David Belisle gets it right after team's loss

8/21/2014

Working in youth sports, I hear about plenty of bad things that happen. Trusted volunteers embezzling money from their programs and stealing from the children make me shake my head. Volunteer parents and coaches who put their own desire for winning ahead of the well-being of their players angers me. Crimes of sexual abuse against youth athletes break my heart. I think you get the idea.

But every now and then there's a story that reminds me to move past these incidents and keep pushing on with the message of positivity and fun in youth sports because there are tons of great youth coaches out there that keep their emphasis on the big picture – teaching their players life lessons through sports. While they likely will not be mic'd up like David Belisle, coach of the Cumberland American Little League team, I'm glad he was so we can all feel inspired during his post-loss speech to his crushed players following their elimination from the Little League World Series Monday night.

I've said in the past that I'm not rushing my son into organized youth sports, but when he is ready to play, I hope he gets a coach like Belisle.

If you have an outstanding volunteer youth sports coach in your program, let us know. Nominate them now for our National Youth Sports Coaches Association 2014 Coach of the Year award.

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