). The target group for this program is high school students (typically aged 14-18 years old) that are interested in swimming. Approximately 20 to 30 female and male athletes are expected to participate in the Cabarrus High School swim team. Athletes aged 14-18 years old fall in both stage three (training to train) and stage four (training to compete) stages of Balyi’s six stages of athletic development (Farrey, 2008). As such it is important that athletes are able to develop sport specific skills through practice, as well as have ample opportunity to compete. The program will run for approximately four months during the swim season of November to February. During the season there will be four swimming training sessions of one hour and forty minutes long per week and two dry land session of half an hour each per week. The beginning of each practice will start with a 10 minute discussion or activity on the life skills topic of the week. There will also be, on average, one meet per week. The coaches and team will have access to school classrooms, school facilities such as fields and weight room, and the community pool. However, their main meeting place will be the community pool. In addition to that the coaches have access to a small fund of money (approximately $500) from fundraisers and athletic funds. The coaches and athletes will have the support of the high school administration, athletic directors, coaches in the community, and hopefully teachers. Parents will also be expected to help support the expectations and rules of the program. In order to meet the needs of a positive youth development program, it is critical that the coaches go through a coaching education program that discusses emotional and physical abilities of high school age athletes (Trudel & Gilbert, 2006), a set of clear rules and expectations are developed (Coatsworth & Conry, 2007), the first day atmosphere set to help athletes and parents feel welcome (Fry, 2010), lessons developed to introduce life skills in a meaningful way (Ehrmann, 2011), and an evaluation process in place to help measure the impact of the program (Izzo, Connell, Gambone, & Bradshaw, 2004). All of these steps help make sure that athletes are receiving a transformational experience instead of being used as pawns for a means to an end (Ehrmann, 2011). Double Goal Coaching Coaching choice and education is extremely necessary when developing a positive youth development program. Coaches have the ability to impact athletes a great deal. This impact can be positive or negative depending on the coaching philosophy and actions of the coaches (Smith & Smoll, 2002 and Ehrmann, 2011). With the outcome goals of the Cabarrus High School swim team focused on becoming a co-curricular activity in which educational life skills are emphasized and taught, it is important that coaches learn how to and demonstrate actions as more than just a coach but as a teacher-coach. Teacher-coaches see sports as not being separate from academics but as working hand-in-hand with school classes to help motivate and inspire athletes to learn by bringing material alive in the sports environment (Ehrmann, 2011). In order for coaches to become transformational teacher-coaches who care about their athletes’ emotional development as well as athletic development, it is important that coaches receive proper education. Coaching EducationToo often coaches without training resort to coaching how they have been coached, which often is in a transactional manner. Transactional coaching focuses not on the needs of the individual athletes but on the desire of the coach to win, even at the cost of the athletes’ emotional or physical well-being. These types of coaches can be bullies, dictators, narcissists, misfits, or saints. Bullies verbally tear down athletes. Dictators who insist at winning at all cost even if an athlete is hurt or have to do something immoral. Narcissistic coaches try to make the athletes a mirror image of themselves. Misfit and saint coaches work to gain approval and attention from athletes. They often have loose rules and expectations to not alienate athletes (Ehrmann, 2011). These coaches have lower retention rates than those that have participated in a coaching education training program (Gould & Carson, 2008).Coaching education strives to teach coaches to be transformational coaches by teaching coaches how to effectively encourage and motivate athletes in a positive manner (Gould & Carson, 2008) and how to be more than an athletic coach but a teacher-coach applying the educational philosophy of school to their team. Teacher-coaches strive to inspire athletes to do more than just win, but use sports to help make athletes equipped for life (Ehrmann, 2011). Thus, all coaches involved in the Cabarrus High School swim team will be required to do an online training through either USA Swimming or the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) as well as participate in a coaches’ round table each year in which coaches from the county can discuss concerns, questions, and suggestions together. While it has been shown that coaches do not learn