Helpful Hints Several coaches have requested some additional guidance and hints to get the most out of their KEEN experience and their time with our athletes. The following suggestions are offered as just that -- suggestions. Give them a try. And have fun! Read and re-read your athlete's profile form before your athlete arrives. Pay special attention to any helpful hints or suggestions on the profile card. Use these hints (e.g. calming techniques like singing, rubbing back of neck, word games), motivating techniques (e.g. praise athlete for progress or following directions, create competition for athlete), or behavior control (e.g. how firm you should be, what words to use, etc.). Pay attention to any comments on the profile regarding what the parents hope the athlete will gain from KEEN. Generally, parents simply want their child to feel more comfortable with new activities or to become more confident in a group setting. But, they may also have specific goals (e.g. learning the rules of basketball). Many parents hope their children will learn skills at KEEN that they can transfer to other activities/organizations. Try to fulfill their needs. Ask the athlete's parent(s) at the beginning of each session whether there is anything new you should know (e.g. is athlete particularly tired, did athlete learn new skills at school, etc.) Make sure both you and your athlete have nametags. Take some time at the outset of the session to get to know your athlete. If your athlete is able to communicate with you, ask your athlete some questions about school, siblings, KEEN, etc. Tell your athlete at the outset of the session exactly what activities you will be doing. Set up a schedule for your athlete. Everything will then be a bit more familiar for your athlete. When doing warm-up exercises, remember that these exercises are designed primarily for the athletes, not the coaches. Make sure your athlete does all exercises he/she is able to perform. You may have to help them move their arms in a circle or try to touch their toes -- but that's what we are here for. Be aware of others -- please don't let your athlete kick the ball as hard as he or she can into a crowd of other athletes or across the gym. It might cause a serious injury to one of our younger or more involved athletes. Try to teach the athlete to kick or throw with less force. Create a target. When giving any instructions, keep your directions short and simple. Avoid complex directions. Break tasks/activities down into separate pieces (e.g. if you want your athlete to toss you the ball, you may have to first have your athlete pick up the ball, then hold the ball over his or her head, then look at you, then move arms backwards, then forwards, then let go, etc.) Repeat directions if you don't think your athlete understands. Show your athlete what you want him or her to do at the same time. Be patient. When giving directions, make sure you make eye contact with your athlete. Even if you have to call your athlete's name several times, make the eye contact. This is very important. Our athletes are sometimes easily distracted so you may have to do this each time you toss or kick a ball to them. It is often helpful to use a very colorful ball to get the attention of some of our athletes. We have several neon and very bright-colored balls. Give these a try. It will sometimes be important for you to be VERY FIRM! You can't always let your athlete dictate what he/she will do at a session. Although we want the athletes to have fun, we also want them to learn skills (e.g. balance, coordination, mobility) and improve fitness. If your athlete is able to do an activity, you should have them do it. They will test you. You should remember that our athletes are no different than typical children -- they can be manipulative and somewhat devious too. Be firm. For example, one of our athletes pretends to be sleeping when she doesn't want to do an activity. You must be very firm with her and make clear that if she wants to sleep she can do that at home; when she is at KEEN she has to do sports! Again, if your athlete is able to do an activity but refuses to cooperate, you must be firm (following any special suggestions provided by parents). The parents are especially concerned that you not let their children get away with things they couldn't do at home. Many parents have established a "regime" to deal with problem behaviors. You should follow that regime to the extent possible. If, after your attempts to be firm, the athlete still refuses to cooperate, please inform the KEEN Coordinator. He/she can be the "heavy" if the situation warrants. If your athlete is in a wheelchair, be sure to note on the Profile whether the athlete is able to be helped out of the chair (e.g. on to the mats). If the Profile does not indicate this, ask the parent(s) at the outset of a session. If, at any time, you feel that you need a little extra help, you can ask the KEEN Coordinator for another coach to be assigned to you and your athlete. That way you can go two-on-one. If we have an extra coach, that will be no problem. If we are short one coach, we will get a head coach at one of the stations to coach or the KEEN Coordinator will assist you. We have many athletes with Autism. Those of you who have worked with these athletes know that it can be frustrating at times due to the lack of communication or feedback from the athlete. Try not to be dejected. You aren't doing anything wrong. It's the nature of the disability. It may be helpful for you to keep in mind that new communication techniques have revealed that many of our athletes with Autism understand much more than was previously thought. Be patient and persistent. Making progress with one of these athletes is difficult, but when it comes -- and it will -- it is the most rewarding of all experiences. Praise your athlete when he/she does something well. Remember that it is important to measure progress with KEEN athletes in a different way than you might measure progress with other children. Progress must often be measured in very small steps. For example, it might be a great achievement for an athlete just to make it all the way through the session. Or it may be an amazing accomplishment to follow a simple set of directions. You will be able to measure progress for some of our other athletes in a more traditional way (number of baskets scored, how long athlete can balance while standing on one foot, etc.). But with others, just keep in mind that each step is significant. Putting those little steps together can mean a real break-through. At the end of a session, please take your time filling out your athlete's profile. Record any progress the athlete made (e.g. was athlete able to kick, throw, catch -- how often, how many times, what kind of ball, what station). Make note of any activities the athlete particularly enjoyed or disliked. Write down if you made use of any of the hints/suggestions on the profile. If you tried something that worked very well, record this so that if you are not coaching this athlete at the next session, whoever the coach is can pick up where you left off. Praise your athlete with each accomplishment. Like most of us, our athletes thrill at the sound of “good job!” and the opportunity to give and receive a “High 5.” Be patient -- and be enthusiastic. Know that what you are doing makes a real difference in the lives of our athletes. See you at the next session!				Contact Us
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