Athletic coaches play a unique role in a child’s life, acting as a combination of parent, friend, and teacher to help students grow as athletes and individuals. This course focuses on teaching character through coaching, contrasting the psychological benefits of sports with the dangers of negative attitudes and behaviors. You’ll have help to develop your coaching philosophy, understand the coach's role in teaching life lessons, model appropriate responses to wins and losses, emphasize respect in sportsmanship, and devise methods for evaluating your progress. You will also have the chance to assess their sportsmanship approach and create a plan to implement a character education curriculum with athletes. Ultimately, this course will allow you to envision a clear coaching framework, strategies for teaching life skills, grace in accepting defeat, and the ability to foster respect among athletes.