Winning the hearts and minds of young athletes. Dale Carnegie's timeless principles for the volunteer coach.
"WHEN DEALING WITH PEOPLE, REMEMBER YOU ARE NOT DEALING WITH CREATURES OF LOGIC, BUT WITH CREATURES OF EMOTION."
— DALE CARNEGIE
WHO IT'S FOR
IF YOU COACH, THIS IS FOR YOU.
Most volunteer coaches show up because someone had to. A parent. A neighbor. A former player who couldn't say no. Few are trained and almost none are prepared for what coaching young athletes actually asks of them.
This playbook is for the coach who wants to do it right.
First-time volunteer coaches
Parents helping out a sideline
Veteran coaches wanting a reset
Working with young athletes
INSIDE THE PLAYBOOK
FOUR PARTS. ONE PHILOSOPHY.
From the first whistle to the final huddle, the playbook walks you through the season every coach actually lives and the human work underneath it.
01
BUILDING THE TEAM
Set the tone from day one. Earn trust, define culture, and make every athlete feel seen.
02
BUILDING THE ATHLETE
Coach with confidence. Correct with care. Help young athletes believe in who they can become.
03
handling the hard stuff
Tough parent conversations, losing streaks, benching with dignity, and the worries that keep coaches up at night.
04
your coaching legacy
What young athletes remember isn't the score. It's how you made them feel and who you helped them become.
THE PLAYS
PRACTICAL. REPEATABLE.
RIDICULOUSLY EFFECTIVE.
A taste of the call-outs you'll find inside. The kind of plays you can run at your very next practice.
TRY THIS WEEK
STEALING MOMENTS
A 30-second, non-sport conversation with one athlete before practice. Ask about school, family, a favorite song. Watch what it does.
THE METHOD
CORRECTION, THE CARNEGIE WAY
Start with what they're doing right. Ask, don't tell. Trust them to figure it out. Then tell them you believe they can.
PARENT PLAYBOOK
LISTEN FIRST. ALWAYS.
Concerned parent in the parking lot? Don't defend. Understand. Empathy first. Solutions second. Dignity always.
THE METHOD
PUT THE WORRY ON PAPER
Coaches carry a lot. Write down exactly what's bothering you, ask what's the worst that can happen, then decide what's next.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
KEVIN CRONE
DALE CARNEGIE BUSINESS GROUP
34
YEARS COACHING
4
PARTS
1
PHILOSOPHY
TAKE IT WITH YOU
The full playbook is yours for free. Read it once before the season, and once after. The second read changes everything.
