Foundational Framework for Character Development in Youth Sports

“How do I know that my coaching strategies and practices are effective for building long-term character development and well-being of my athletes and teams?” That is the most important question that every youth coach worldwide should be asking themselves on a daily basis. Similarly, parents should be making the same inquiries. In my role as the Head of Leadership & Character Development at the prestigious IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida, that is a question that I have been asked hundreds of times by coaches, parents, and school administrators domestically and internationally, and I am always glad that they asked.

This week’s blog provides an evidence-based framework that thousands of coaches and athletics departments effectively apply to their coaching practices: PRIMED for Coaching for Character (PCC). PCC aligns well with Character.orgs 11 Principles Guide to Cultivating a Culture of Character. In fact, the seminal work of the lead researchers in PRIMED (Berkowitz & Bier, 2005) have also provided research support around “what works in character education” and holistic youth development for Character.org.

Our youth’s long-term character development and well-being should always be the priority. Still, internal and external pressures to win can often derail a coach’s focus and commitment to long-term positive youth development. Sports participation should cultivate joy, balance, happiness, and zest in athletes of all ages. However, this is not always the case. Over the past few decades, research shows a 6% decline in participation in sports among youth aged 8-17. These kids are not leaving sports due to the normal attrition caused by a passion in other areas (e.g., music, art). In fact, many of these young people love sports, but bad coaches, excessive parents, or pressures to be the next Tiger Woods are causing them to opt out and never return to sports (Bates & Anderson-Butcher, 2023). 

So, we know the great value that sports can play in the development of youth worldwide. Most would agree that we want kids to stay involved in sports through their formidable years and into their adult lives for an array of health benefits. We also know from the research that kids are dropping out of sports at an alarming rate. Despite the glaring desire and need to bring joy and fulfillment back into youth sports to reverse this trend, our children are losing out long-term.

Fortunately, there are proven strategies to instill joy, balance, happiness, and zest in young athletes, fostering long-term character growth and positive youth development (PYD). We offer a framework for coaches and parents to help reverse this negative trend and bring back the joy of sports.

PRIMED for Coaching for Character (PCC) provides coach-educators with an accountability framework that is rooted in 40+ years of evidence-based research in effective character development (Paciorek, 2023). PCC partners with world leaders in character education in schools and youth sports, Dr. Marvin Berkowitz and Dr. David Shields, to present an easy-to-use and remember acronym [P.R.I.M.E.D) that coaches can literally and metaphorically put in their back pocket to stay anchored daily to their commitment to character development.

As a youth coach of 30 years who has always tried to prioritize character development through the vehicle of sport through both my coaching and my non-profit work at CharacterLovesCompany.org, when I was introduced to the PRIMED framework for character education in schools, I immediately found relevance to my daily coaching emphasis on long-term character development. Fortunately, I received a deep dive into PRIMED from the originator of the framework, Dr. Marvin Berkowitz, who was my doctoral advisor and continues to be one of my strongest mentors.

PCC is not a rigid curriculum. Rather, it is a framework for coaches and educators to prime them to show up each day to “be” their best for their students. While the “doing” of character education is important, it is even more vital that coaches model the “being” of character, as they can be some of the greatest mentors in their players’ lives.

What coaches have expressed that makes PRIMED so effective is its ease of application coupled with the stickiness of the mnemonic device of the 6 Design Principles of PRIMED that combat the common “fade-out-effect” of most professional development (PD) models. Coaches have found that taking five minutes prior to practice to prepare to show up their best as character educators, and another five minutes after practice to reflect helps them stay grounded and committed to their true purpose for coaching.

A brief summary of each of the six design principles of PCC are provided below for coaches, educators, and parents to begin applying immediately to their coaching, mentoring, and overall support of the well-being and character development of our youth. 

“P” prioritization of character development and clear purpose:

What are we prioritizing most as coaches? Is the long-term development of character more important each day than the wins and losses. Are we as coaches concerned most with hoisting the championship trophy in the air at the end of the season, or raising up stronger character in our youth? PCC asks coaches to consider how they proactively prioritize character building prior to practice or competitions, as well as to reflect on how well they did so after each day (Paciorek, 2023).

“R” relationships of trust:

There is a sentiment that kids don’t care what you know until they know that you care. This can be applied to all stakeholders, especially parents of your students and players. It is vital that coaches committed to character development build relationships of trust amongst their team.

“I”  intrinsic motivation:

For many coaches, cultivating intrinsic motivators for competing in sport can feel counterintuitive to what they have learned throughout their playing and coaching careers from their mentors. For instance, we all know the old unifying cliché that, “There is no ‘I’ in team” yet we continue to highlight and give out of balance praise and recognition to the stars on the team. Take time to consider the forms of motivation that you use with your players and teams. Are you cultivating a love for the game and a healthy approach to team and life skills learned through sport, or are you only about the rings and the bling.

“M” modeling high character:

Coaches need to accept the responsibility to act as models of character, as do team captains/leaders. As coaches, our words and deeds need to be in alignment, but more importantly, our “being” needs to reflect strong moral character. They are watching and learning from you as a strong role model in their lives.

“E” empowerment of athletes:

Empowerment is an area that many coaches struggle with, as we are often used to maintaining authoritarian, dictator-like control, rather than empowering athletes as leaders. For me, as a sport coach of 30 years who always desired to be a coach of character, I admit that in my early years of coaching this empowerment piece was not a common practice. There are many opportunities each day for sport coaches committed to character development through PCC to empower our athletes.

“D” developmental pedagogy long-term:

As mentioned, sport coaches are highly impactful mentors and influencers in the lives of their players. As coaches, our purpose or “why” for coaching can be easily blurred in pursuit of championship rings, personal promotion, and ego. This final design principle provides a daily reminder for coaches to remain aligned with our true purpose to positively impact the character of all of our players. Let’s keep the most important thing, the most important thing: CHARACTER!

For a deeper dive into PCC, you can access the following articles and links:  

1. Journal of Character Education: PRIMED: An Innovative Program for Coaching for Character
2. District Administration: Student misbehavior on the rise? Focus on character development
3. SmartBrief: Why Sports Coaches Need Character Development Training