USA Football

VIENNA, VIRGINIA - - As youth football season closes in many parts of the country, we want to share some end-of-season thoughts. The last few games bring a gamut of emotions to young football players. Playoff pressure may mount. Players’ sense of accomplishment and appetite for more wins can bring out their best and worst attitude and behavior.

Teams that are mathematically eliminated from play-off contention may feel relief as season's end approaches. Or they may relish an opportunity to achieve and grow, now that they are not feeling the pressure of pursuing a championship.

Whether in the wake of a zero-win season, a narrow championship-game loss, or even amid championship euphoria, the goal for every player, coach and parent should be that nobody wants the season to end. They should so enjoy the competition, camaraderie, learning, exercise and fun that they want the season to last forever.

But all good things come to an end, and it's important that coaches and parents make sure the season has a positive ending regardless of scoreboard results. A season that ends with an emphasis on the joy of playing and competing will bring players back next year.  We believe the determination of who is a "good" coach is not the scoreboard, but how many of the coach's players come back to play next season.

It's critical that players come back season after season to get all the fun, fitness, character development and life lessons possible. Responsible Coaching can help ensure this, with techniques that provide players perspective throughout the season.

A specific technique highlighted in the Responsible Coaching and Responsible Sports Parenting Guides at www.ResponsibleSports.com is introduction and reinforcement of a mastery approach to football. And, a simple acronym to help remember the principles of the mastery approach is the ELM Tree of Mastery, which stands for Effort, Learning and Mistakes. When players give their best Effort, Learn along the way and realize that Mistakes are not to be feared, they will perform their best, and thus ultimately they will be winners regardless of the outcome of a game.

When players fear making mistakes, which happens when a coach creates an environment where mistakes are not okay, they actually make more mistakes. Fear also causes generally tentative play and an unwillingness to try new skills in a game situation.

Conversely, playing freely, experimenting with new skills and techniques, and helping teammates do the same helps each player develop. Therefore, individual and team performance improves -- relative to potential, if not relative to an opponent.

At season’s end, coaches and parents still may need to help players process their team’s results, just as they do after each practice or game. As long as coaches and parents help players honestly assess themselves within the context of the ELM Tree of Mastery, players will remain excited about their football futures.

That's what brings players back. At the end of every season, only one team can finish on top of the standings, but that does not mean that each and every player can't already be looking forward to next year.

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