IN ACTION
Watch youth sport coaches from around the country put the principles from Play Positive and Positive Coaching Alliance to work with their athletes.

One way coaches can reinforce non-traditional contributions from their athletes is by introducing a “sugar shaker award.” In this video, you can watch a youth soccer coach introduce this concept to her players and implement this new reward system.

The sugar shaker award goes to players who make the game sweeter for teammates, maybe by pushing everyone to work harder or helping maintain a fun environment. This reinforces the value of athletes who may not be as skilled but who play hard and bring a lot of positivity to the team dynamic. The other side benefit of introducing this award is that the nomination process at the end of practice gives an opportunity for players to provide positive peer feedback, which will be an emotional tank filler for the team.

This video features PCA Trainer Molly Hellerman. A former professional soccer player, Hellerman has coached at the collegiate, youth and club levels across the country and is currently a consultant in the non-profit sector with a specific focus on leadership, strategy and business plans in the youth, sport and education sectors. She continues to play soccer for the Olympic Club's soccer team and sits on their foundation's committee.

Positive Coaching Alliance is proud to have worked with Liberty Mutual Insurance to create this video and other powerful resources.