The Morning Journal (Lorain, OH)
Carlin stresses emotional intelligence in coaching a team
Youth sports are focus of PCA Carlos Santana celebrates with teammates after hitting a home run during the eighth inning against the Yankees on Aug. 15 in New York. The Indians won 19-5. Read the game recap at MorningJournal.com.
Lake County Captains manager Luke Carlin was one of the featured speakers Aug. 15 as the Cleveland chapter of Positive Coaching Alliance held its annual “Breakfast With the Indians” at Progressive Field.
Carlin was joined on the dais by Indians assistant directors of player development Matt Blake and Alex Eckelman. The Captains are a full-season Single-A affiliate of the Indians playing in the Midwest League
Positive Coaching Alliance, or PCA, is a national non-profit with 18 chapters. Founded in 1998, PCA’s stated mission is “creating a positive, character building youth sports environment that results in Better Athletes, Better People.”
Cleveland’s chapter of PCA was started in 2011 by former Indians president Mark Shapiro, now president of the Blue Jays.
PCA gears its message to adults who serve as coaches and support systems to the estimated 40 million young people playing organized sports in the United States.
“We need to have more emotional intelligence with this generation,” Carlin said to several hundred attendees. “Understanding how a player wants to be coached is so important.
“We talk about knocking on the door before we work with kids,” Carlin added. “Coaching creates self-awareness. Teaching raises the level of knowledge. As managers and coaches, we need to understand what are coaching moments and what are teaching moments.”
Among the tools offered free of charge by PCA to coaches, administrators and parents are interactive online courses and multimedia tips. Those tools can be accessed on PCADevZone.org Websites: cleveland. positivecoach.org; devzone. positivecoach.org
Facebook: @PositiveCoachCleveland
Twitter: @PCA_Cleveland
Phone: 440-465-6552
“It’s really important in coaching to get that training,” said Carlin, who is in his second season managing the Captains and fourth season overall in the Indians’ minor-league system.
A 38-year-old Maryland native who grew up in Canada, Carlin played baseball professionally for 14 years as a catcher. He spent parts of four seasons in the big leagues.
Carlin and his wife, Kimberly have two daughters, Olivia and Evelyn Kate, both active in youth sports.
“Earning the trust of the player is the most important thing,” Carlin said. “Whether it’s youth sports or professional sports, the players want to know, ‘Do I trust you? Are you going to help me get better?’ “
Blake and Eckelman talked about how the Indians operate their minorleague system and majorleague team using many of the principles advocated by PCA.
“We have a really strong culture and want players to understand that culture,” Blake said.
Added Eckelman: “Finding ways to communicate is hugely important. We want to make sure we are always sitting on the same side of the table as the player.”
Also offering pertinent remarks was Neil Weiss, the Indians’ senior vice president/chief Information officer and board chairman of the Cleveland Chapter of PCA.
“When not done right, youth sports can have a negative impact for the next 50, 70 years,” Weiss said. “When done right, youth sports are transformative.”