Athletes that have fun and feel successful want to keep playing their sport. With the many benefits of continued participation in athletics, coaches should make it their ultimate goal to have athletes come back the next season.

David Jacobson (@CoachDaveJake), PCA’s Senior Marketing Communications and Content Manager, writes, "Whether in the wake of a zero-win season, a narrow championship game loss, or even amid championship euphoria, the goal for every player, coach and parent should be that nobody wants the season to end."

How can coaches increase player retention? One approach is to focus on making each player feel valued and successful on the field. Using Positive Coaching Alliance's ELM Tree of Mastery helps youth athletes focus on personal mastery. With approach players can have a victory any day, or any practice, regardless of the score on the scoreboard. Studies have shown that these successes make players want to play longer, work harder and try new things. That's a sure way to have them come back to continue their efforts next year!

For more on athlete retention, click the link below and read the whole blog post.