In To Be a Better Coach: A Guide for the Youth Sport Coach and Coach Developer, Pete Van Mullem and Lori Gano-Overway combine hands-on experience and comprehensive research to offer coaches and coach developers concrete, practical suggestions to improve coaching performance in youth sports. To Be a Better Coach shares common and best practices in coaching, such as providing a safe sport environment, engaging in ethical practices, creating a positive and inclusive environment, building relationships with all stakeholders, and developing leadership and motivational skills. Each chapter explains the skills and guidelines needed to develop as a youth coach in that specific area, followed by examples of real-world scenarios from practicing coaches. In addition, each chapter includes useful resources and practical strategies for the development of coaches. With the continued rise in youth sports, the need for trained and qualified coaches is growing. Using an applied approach, To Be a Better Coach is a needed guide for youth sport coaches and coach developers working in community youth sport programs, interscholastic sport, and private youth sport organizations.
Pete Van Mullem is an associate professor in movement and sport sciences at Lewis-Clark State College. He has over 14 years of professional experience in coaching and athletic administrative positions at the middle school, high school, small college, and NCAA Division II and Division I levels. He serves on the editorial board for the International Sport Coaching Journal and is the managing editor for PHE America. Van Mullem served as a member of the National Standards for Sport Coaches Revision Task Force. He has authored over 40 articles related to coach development. Lori Gano-Overway is an assistant professor and coaching education minor program director at James Madison University. She has been involved in coaching education for over 20 years and is an AASP certified mental performance consultant. Gano-Overway serves on the editorial board of the Journal of Sport Psychology in Action, and the International Sport Coaching Journal, and is the editor for the Women in Sport and Physical Activity Journal. She is a board member for the United States Center for Coaching Excellence and serves as their accreditation chair. Gano-Overway is also a member of the Virginia High School League coaching education committee and serves on the National Advisory Board for the Positive Coaching Alliance. She is recently chaired the task force to revise the National Standards for Sport Coaches for SHAPE America.