best from large scale coaching models, both USA swimming and NFHS provide training in fundamentals of coaching, sport specific techniques, and safety (Trudel & Gilbert, 2006). Fundamentals of coaching will discuss with coaches the differences of athletes based on age, gender, and motivation (Smith & Smoll, 2002) as well as sport (swimming) specific knowledge. Both USA Swimming and NFHS are module based allowing coaches to take only the modules that apply to their teams (Trudel & Gilbert, 2006). By working with other local schools and creating a coaches’ round table, a social atmosphere is provided in which coaches can reflect together on their experiences as well as develop relationships with other coaches that can act as sounding boards and mentors (Trudel & Gilbert, 2006). The hope is that while the round table only happens once a year, coaches will be in constant contact with each other sharing ideas, asking for help, and constantly working to improve. At the request of the county athletic administration, the round table will start with a presentation about what it means to be a transformational coach. This will act as a reminder to all returning coaches, as well as a lesson to new coaches, on the goals of co-curricular sports in the county. Transformational coaches (or teacher-coaches) strive to inspire, motivate, and make powerful changes in their athletes (Ehrmann, 2011). Coaches at the round table will be asked: Why do you coach? They will also role play scenarios that occur on the field such as an athlete telling another teammate that they messed up and lost the game for them. As the coaches role play, they can collaborate different approaches that can be used. At the end, coaches will have the opportunity to ask their peers questions in order to utilize all the experiences of the other coaches. After the round table, coaches of the Cabarrus High School swim team have set a clear answer to “Why we coach?” as: To guide athletes in becoming effective citizens demonstrating responsibility for their actions and concern for all. This demonstrates their desire to be transformational coaches by focusing on the overall development of their athletes and teaching them responsibility, respect, and empathy. In order to meet this goal, it is imperative that the coaches make an impact immediately on day 1 of the swim season (Fry, 2010) and have a well thought out lesson plan of weekly life skills (Ehrmann, 2011). First Day ImpressionsThe first day of a season can be anxiety ridden for those involved. Not just athletes but coaches can also be anxious to make a good impression (Fry, 2010). Building trust starts from the first impression and starts the leg work on good coach-athlete relationships, athlete-athlete relationships, and parent-coach relationships. Youth participate in sports to have fun, make friends, and improve skills (Weinberg & Gould, 2014). By demonstrating a positive attitude and realistic expectations the first day, coaches are able to motivate athletes to stick with the team and begin modeling positive attitudes from the start (Fry, 2010). As athletes and parents enter the first team meeting, coaches will make an effort to greet each athlete by name and learn a few personal tidbits about each one (Ehrmann, 2011). Each athlete enters the room with a different life story that will play a critical role in how they learn, are motivated, and how they behave (Smith & Smoll, 2002). The coaches will ask about their swimming experience, members of their family, favorite subject, and their goals after high school. As more athletes enter the meeting, coaches will make an effort to introduce them to other athletes to break the ice. Since there will be some returning players, as it is a high school team, the coaches will also ask for returning players to mingle with new players. Once everyone has been greeted, the coaches will make a positive, motivational speech. It is important that coaches show their excitement for the upcoming season in their speech as well as defining their goals (or philosophy) and sharing expectations and rules for the team (Fry, 2010 and Camire, Forneris, Trudel, & Bernard, 2011). Excitement can be shown through adjusting tone of the voice, smiling, and sharing that they are looking forward to the coming season. The coaches will explain that the expectations of the team are simple: players and coaches are expected to live by co-curricular educational virtues that mirror the schools philosophy. These virtues are: liberty, respect, and moral courage (Ehrmann, 2011). This will be demonstrated by showing up on time, showing respect to self and others, and committing time and energy to the team. Swimmers will be expected to attend all the classroom, dry land, and pool sessions as well as the meets. The coaches will also explain to athletes and parents that success is viewed by seeing improvement in both swimming skills and life skills, not in winning meets or individual events. Success is not always a result of the positive events, instead setbacks and failures often help lead us to success (Fry, 2010 and Ehrmann, 2011). During this introduction