Certification of Youth Sports Coaches Urged

Dr. Lyle Micheli, an orthopedic surgeon and director of sports medicine at Boston Children’s Hospital, advocates nationwide certification for coaches of youth sports programs, including Little League baseball.

While a good program can provide an enjoyable and fulfilling learning experience for a child, the wrong one can prove disastrous, says Micheli, author of “Sportswise: An Essential Guide for Young Athletes, Parents and Coaches,” published in September by Houghton Mifflin Co.

“I’ve watched one hockey program in one town and seen the kids enjoying themselves and working hard,” he says. “The next town over, the kids are also working hard but are very unhappy.

“It’s not the sport. It’s the coaching,” he says.

Micheli, president of the American College of Sports Medicine in Indianapolis, says certification centers include the National Youth Sports Coaches Assn. in Palm Beach, Fla., the American Coaching Effectiveness Program in Champaign, Ill., and the Program for Athletic Coaches Education at Michigan State University in East Lansing. He says all emphasize sports psychology, training in safety and sports-specific training.

“I believe that the certification of coaches is the least expensive and single most effective method available to improve organized sports nationwide,” Micheli says.

Courses average about 30 hours, cost about $80 and can be completed in a weekend, he says. “The coaches that have gotten certified have told me afterwards that they are really happy that they did it.”

According to Micheli, coaches for young people’s organized sports programs are hard to find, and good coaches are even scarcer. What to do to ensure that your child is coached properly?

“Watch practices more than games and look for positive reinforcement,” Micheli says. “Make sure your child is being taught the basics. Make sure there is an atmosphere of coaching and learning.”

Micheli says participation, not unreasonable expectation, is needed to keep kids interested in sports.

In his book, “Sportswise” ($19.95 cloth, $9.95 paper), he discusses the most common sports injuries for children, including overuse injuries, and tells how to avoid them with proper nutrition, conditioning, coaching and evaluation.

“Above all,” Micheli writes, “adults should remember that sports are a learning experience, and winning is not the sole objective.”