Coaches: This generation is not softer than any previous generation. Get over yourself. They are our youth—some with adult bodies—but all with the minds and hearts of children. Coaching is a relationship-building role. Teaching is information sharing. Be a coach and build. Anyone can tear down. Truth without love is brutality. Be a builder. Be a teacher by learning the game and re-learning what you knew to be true when you were a youth: science and technology are not inherently evil or detrimental to growth. To demand change in your athletes you must first be the example. It is your responsibility to connect with the minds and hearts of the young people you lead.
Parents: It’s great to be involved, supportive, and the biggest fan of your child. Love is transformative. But love without truth is coddling. Surround your child with leaders who first care and believe in them. Then your child can receive the benefits of “old-school coaching” or “coaching hard”: demanding, accountability, encouraging, loud, fundamentals mastered at faster paces, intentional, process focused with meaningful results.
Mental Game Athlete 