Coach Sparky developed the Sports Life Integration Curriculum (SLIC) based on his training as a coach and his studies and knowledge of child development and life skills development. It became evident very early in his coaching career that most coaches are not equipped to coach the whole child. SLIC combines sports skill development with life skill development throughout a child's development lifecycle - called SPECS. SPECS refers to a child's Social, Physical, Emotional, Cognitive, and Spiritual development. Learning to understand a child's whole development is at the heart of SLIC.
Sports skill and life skill development must be age appropriate, based on each child's current SPECS stage of his or her lifecycle. For example, based on Coach Sparky's experience with kids, the core foundational life skills that can be taught to the youngest sports player (around age 4-5) are Sportsmanship, Teamwork, Attitude, and Respect - also known as the STAR life skills. These life skills provide a firm foundation from which to build both sports skills and more advanced life skills in a young player.
Ever get frustrated as a coach with a player? Ever feel like giving up on teaching a new skill to a player? Coach Sparky knows how you feel! He's been there and made the same mistakes - more than once! SLIC is designed to be a framework around which you can build and develop your coaching style and skills in order to maximize your players' potential. You will learn as much about yourself as you will about your players. SLIC gives you a new perspective on coaching. It also gives you more of an appreciation for each of your players, understanding their strengths and their weaknesses and being a key contributor to the holistic development of each player.