coaches will also go over rules that are set in place to help keep athletes safe. These rules include a strict no-hazing policy enforced by the county. Coaches will explain that hazing is any degrading or humiliating activity in which new members of the team are expected to participate (Waldron, 2012). It will also be explained that all coaches have gone through background checks and will follow measures such as never being alone with an athlete in order to protect an athlete’s wellbeing (Fried, 1996). Coaches will then appeal to athletes and parents to be alert and aware of each other as well as other adults. If anyone notices anything suspicious or sees improper behavior, whether hazing or sexual related, it is important they report it to a coach, parents, or school administrator immediately (Fried, 1996 and Gould, 2006). By including parents in the explanation of rules and expectations of the team, they can be used as advocates instead of being viewed as problems. At the end of this meeting, coaches, athletes, and parents will all be expected to sign a commitment that details their responsibilities to the team (Ehrmann, 2011) (see Appendix A, B, and C for commitment contracts). Before they are asked to sign these commitments, coaches will verbally review all three commitments so that everyone can work to hold each other accountable. This will help parents and athlete know what is appropriate behavior and the expectations that all parties are being held to. By doing so parents can help support coaches in creating a positive climate and uphold the expectations their children are being held to (Gould, 2006). Once the introductory meeting is over, it is important that coaches continue the positive attitude and teacher-coach persona throughout the entire season. To do this, coaches will strive to connect with athletes daily, get to know their athletes, and design weekly topics to teach life skills. Connecting with AthletesYouth are motived to participate in sports because they feel like they are competent at the sport, improving, and because they feel as if they are accepted as part of the team (Weinberg & Gould, 2014). Coaches that are trusted and have positive relationships with their athletes also have a more positive impact on their athletes’ life skills learning (Ehrmann, 2011). Therefore it is an important part of a transformational coach’s job to build positive relationships and environment. In order to work towards these goals, coaches with the Cabarrus High School swim team will strive for daily interactions with athletes and using positive affirmation even in critiques (Weinburg & Gould, 2014). This type of communication will allow athletes and coaches to connect with one another (Ehrmann, 2011). Daily interactions that the Cabarrus High School swim coaches will strive for include greeting each athlete by name as they arrive to practice. This demonstrates to the athletes that they are valued by the coaches. As coaches are greeting athletes they will also engage them with a question or two about their life outside of swimming to show that the coaches support and are interested in them as a person not just an athlete (Ehrmann, 2011). Questions the coaches might ask could be “How was school today?” “What did you do this weekend?” “How are your grades?” etc. As coaches learn more about their athletes’ home life and interests the questions should be more individually catered. This helps athletes know that the coaches were listening and showing interest in them (Ehrmann, 2011). Asking personal questions helps coaches understand an athlete better as no athlete is a blank slate when joining the swim team (Camire, Forneris, Trudel, & Bernard, 2011). By opening conversations with athletes, it encourages and provides an opportunity for athletes to express their feelings and concerns. As it is important that youth athletes feel acceptance and affirmation, the communication of critiques is imperative to make sure athletes do not feel rejection from those critiques. Thus the swim team coaches will use a VCR approach. The VCR approach styles the discussion with an athlete in a validate-challenge-request manner (Ehrmann, 2011). This means that a coach will first address a player by name and ask to talk with them individually, with another coach present. By having an individual meeting, athletes will not feel as if they are being criticized in front of peers (Camire, Forneris, Trudel, & Bernard, 2011). Then coaches will validate the athlete by sharing with them a skill they are doing well with or letting them know they can understand where they are coming from. For example, if player complains that they don’t want to swim a 500 meter freestyle because it is too long, a coach could validate what they are saying by responding, “I understand you don’t want to swim the 500 meter race because it is really long…” Then the coach will challenge them to work on a skill they are struggling with or challenge their perspective. The conversation could continue with “… but if you think about 500 meters, that isn’t that far. You swim over 7,000 meters in one practice.” And finally the