We believe that players gain confidence and a love for the game through positive feedback from parents, coaches, and other players. Skill levels develop at different rates, but effort can always be achieved. We try to always provide positive feedback for effort. We also think it's important that a coach takes more than a casual interest in the players. We strive to talk with all the players 1 on 1 at some point during the practices and games. We want them to know that we're interested in what they have to say and more importantly, we want them to know that their coach likes them as a person. We believe in trying to make practices as fun and entertaining for the players as possible, while teaching the fundamentals and instruction that they need to improve. We've found that players respond well to structured and organized practices. Attention span is often limited with this age group, so we will strive to keep them moving and active. Teamwork and developing friendships is an important part of any team sport. We always tell the girls how important it is for them to support each other and to always be positive towards their teammates. Competition is an important element of any sport and as kids grow they naturally become more competitive. We don't talk about "needing to win a game."  We feel a coach's role and that of the parents is helping the players develop the ability to deal with competition in a healthy way.