Along the way, kids sports have lost sight of something essential: fun. Winning was always important, but now it’s everything. With all of this mounting pressure on kids and coaches, the emphasis on fun has fallen by the wayside. Sure, hard work is vital to improvement. Instilling a proper work ethic is part of a coach’s job. But, hard work isn’t sustainable without enjoyment. When the coach – and more importantly, the players – aren’t having fun and enjoying themselves, the situation can go south quickly.

Coaches need to shift their ideology from doing everything it takes to win to demonstrating the importance of having fun alongside winning. Whether that’s a change in how a coach addresses players, switching up practice, or something else, fun has to have a place in kids sports.

Kids continue to play

Every kid grows up and matures. It’s part of life. At the end of the day however, kids are still kids. They want to have fun and create positive memorable experiences. If kids aren’t enjoying playing on a team, there’s a good chance that they’ll quit. No one continues to do something they don’t like if they don’t have to. Sports provide countless benefits to kids, both physically and mentally. Coaches need work to make kids sports more fun so young athletes continue to stay interested.

Contrary to popular belief, fun and hard work can coexist. Finding the proper balance between the two is a difficult task for any coach. Those who are successful at achieving a balance will see the benefits of it instantly. Players will want to show up to practice. They’ll work harder and be willing to put in the time to improve. Fun is a powerful remedy.

Fun enhances learning

It’s no secret that kids learn better when they’re having fun. This fact doesn’t just pertain to the classroom, but all facets of life. Think back to when you were learning about something you enjoyed. You probably picked it up easier than you would have if you had no interest in it. Going back to school days, some of the greatest lessons were ones where I didn’t even realize I was learning. The teacher created such an amusing lesson that I got caught up with having fun and the learning came naturally. This is exactly what coaches should strive to do.

One of the best things coaches can do is spice up how the team practices. Adopt new practice drills, create games in practice that are fun, but still help players improve skills and techniques. Making practice fun will keep players interested. They’ll work hard to improve and the results will follow. Kids sports have evolved into prioritizing winning over everything else. Coaches who can take a step back from obsessing over how to win and focus on how to make the game fun will typically have better success.

Having fun builds camaraderie

When everyone on the team is getting along, things run much more smoothly. Every coach should do whatever it takes to maintain high team morale. Players should have positive, healthy relationships with each other, as well as the coaches. Forming friendships with other players will result in having more fun. Kids will look forward to practice and games and in turn, put in more effort. The combination of bonding, forming friendships, and a positive team atmosphere is a winning recipe.

How to keep kids sports fun

A lot of the responsibility of making kids sports fun is placed on the coach. Here a couple things coaches can do to increase enjoyment on their teams.

• Handle mistakes calmly and sympathetically – It’s a coach’s job to help players improve and address mistakes, but berating a player and embarrassing them is not the way to do it.
• Coaches should be having fun too – Instilling an amusing atmosphere is tough. It’s even more challenging to do so when the coach isn’t having fun. The reason coaches coach is because they have a passion for the game and like working with kids. Helping them improve as athletes and mature as people should be priority number one for any coach. No team is going to enjoy playing if the coach’s heart isn’t in it.
• Motivate through positivity – Encouragement can go a long way. Word choice and tone make a huge difference. Coaches who are frothing at the mouth on the sideline aren’t the kind of coaches most athletes want to play for. Coaches who can express themselves in a positive manner foster healthier team chemistry.

Better mental health

Having fun, laughing, bonding with friends, all of it contributes to good mental health. Players who have fun and look forward to practicing and playing in games suffer from less stress than players who aren’t enjoying their experiences. Fun can increase a kid’s self-esteem, and lead to improved social skills. People are more relaxed when they’re having a good time. Conversations flow, time flies, and good things happen.

Kids sports are supposed to be fun! At least, that’s how things started out. The focus on winning above all else does not lead to impactful experiences for players. Striking the right balance between winning and having fun should be high up on every coaches to-do list.