coach will request them to try to make the corrections in a skill or to try and approach the topic in a different manner. As the VCR about the 500 meter swim continues a coach could say, “Will you try the 500 meter race this time and see how it goes? I think you will be really good.” These steps allow the athlete to know you are listening to them and allow for an open discussion while still allowing the coach to come out as the authority. The VCR approach also helps coaches walk the athletes through a process of seeing things from other viewpoints and working outside their comfort zone to improve themselves (Ehrmann, 2011). Since coaches are the role models of their swimmers (Gould & Carson, 2008), it is essential that all actions (verbal and non-verbal) of the coaches are positive. By acting with mutual respect and kindness, coaches role model these behaviors for athletes to mimic (Fry, 2010). To demonstrate this coaches need to work to affirm the efforts of athletes, show up on time, be prepared for practice with lesson and practice plans, listen to athlete’s comments, and show interest in athlete’s success and struggles both on and off the field. These supportive relationships of coaches acting as mentors play a pivotal role in the swimmers life skill development (Larson, Eccles, Gootman, 2004). Weekly Life Skills LessonsCabarrus High School swim coaches will be building relationships with their swimmers as teacher-coaches. This mentor-like relationship provides a perfect opportunity to help their athletes develop emotionally, mentally, and socially (Hamilton et al., 2006). As mentors, coaches are able to offer guidance, support, and lessons to encourage their athletes to develop character and confidence. This ultimately helps the athletes become more competent and independent which increases their likelihood of success in life (Hodge, Danish, & Martin, 2003). As it is important for coaches to directly teach life skills, as well as help their athletes apply and transfer life skills (Camire, Forneris, Trudel, & Bernard, 2011), the swim coaches will take 10 minutes at the beginning of each practice to discuss a life skills topic. Life skills topics will be focused around community, justice, communication, and honorable competition (Ehrmann, 2011) and include activities, discussion questions, and debriefs (see Appendix D). These sessions will allow students to openly talk and engage in conversation and actions to the weekly topic. These lessons will help define concepts, walk athletes through interpreting events, and contemplating their actions. These types of open discussions and activities will promote critical thinking, communication, decision making, and empathy (Hodge, Danish, & Martin, 2003) as well as build character and confidence of swim team members. From season to season, coaches will work to improve lesson plans based on how athletes reacted to topics and activities as well as areas that athletes struggled with. Evaluation and ChangeIt is critical for a positive youth development program to be successful that coaches and staff use evaluation techniques to make sure the program is working. Not only do they need to evaluate if the original program goals are being achieved but they also need to evaluate whether or not the goals of the program align with the needs of the participates (Martinek, 2003). Once the program is evaluated, it is up to the staff and coaches to make adjustments to the program. Evaluation can be done throughout the season and coaches don’t have to wait until the end of a season to make adjustments. In Season EvaluationAs the swim season progresses, it is critical for the coaches of the Cabarrus High School swim team to continuously reflect on the activities and plans. As the coaches get to know each of their athletes, they will be able to more accurately gauge the needs of this year’s athletes. If coaches notice that most of their athletes struggle with a certain skill such as respect, they should choose to extend this lesson topic into the next week. And if they notice that their athletes are already strong at clear communication, they might choose to forgo much of this lesson in order to focus on weaker areas. Coaches also will note how their team responds to different types of activities. The team might struggle to have reflective discussions and the coach spends most of the time trying to pull thoughts from athletes, but they might be very insightful in writing reflective journals. In this case the coach should notice this and make adjustments to the lessons to allow for more individual reflection and to teach athletes how to transfer written reflective thoughts into verbal conversations. This is an informal way that coaches can continuously adjust the program to fit the current team. Midway through the season the coaches of the swim team should do a more formal evaluation of the season based on athlete evaluations. By making use of athletes’ thoughts in an evaluation format, the coaches are including them in the direction the team will focus on (Camire, Forneris, Trudel, & Bernard, 2011) as well as making sure the program fits