Veer at youth level?

Coach, good for you. You got right after it and didn't waste time! Getting other players involved as Coach Campbells program entails, has long been a staple of our Professional Minor League program. I have the guys put on their game jerseys, we all go to the gate together and step up and pay our admission fee ( that helps the HS finances on game night) and then we go to the lockerrom. As we are
50 strong, we wait outside until the team is about to come out for warmups. We then form 2 lines and have the varsity kids run the gauntlet, giving high 5's, etc. to them as they take the field. We then go to our seating area, where we all sit together (coaches and players) and cheer for the home team! We are not there to critique the HS coaches, or to be critical, or to be anything but supportive of the team effort! It has worked wonders for us, and the HS players realy llok forward to our being there. We take one boy and one girl athlete to dinner each marking period that has the best GPA for that period. We always include the parents as guests, and give the kids their choice of restaurants. We pick up the tab in full.
Little things like that are great tools to build relationships on. In your scenario, you could implment something similar such as another thing they all love and has worked great over the years for me. Have one of the youth players and his father be " Guest Coaches of the Week". I put them in a safe place on the sidelines, in the coaching box area, have them put on a set of head phones and get the feel of participating for real in a HS level game! You will be tickled to death to see the favorable reactions you always get from the pair! Make sure they get a HS t-shirt and oficial team hat to wear, as that always cements the night for them! Keep us posted and let us know how things are progressing for you in this matter, coach, we are pulling for you.

Coach Easton