Coaching and teaching the millennial : Keys to mutual survival

Program description: The millennial student/athlete presents the coach and teacher with significant challenges. However, delving on the shortcomings and our frustrations is futile. By presenting their characteristics beyond... [ view full abstract ]

Program description: The millennial student/athlete presents the coach and teacher with significant challenges. However, delving on the shortcomings and our frustrations is futile. By presenting their characteristics beyond the stereotypes and applying some modified principles of teaching/coaching, hopefully we all will strive and survive.

Extended description: The time for emphasizing the characteristics of the millennial is over. Without specific recommendations based on those descriptions and sound teaching/coaching principals, all the parties will continue to struggle. By observing and recording this culture's (student athletes) values and beliefs, this presentation takes selective input from over 1000 students in an introduction to coaching class over a 15-year period. Over 95% of those individuals had been or still were athletes who had competed at the varsity high school level or above. A similar percentage had participated for over 10 years and in over 2 sports in their careers. Using their recollections of the characteristics of their best and worst coaches along with their rankings of the ten general characteristics of a coach, a global picture of today’s athlete was developed.

Then, using the work of Ericsson, Krampe & Tesch-Romer (1993) and the work of Weinberg (2013) the modified application of ‘deliberate practice’ and the development of mental toughness was used to recommend approaches that could consider the characteristics of today’s student athlete with coaches/teachers commitment to quality performance and lifetime involvement in learning and physical activity through sport.

The results of participation will be specific recommendations for teachers and coaches as to how to consider the characteristics of today’s students and athletes in the presentation of material and activities/practices while improving and maintaining performance.