the needs of the athletes. A simple questionnaire asking athletes questions about what topic they learned the most from and the least from as well as their favorite activity and least favorite activity and why. This gives coaches a quick idea of what is engaging athletes the best so the rest of the lesson plans can be catered to them. End of Season EvaluationAt the end of the season, a more thorough evaluation is necessary to make sure that the program is achieving its proposed goals and meeting the needs of the athletes (Martinek, 2003). A survey will be given to each of the students at the end of the season (see Appendix E). This survey will include a scale from 1 to 5: one being “not at all” and five being “exceptional.” Each weekly lesson topic will be asked to be graded on the scale. Then the four main activities used (open discussion, reflective writing, role playing, and guided questions) will be ranked using the same scale. Athletes will also be asked to evaluate how they perceive their relationships with their coaches, peers, and themselves as this plays a large factor in their learning process. Stronger relationships and confidence in themselves are part of the main goals for developing a positive youth program (Larson, Eccles, & Gootman, 2004). These surveys will be anonymous and allow athletes to give any additional feedback. The coaches can use these surveys as well as school attendance, suspension days, grades, and retention rates to track how these change throughout the season and from season to season. There should be improvement in these areas as the coaches develop strong lesson plans and relationships for their athletes. Making ChangesAfter each season the coaches of the Cabarrus High School swim team should use these surveys and school records to reflect on the season. The first piece of reflection needs to be to revisiting the goal of the program: To guide athletes in becoming effective citizens demonstrating responsibility for their actions and concern for all. Do the coaches feel as if this goal was met? Do the athletes demonstrate competency in being effective citizens? Then coaches should use the data from the surveys as well as the school records collected to reflect on the effectiveness of the program (Izzo, Connell, Gambone, & Bradshaw, 2004). What areas do the surveys show weaknesses in? What activities do students relate best to? How was their school life affected? Using the answers to these questions the coaches can identify what goals were met. Immediate goals such as “athletes understanding the concepts taught” will be the easiest to see while long term and intermediate goals such as “athletes being lifelong effective citizens” might not be easily evaluated as the effects take time. Using the answers to these questions the coaches will implement changes to their program. They will increase activities that were effective in lessons and replace ineffective activities. This will be a time for coaches to come up with new activities and use their coaches’ round table resources to ask for ideas (Izzo, Connell, Gambone, & Bradshaw, 2004). Overtime, if coaches are seeing trends of athlete needs, they might even choose to adjust their overall program goals to focus more specifically in areas of constant need. Coaches have to continuously balance program goals with athlete needs. Without the athletes’ needs being met first, the program will not be effective (Larson, Eccles, & Gootman, 2004).Summary of ProgramThe Central Cabarrus High School swim team is striving to be a positive youth development program in which athlete’s emotional and physical needs are met and life skills are taught in order to help athletes succeed more in their academicss and the future. As the coaches of the swim team it is imperative that coaches understand the needs and development of youth as well as how to protect their athletes. Coaches will learn this through numerous continuous coaching classes and a yearly meeting of county coaches. Coaches will use this information in order to provide a safe, positive environment for their athletes starting at day one. During the season coaches will strive to have clear expectations communicated to both athletes and their parents and ask that they commit to the expectations given. Coaches will work to create trusting relationships with each athlete so they feel accepted and worthwhile. As the season progresses, athletes will learn life skills through daily lessons, role modeling, and teachable moments that will help teach them to become effective citizens. Throughout the season coaches will adjust the program to the needs of the athletes and ask them to fill out a survey at the end of the season. From year to year coaches will strive to improve the program so it continuously teaches positive life skills and meets the program goals. ReferencesCamire, M., Forneris, T., Trudel, P., & Bernard, D. (2011). Strategies for helping facilitate positive youth development through sport. Journal of Sport Psychology in Action, 2, 92-99.Coatsworth, J. D., & Conroy, D. E. (2007). Youth sport as a component of organized after school programs. New Directions for Youth Development, 115, 57-74. Ehrmann, J., Ehrmann, P., & Jordan, G. (2011). InSideOut Coaching: How sports can transform lives. New York, NY: Simon & Schuster. Farrey, T. (2008). Game On: The all-American race to make champions of our children. New York, NY: ESPN Books.Fried, G. B. (1996). Strategies for reducing sexual assaults in youth sports. Journal of Legal Aspects of Sport. 