Positive Reinforcement? Tough Love? Or Both?

Captain Fun here.

You know I’m a big believer in positive coaching. It’s at the core of everything we do.

But as both a coach AND a parent, I’ve learned something important: Sometimes, you need more than just positivity.

The other day, I was coaching kids on how to tag up. They were goofing off, and no matter how much I encouraged them, nothing was working.

Finally, I said, “If you leave early or don’t do it right, go touch the foul pole.”

Guess what happened?

Every single player got it right!

It reminded me that we need a tool belt of different parenting and coaching approaches.

Sometimes, encouragement works.

Other times, a little structure or consequence is needed to refocus.

In fact, studies show that kids exposed only to punishment-based discipline saw a 20% drop in motivation.

But when positive reinforcement was mixed with discipline, their engagement increased by 25%!

That’s why, at Legends, we lead with positivity—but we know there may be a need for discipline too.

It’s this approach that helped me win the Positive Coaching Alliance’s National Double-Goal Coach award in 2018, selected from over 800 coaches.

Speaking of balancing positivity and structure, our Winter Programs are OPEN for registration!

They’re designed to blend fun, skill-building, and just enough structure to help your child thrive.

Many programs are already SOLD OUT, so grab a spot NOW!

Hope to see you at the field soon.