From Kentucky Youth Soccer -
A good coach is someone who knows winning is wonderful, but is not the triumph of sports.
PATIENCE - This is probably the most important characteristic. Let's face it - 12 active boys or girls together require a lot of attention. A good coach is one who doesn't expect angels on the soccer field.
TOLERANCE - This quality goes hand-in-hand with patience. Kids are going to be rowdy, or moody or lazy. Tolerance takes the different mind-sets and turns the focus to the tasks "afoot".
ACCEPTANCE - Children are so very different. Each one has varied potential and skill levels. A good coach is one who recognizes each child as an individual and he/she encourages that child to perform at his/her very best level. Perfection is not required!
MOTIVATION - Soccer can be viewed as kids kicking a ball across the field, or it can be viewed as an opportunity for growth. The true test lies in sparking a child's interest to learn and grow and keeping that spark alive each season.
RESPECT - At so many games, coaches, and sometimes parents, of the other team berate and belittle their players for making "mistakes". Sometimes they even go as far as criticizing opposing team members. Good grief! We're playing U-10 soccer! This isn't the World Cup. A good Coach never singles out a child for making a mistake and he/she does not allow parents or the other team members to do so either.
SPORTSMANSHIP - Perhaps this should have been on the top of the list, but being toward the end does not lessen the impartance. My defininition of sportsmanship is to teach kids to work together as a team in order to achieve a common goal. It also means teaching kids to respect other players as well as each other. Insults are not tolerated. Mistakes are team mistakes, and they are used as teaching tools for the next game.
ABILITY TO TEACH - Sounds simple, right? It's not. How many times has a parent signed up a child for a sport, only to have a well-intentioned father decide to coach? He may or may not know the sport. He may or may not relate well to his players. There is a hugh difference between the team whose members do what is yelled at them, and the team whose members actually understand what to do and why. A good coach teaches his players basic fundamentals, explains concepts and enables his/her players to think logically when making a play.
LOVE OF KIDS - They have the energy to make every practice and every game a new experience for coaches and parents alike. Without their vision and energy, sports would be dull and unappreciated. They offer a day-to-day challenge for coaches, which is contagious and which is motivation for everyone involved in athletics at all levels.
LOVE OF THE GAME - Coaches must love their sport, and, more importantly, mush show their players enthusiasm for every aspect of the game. This would include techniques and tactics. The love of the game must also show to the players the love for fair-play, respect for the opponents, officials, and spectatots, and positive reinforcement for game can provide the correct aspects involved in the winning and losing of competition.