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 What Is Fun?
By Jerry Norton
Often times coaches and parents are puzzled by what I mean when I say "kids sports must, above all, be fun." Too many adults think that the words "fun" and "competitive" are mutually exclusive terms. They shouldn't be. In addition, some adults may think that fun only comes with winning and that, of course, is also not true.

In youth sports, competition is not a bad thing. It is natural and normal. Kids love to compete against one and other. It is a way for kids to measure their abilities, their development and their progress.

When kids play a sport, they should always try to do their very best and should be urged to do so. They should always strive to win - that is the essence of sports competition. Striving to win and making the effort is what is most important, not winning. Certainly winning is more fun than losing, but performing well is a worthwhile and commendable objective and accomplishment.

A coach's commitment to winning should be to prepare the players to play. Coaches should help each player develop the skills necessary to play his or her position and should help players set and achieve reasonable goals. Problems start when competition between kids escalates to competition between adults, either coaches or parents.

A good youth coach will make a commitment to ensure that each player has a positive and enjoyable experience. By recognizing and rewarding players performance and achievement, coaches are making the sports experience enjoyable and fun.
Practice can be a major element in the fun factor since practice time is much greater than game time. Practice is when the coach has the greatest impact on the players. It is the time when recognition and reward are most easily accomplished.
Having said all that, let's now get back to answering the title question "What is fun?" Fun is:
bulletDoing something you enjoy
bulletFeeling good about yourself
bulletParticipating, not being left out
bulletDoing, hearing or seeing things that make you laugh
bulletBelonging, not being rejected
bulletBeing praised, not ridiculed
bulletBeing congratulated, not criticized
bulletSucceeding, not failing
bulletBeing appreciated or recognized by parents, friends, peers or practically anyone
Youth sports would be more fun for all players if every youth coach kept in mind these definitions of what fun is. Here are some specific things youth coaches can do to maintain a fun attitude:
bulletMake drills short, realistic and game-like
bulletKeep all players active and keep lines short
bulletLet kids make some decisions
bulletGive players positive nick names
bulletMake conditioning activities into races or competitions
bulletFind something that each player does well and let him demonstrate it
bulletPraise and reward effort and accomplishment in any form
bulletCriticize the technique not the individual
bulletBreak up routines with unusual activities
bulletGive all players an opportunity to play and practice their favorite position
bulletAnnounce players by name or nick name
bulletRemember that players are children not small adults
bulletSmile a lot!

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