WYC 054 – Youth Soccer – Chris Stricker talks turning around a culture so kids believe they can win

What does it take to be a winning youth coach? Listen in as Chris Stricker shares stories and discusses his journey to becoming a successful youth sports coach. Chris has been the Head girl's soccer coach of perennial powerhouse Coppell High School in Texas.  His accolades include: 7-time District Coach of the Year, 17 straight years of playoff appearances, 2009 and 2014 Texas 5A State Champions, 2009 NSCAA Texas Large School, Dallas Morning News, and  TASCO Texas Association of Soccer Coaches Organization Coach of the Year. Chris also has built one of the best soccer camps in the country. Chris is married and has 4 children -  15 year-old son, 13 year-old twin sons, and a 11 year-old daughter. Twitter: @stricker_soccer Website/Camps: strickersoccer.com Listen Now: Listen in ITunes: Itunes link Listen in Stitcher: Stitcher link   Quote 'As a coach - you can't be pulling the wagon by yourself.  If your best players are pulling the wagon - everyone is going to on board.' Turning around the culture on a team You have to instill the vision so the players believe they can win Have them set goals - and every practice you're reminding them of what there goals are HUGE IDEA #1 4 Pillars of the program: CALI: Commitment Accountability Love Integrity Establishing goals/guides Break everything into relatable levels: Barclays level, National level, College. HUGE IDEA #2 If your best players are your hardest workers - you're going to always have a good team: 'As a coach - you can't be pulling the wagon by yourself.  If your best players are pulling the wagon - everyone is going to on board.' Every kid on the team needs to be crystal clear on what their role is on the team Culture - Discipline/Rewards/Teambuilding Everyone will be treated fairly, but that doesn't mean everyone will be treated equally Teaching Skills At the younger ages - the most important thing to teach is technique.  To keep the kids engaged you have to find creative ways to keep it fun. An effective way to teach is have your most talented kids help teach the less talented kids. The One that Got Away Losing to their big rival the first 2 years, which kept them out of the playoffs.  But those losses were used as fuel Favorite sports movies When the Game Stands Tall Miracle Remember the Titans Facing the Giants Best Stolen idea Jim Tressel - The Winners Manual - You have to invest in people Lead for God's Sake - Todd Gongwer Parting Advice Don't try to be the kid's friends - be their teacher who cares about them Have a plan   Ready to be an Awesome Youth Coach? Sign up for our free weekly newsletter: