New Free Website Kicks Off For Youth Sport & Interscholastic Coaches

Reston, VA (myPressManager.com) November 17, 2011

Youth sport and interscholastic coaches can now access the Coaches Toolbox, a new free website on hot-button issues regarding sport and coaching at http://www.aahperd.org/naspe/publications/teachingTools/coaching/. Produced by the National Association for Sport and Physical Education (NASPE), the website will be updated three times a year for winter, spring and fall sports, and will provide the latest must-have information and resources about safety and injury prevention, skill development, strength training, peak performance, post-workout recovery, nutrition, sport health care, sport psychology, professional development and college recruiting.

Sponsored by Refuel: “got chocolate milk?” from the Milk Processor Education Program (MilkPEP), website contributors include American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM), Association for Applied Sport Psychology (AASP), National Athletic Trainers Association (NATA), National Council for Accreditation of Coaching Education (NCACE), National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS), National Strength and Coaching Association (NSCA), Special Olympics, United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA), and the United States Olympic Committee (USOC).

“An optimal sport experience requires caring, knowledgeable and professionally trained coaches,” said NASPE President Dennis Docheff, professor in the Department of Kinesiology at the University of Central Missouri in Warrensburg, MO. “Through the Coaches Toolbox, we are offering a one-stop shop where coaches can learn what the experts are recommending on a multitude of sport-related topics. In addition, we are providing pertinent information that aligns with the National Standards for Athletic Coaches, NASPE guidelines and position statements.”

“MilkPEP is pleased to have helped make the Coaches Toolbox a reality for the members of NASPE/AAHPERD. Additionally, we hope coaches find the resources we’ve provided on the recovery benefits of lowfat chocolate milk useful for their high school athletes,” said Julie Buric, MilkPEP Vice President of Marketing.

From establishing the first position paper on Standards for Youth Sport Coaches (1984) to publishing the second edition of the National Standards for Sport Coaches (2006), NASPE is an advocate for quality sport programs. In 2008 NASPE partnered with NFHS to release the National Coaching Report, the only comprehensive report addressing both youth and interscholastic sport coaching education requirements in the United States. With over 50 million children under the age of 18 participating in organized sport programs, the purpose of the report was to educate the American public about the training and qualifications currently required to coach athletes whose quality sport experience is of number one concern.

The new Coaches Toolbox brings together all of NASPE’s and contributing organizations resources to help improve the sport experience. Parents across the country send their children to practices and events with the expectation that adult supervision will bring positive sport outcomes, maximal learning and skill development. Yet horror stories persist about dramatic increases in winning-obsessed parents, sport injuries, over-specialization of young athletes, and children quitting sports because they simply aren’t fun anymore.

Executive editor of the Coaches Toolbox is Andrew Mead, NASPE program manager. Members of the Reviewing Committee: Dave Allen, Mount Holyoke College, MA; Kim Bodey, Indiana State University; Mark Cole, Western Illinois University; Kristen Dieffenbach, West Virginia University; Tim Graham, Tumwater School District, WA; Rick Howard, The School District of Philadelphia, PA; Patrick McHenry, Castleview High School, CO; Melissa Murray, University of Southern Mississippi; Linda Schoenstedt, Xavier University, OH; and Mark Stanbrough, Emporia State University, KS, believe the new Coaches Toolbox will help good coaches become even better because quality coaches are the key to successful athletic programs.

National Association for Sport and Physical Education

The preeminent national authority on physical education and a recognized leader in sport and physical activity, the National Association for Sport and Physical Education (NASPE) is a non-profit professional membership association that sets the standard for practice in physical education and sport. NASPE’s 15,000 members include: K-12 physical education teachers, coaches, administrators, researchers, and college/university faculty who prepare professionals in these areas. NASPE seeks to enhance knowledge, improve professional practice, and increase support for high-quality physical education, sport and physical activity programs. It is the largest of the five national associations that make up the American Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation & Dance (AAHPERD). For more information, visit http://www.naspeinfo.org.