Coach’s Corner

Yo Sobha’s love for soccer propelled him to begin volunteering his time as a coach 20 years ago. The past four years, Yo has been coaching Boys Challenge Soccer at the Kraft Family YMCA. He loves to talk sports and says becoming a YMCA Sports Coach is one of the most rewarding choices he’s ever made. Here he shares 11 reasons to coach at the Y.

The Y gives adults an opportunity to stay engaged in their favorite sport through volunteer coaching. “Part of the reason why I coach soccer is I love soccer,” Yo says. “I want to help impart that on our youth so they will love soccer as well. If it’s not soccer, hopefully they find something that can help them be active and engaged. There are many volunteer coaching opportunities in the Triangle and I encourage those interested to do their homework and choose the best fit for them.”

“There is a misconception that at the Y we’re only focused on character, so our teams can’t be that good when it comes to competition,” he says. “But we teach good skills and character at the same time. We are equally competitive, yet we aren’t going to allow that to get in the way of the character development.”

“Coaching a sport is one of the greatest ways to teach teamwork and we focus a lot on teamwork at the Y,” Yo said. “We teach kids how to work with their teammates for the better of the team.”

Yo says some kids are very hard on themselves and when they make a mistake, they beat themselves up. “We take these opportunities to instill empathy in the team, teaching that everyone makes mistakes and to hold each other up when mistakes happen.”

“At the Y we help kids understand that being a graceful winner and how to deal with loss go hand in hand,” Yo says. “This ties into empathy – realizing that when I win, someone else loses. When it’s our team that loses, we teach players there are people they can talk to about it – their teammates, coaches and parents.”

“As Y coaches, we believe in giving kids permission to take chances,” Yo says. “Whether it’s playing a different position or taking a shot on goal when they don’t normally get the chance to. If kids learn on the field that taking a chance is ok, this will translate to other areas of their life and give them the courage to try new things at school and in life.”

“We take an attitude that we can learn as much from our players as they can learn from us,” Yo says. “Coaching at the Y gives me an opportunity to keep learning and growing myself while also seeing my players grow and mature as people.”

“Y coaches consider it a privilege to be a part of a child’s development,” Yo says. “Even if I never see a player again, I know I helped shape and mold that person in a positive way. That’s priceless.”

The Y focuses on character building as well as building player skill in a positive manner. “When we do that, that’s where teamwork really flows,” Yo says. “If your teammates are pulling together and working together, everyone is supported. Our belief is it’s our job to help kids learn lessons on the field and how they translate to life. We challenge them to get better, wherever they are in their learning. We point out how they can improve, while celebrating what they do well. These are some of the reasons the Y program is set apart.”

Last but definitely not least, coaching at the Y is fun. “Our program is fun and the kids are crazy fun,” Yo says. “The kids keep you going and keep you moving. They help keep you young.”