Croydon Juniors Training It is from personal experience that I can highlight the importance of the juniors to Croydon Korfball Club. These youngsters could well prove to be future stars and the backbone of the Club. This will be my 16th season with Croydon, as well as having spent the majority of these years playing; I qualified as a Korfball referee last weekend and of course hold the post of junior coach. Dan Pratt is another name familiar to many and prior to his departure for “Dutch shores” played within the Croydon firsts, was junior and 4th team coach while playing for Scotland at International level. Where was this talent found? Many players still serving Croydon at every level came from within and I am delighted that so many of these youngsters find a sense of identity, and develop a fierce loyalty to, the club. Having discussed how valuable the junior aspect of the club is at this year’s AGM, it was decided that we would (having lost both Dan and Karen) establish a junior’s rota, to help coach each session before club training on a Thursday evening. This rota will run on the same basis as a refereeing commitment, if you are scheduled for a session you a responsible for turning up or, if you cannot make it for any reason finding someone to cover you. Each session starts at 6:45 and runs until 7:45, 15 minutes before Thursday training starts. There is no expectation to ‘run’ a session, this remains the responsibility of the coach, all that is being asked is you lend a hand to help and offer a few pearls of wisdom from your own personal experience of korf. A guide offering some basic words of wisdom can be found below and I will be happy to answer any questions or concerns anyone has! Many thanks, Simon Mills Croydon Junior Coach (under 13’s) Some Do’s and Don’ts of Junior Coaching: DON’T: just mess about! The sessions should follow a structure, but be enjoyable. Help our young stars of the future to learn where the boundaries between fun and hard work are. DON’T: worry about working with youngsters! You are not expected to be a class teacher, just ensure that you and they behave responsibly and safely. DO: report any injuries or problems – If in doubt talk to the coaches, they are ultimately responsible for the session and the kids! DO: ask! If you’re not sure about anything at any time. DO: use appropriate language – don’t talk down to the kids, treat them with respect. It goes without saying swearing is not appropriate. DON’T: lose your cool – Young sports stars can be challenging! Take a deep breath and count to 10, if all else fails send them to the coach! DO: be encouraging and positive both for effort and results – the young people will react well and will keep trying to get even better. DO: have fun! Perhaps the most important point. That is why we play the game and exactly why the juniors are there too! Story by Jane | Updated by Andy · 14 years ago