6(3), 155-168. Fry, M. D. (2010). Creating a positive climate for young athletes from Day 1. Journal of Sport Psychology in Action, 1, 33-41. Gould, D. (2006). Parents are not the enemy. Mentor, 2(3), 6-7.Gould, D., & Carson, S. (2008). Personal development through sport. In Hebestreit, H., & Bar-Or, O. (eds.), The Encyclopedia of Sports Medicine – The Young Athlete (pp. 287-301). Oxford: Blackwell Science. Hamilton, S., Hamilton, M., Hirsch, B., Hughes, J., King, J., & Marton, K. (2006). Community contexts for mentoring. Journal of Community Psychology, 34(6), 727-746.Hodge, K., Danish, S., & Martin, J. (2013). Developing a conceptual framework for life skills interventions. The Counseling Psychologist, 41, 1125-1152. Izzo, C.V., Connell, J.P., Gambone, M.A. & Bradshaw, C.P. (2004). Understanding and improving youth development initiatives through evaluation. In Hamilton, S.F. & Hamilton, M.A. (Eds). The youth development handbook: Coming of age in American communities. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage. pp. 301-326. Larson, R., Eccles, J., Gootman, J. (2004). Features of positive developmental settings. The Prevention Researcher, 11(2). 8-13. Martinek, T. (2003). Program evaluation. In Hellison, D. (2003). Teaching Responsibility through physical activity (2nd edition). (pp. 211-228). Champaign, IL: Human Kinetics. Pittman, K., Diversi, M., & Ferber, T. (2002). Social policy supports for adolescence in the Twenty-first century: Framing questions. Journal of Research on Adolescents, 12(1), 149-158. Smith, R. E., & Smoll, F. L. (2002). Coaching behaviors and interventions in youth sports. In F. I. Smoll & R. E. Smith (eds.). Children and youth in sports: A biopsychosocial perspective (pp. 211-233). Dubuque, Iowa: Kendall/Hunt Publishers.Trudel, P. & Gilbert, W. (2006). Coaching and coach education. In Kirk, D., Mcdonald, D. & O’Sullivan, D. (eds). The handbook of physical education. London, Sage, pp. 516-539. Waldron, J. J. (2012). A social norms approach to hazing prevention workshops. Journal of Sport Psychology in Action, 3, 12-20. Weinberg, R. S., & Gould, D. (2014 in press). Foundations of sport and exercise psychology. (6th edition). Champaign, IL: Human Kinetics. Appendix ACoach Commitment ContractAs a coach of the Cabarrus High School swim team my athletes and parents can expect me to be committed to the following: I commit to my coaching goal to guide athletes in becoming effective citizens demonstrating responsibility for their actions and concern for all.I commit to acknowledge not only the physical athlete in each swimmer but also the whole person and their needs. I commit to believe in each athlete and work to affirm them on a daily basis. I commit to protect each athlete and not tear them down or allow others to do so. I commit to provide opportunity for each athlete to develop to their fullest potential through proper coaching, teaching, and nurturing.I commit to work with parents to help all of our athletes succeed. I commit to know the difference between coaching and shaming. I commit to show respect to each athlete, parent, opposing team, other coaches, referees, and timekeepers. We are all working to do our best but none of us our perfect. I commit to model responsibility by being on time, being accountable for my actions, and using appropriate language and actions. As a role model to each athlete, I acknowledge the power of my position to make a positive difference in the lives of my athletes. I commit to this code of conduct and will be accountable for my actions._____________________________________________________________________________SignatureDateAppendix BAthlete Commitment ContractAs a member of the Cabarrus High School swim team my teammates, parents, and coaches can expect me to be committed to the following: I commit to being held accountable for my actions in the pool, in school, and in all areas of my life. I understand that my actions directly affect others either positively or negatively.I commit to show respect to each myself, teammates, coaches, parents, opposing team, other coaches, referees, and timekeepers. We are all working to do our best but none of us our perfect. I commit to act with empathy. I will try to understand the feelings of other and what is causing those feelings. I commit to being on time and emotionally present for practices, games, and team events. I commit to giving 100 percent effort to practices, games, and team events. My effort will reflect my respect for my teammates and coaches. I commit to displaying good sportsmanship by applauding others efforts with positive statements. I will refrain from trash-talk and tearing down others through negative comments. I commit to leading my