Proactive Strategies to Reduce Poor Behaviour in Youth BJJ Classes

As a youth Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ) coach, you’ve likely encountered poor behaviour from students at some point or another. While it can be tempting to only address the issue after it has occurred, there are proactive strategies that you can use to reduce poor behaviour from your students before it even starts. Let’s discuss three such strategies that will help you create an environment where inappropriate behaviour is rare.

Have a Detailed Class Plan

Having a detailed class plan that keeps students moving, uses age-appropriate activities, and has no downtime can help reduce poor behaviour in class. Keeping students engaged will help minimize disruptive behaviour as they are too busy having fun to misbehave. In addition, avoid long lectures or monologues which can cause students to lose focus or become bored and start acting out. A detailed class plan ensures that every minute of class time is used efficiently and effectively, leaving no room for distraction.

Build Rapport with Students

Building relationships with your students is essential for creating an environment where positive behaviour flourishes. Use strategies such as calling each student by name, high fives/fist bumps after drills or accomplishments, and recognizing their hard work throughout class - these small gestures go a long way towards inspiring respect from the students towards their coach! When kids feel like their coach genuinely cares about them, they are intrinsically motivated to do well in class so they can make their coach proud.

Set & Enforce Expectations for Behaviour

Setting expectations for behaviour shows your students what’s expected of them in order to be successful in class and helps many kids stay on track in the absence of their parents’ supervision. By clearly outlining what is expected of your students during each class session, they will understand what kind of conduct you expect from them—and you won’t have any surprises down the line when it comes time for consequences if these expectations are not met. However, while setting expectations is important, don’t forget to recognize those who exemplify them! Highlighting those who demonstrate proper conduct serves as both reinforcement for those who already follow the rules and motivation for those who may need a reminder once in a while.

These three components—a detailed lesson plan, building rapport with your students, and setting & enforcing expectations—are key elements to proactively preventing poor behaviour from occurring in the first place during youth BJJ classes. By taking the time to focus on these areas, you can create an environment where safety and respect come first while still allowing for plenty of fun! With this approach, your classes will run smoother than ever before!