1. 2018 Highlands Community Church Upward Basketball
and Cheerleading
Coach Training

2. Why do you coach?

3. Responsibilities of an Upward coach
Share the love of Jesus Christ with each player. You may provide the only opportunity a child has to hear about and know Jesus.
Lead by example. Display sportsmanship. Remember, people care more about what you do than about what you say.
Prepare for practices and games. Be prepared not only to teach basketball and cheer skills but also look for ways to instill confidence, boost self-esteem, and share Christ with your players.
Teach the fundamentals of your sport.
Distribute stars. The Upward Stars should be distributed at practice and at the end of each game. These stars play an important role in building the self-esteem of your players.
Help recognize the winner in every child. Find ways to encourage and show each player that he or she is valued through Jesus Christ.

4. Communicating with Children
Being an effective coach means being an effective communicator. Here are a few guidelines about communicating with your players:
Create a positive environment by speaking to each player as he or she arrives at practice each week. Greet players and tell them you are glad they are there.
Talk to the child on his or her level.
When teaching basketball and cheer fundamentals, focus on 1 or 2 skills at a time. Remember that too much information at one time won’t be retained.
When distributing stars, name the child and then give specific reasons why that child earned a particular star.

5. Communicating with Parents
Get to know your parents and family members of your players Introduce yourself and share your excitement about the season during the team meetings.
Use , texts and phone calls to keep parents updated – app?
Connect at practices and games
Follow-up on player absences
Encourage their feedback
Host families

6. Initial Team Meeting Key event - first impressions
Communicate practice guidelines - always try your best, always hustle, treat others with respect, etc. - set boundaries
Timely participant drop off/pick up in FLC and post-practice rooms
Those staying to watch must remain in the FLC complex
Distribute materials, demo uniform box items
Review team roster for discrepancies
Hand out player info forms for parent completion
Recruit a parent to collect game snack money ($8 per child for entire season) . Reinforce using Upward $1 snack coupons.
Note: Basketball teams need one or two parents to help operate
the scoreboard – home team provides.

7. What’s in the boxes?

8. Conducting practices – key elements
Every child welcomed and an appreciated as part of the team
2) Teaching skills through drills
3) Biblical lesson taught in mid-practice huddles

9. Conducting Practices – specifics
All enter via FLC entrance
Keep players off the court until time for your practice.
Gym open 4:50pm for first teams; last team coaches please help with chairs after team departs
No parents in cheer rooms for practice.
11 basketballs, cones and court spots; encourage children to wear uniforms – 2 sets of wrist bands for practice and game; extra poms and megaphones for cheer
Water breaks – watch for any issues (asthma, etc)
Devotions mid-way through. Distribute green stars for devotion participation and practice cards – both at end of practice
Depart court promptly to pickup rooms 3 minutes before practice time is up – last teams remain on court for pick up.
Brief parents on upcoming events; verify children depart with parents from pick-up rooms

10. First Practice Use name tags
Establish guidelines for management of practices, player behavior expectations.
Basketball coaches begin validating players line-ups
Mid-practice devotion #1
End practice on positive note; have some fun!
Give validated parent team rosters to Jeff

11. Quarter-court practice
frame work
1-2nd grade boys & girls, 3-4th grade boys & girls
Same set-up as short court games; chairs at center court
One basketball goal per team
Goals can be moved as needed
Use rooms for devotions - just like short court games
Use rooms for end of practice meetings - player accountability and parent connections

12. Quarter-court practices
More time on drills emphasizing individual skill development ; keep it simple
Maximize use of assistant coaches
Work with other teams
Established devotion time
Do devotions by individual team
Cheer teams to courts to practice

13. Mid-Practice Huddles Basketball teams: Assigned classrooms and times
Cheer Squads: In classroom – no earlier than :20 or later than :40
Use age-appropriate devotion guide in playbook/coach sideline
Personalize each devotion. Be confident and remember that God is working through you. You can impact a child in your weekly five- to eight-minute devotion, especially as the truths presented are reinforced by what you do and say.
Allow time for each player to participate and respond during devotions.
Pray for each player by name throughout the season, both in group prayer and in your own prayer time.
Devotion example - MyUpward.org

14. Basketball Mid-Practice FLC Huddles Schedule
Two teams on court – no earlier than :20 or later than :40
Three teams on court
:20 South Court to huddle - North 2 move to South Court
:27 North 2 (on South Court) to huddle
:34 North 1 to huddle
Four teams on court
: 25 North 1 and South 1 to huddle
: 34 North 2 and North 2 to huddle

15. 2018 Mid-Practice Devotions
Virtue
Verse
Practice 1
Intro
Get to know each other. Scripture learning begins second practice
Practices 2-4
Courage
When I am afraid, I put my trust in you.
Psalm 56:3
Practices 4-5
Patience
The end of a matter is better than its beginning. So it’s better to be patient than proud.
Ecclesiastes 7:8
Practice 6
Gospel Presentation
For God so loved the world that he sent his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. John 3:16
Practice 7-9 &
Last Practice
Kindness/ last practice summary
Do to others as you want them to do to you. Luke 6:31
Pastor Derek training for Gospel Week will be Sunday, 2/11 – more to follow

16. Follow-Ups
- Coaches develop relationships with players and their families as the season progresses.
- Be sensitive to their needs. Be prepared to lead a child to Christ at any practice or game, should the opportunity arise.
- When children make decisions for Christ, communicate the information to Jeff for follow-up materials

17. Game-Day Recognition
In order to build self-esteem and team spirit, every player will be awarded a Multi-Colored Star after each game.
Make this an intentional time to point out specific reasons why each player receives a particular star – work to ensure each player receives each colored star throughout the season.
For coaches - Stars examples and words for each color

18. What does success look like?

19. Prayer Partners All 38 teams have multiple prayer partners
Small groups or individuals
Some are parents of children on your teams
Communicating with prayer partners
Share prayer requests
Thank them for praying
Meet them if they attend practice or game
Invite to post-game stars team meeting; introduce to all
Appreciation games – March 9/10

20. Host Families About 2/3rds of the teams have host families
HCC family who has a child on your team; relational
Connecting with families during practices and games
Communicating with host families
Share any needs you become aware
Thank them for serving
Find out if there is anything you can do to support them

21. Coaching your child

22. Upward Coach Apps & Practice Plans
Coaching made simple! The Upward Cheer & Basketball Coach Apps provides you a quick, paperless way to coordinate key coaching responsibilities for both practices and games.
With the Coach App you’ll be able to:
Manage participant/guardian information
View practice plans
Mange substitutions (basketball)
Assign and track star distribution for each game
The Coach App is available on iPhone, iPad and Android phones

23. Thank you
for your commitment to the children and families participating in Upward, taking your eyes off of yourself and reaching out to introduce children to Jesus Christ.

24. Basketball Coaches stay in Fellowship Hall
Questions?
Cheer coaches to Room 103
Basketball Coaches stay
in Fellowship Hall
Complete coach quiz with another coach at your table