team mates and speaking up against injustice. As a member of this team I will abide in team rules and commit to the above items. By doing so I am directly respecting myself, teammates, and coaches. _____________________________________________________________________________SignatureDateAppendix CParent Commitment ContractAs a parent of a Cabarrus High School swim team athlete, my child and the coaches can expect me to be committed to the following: I commit to supporting the coaches and their goal for the team: to guide athletes in becoming effective citizens demonstrating responsibility for their actions and concern for all. I commit to supporting all the athletes on the team by affirming behavior in each of them as they demonstrate integrity, empathy, respect, and responsibility. I commit to act with empathy. I will try to understand the feelings of other and what is causing those feelings. I commit to acting as a good role model for the athletes by showing respect to all members of the team, coaches, opposing teams, referees, and timekeepers. I commit to modeling good sportsmanship by accepting defeat and supporting the team no matter the outcome of the race or meet. I commit to encouraging each member of the team through positive strides. I will support them through mistakes as they are learning and practicing. I commit to appropriately addressing problems or questions with the coach in a personal meeting or discussion with the coach. I will refrain from talking behind their back or making a public scene of my concerns. As a parent, I am a reflection of my child and a role model to those around me. I commit to taking responsibility of my actions and following the items set above. _____________________________________________________________________________SignatureDateAppendix DLife Skills Lesson PlansTopicActivityTeachable MomentsWeek 0IntroductionBeing a student-athleteNote to self about what life skills areRole model seriousness in lessonsWeek 1Community: LibertyWhat is Liberty?Discuss imprisoning self-concepts Define HazingTeam Building ActivityExplain to players how negative behavior makes others feelWeek 2Community: RespectWhat is respect?Make web of how many people we “belong” toTeam vs. TeammateTeam Building ActivityRole model respect to others including life guard, others in pool, etcWeek 3Community: CouragePhysical vs. Moral CourageDiscipline of playing a sportDiscuss Overcoming FearTrust FallAvoid hazingEnforce expectations of rulesWeek 4Community: Moral CourageSituations where moral courage is necessaryWhat would you do hazing videos?Role play: Stepping up situationsShare own experiencesProvide opportunities to make moral choicesWeek 5Justice: SelfWhat is JusticeWrite how other influence your rightsNot letting others make you inferiorWrite Commitment to selfTake care of body with healthy choicesWeek 6Justice: OthersList common social injusticesHow would you treat…? Trip to afterschool sports programDiscuss how trip made feel or thinkNo cuts from the teamWeek 7Communication: CollaborativeRole play a one way conversationReflect on how one way conversation makes you feelDiscuss listening, asking questions, engagingPractice two way conversation Listen to athletesAsk questions about all areas of athletes livesWeek 8Communication: ClarityRead examples of unclear conversationsReflect on what confusion is causedDiscuss techniques for clarityUsing clarity to evaluate life goalsAsk for instructions to repeated back for understandingStop practice to show miscommunicationWeek 9Communication: EmpathyWhat is empathy? Write things you wish others understood about youShare misunderstandingsDiscuss how empathy can affect communication and self-worthGet to know playersUse VCR techniqueWeek 10Competition: SportsmanshipDefine successDiscuss “Winning isn’t everything” Role play negative and positive sportsmanshipDiscuss empathy and winning with empathyRole model following rules and treating opposing team with respectDon’t run up scoreboardWeek 11Then and Now What is community, justice, communication, and competition? How can these be used outside of sports? Obituary: How do you want to be seen at the end of your life? End of season surveyWork to make adjustments in lessons as neededAppendix ECabarrus High School Swim Team: End of Season EvaluationPlease use the following scale to rate your learning over the course of the swim season.1 = not at all 2 = minimal 3 = average 4 = better than expected 5 = exceptionalHow much did you improve in….Community (Liberty, Respect, Courage) 12345Justice (Self and Others)12345Communication (Collaborative, Clarity, Empathy)12345Competition (Sportsmanship)12345Comments about above topics: (grew most, grew least, favorite, etc.)How well do you feel this learning method worked…Open Discussion12345Reflective Writing12345Role Playing12345Activity12345Guided Questions12345Comments about the above learning methods: (favorite, least favorite, etc.)How do you perceive your relationship with… Coaches12345Teammates 12345Yourself12345Any additional comments about the season: ................
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