Resetting the Team in the New Year: How Coaches Can Kickstart Motivation After the Holidays

Ah, January. The glitter of the holidays has faded, the calendar’s fresh, and your youth sports team is probably somewhere between “half-asleep” and “hyped-up on leftover candy canes.” This post-holiday season is the perfect time to hit the reset button—not because everything went wrong in the fall, but because every team (and coach) can benefit from a good ol’ mid-season check-in.

Whether your squad’s in the middle of a winter league or prepping for spring, it’s important to recognize that kids just had a long break. Some haven’t picked up a ball in weeks. Others may have played nonstop in the driveway, but they’re still out of rhythm with teammates and practice routines. That’s where a “New Year reset” comes in.

This blog is all about how coaches (and even parents) can guide youth athletes through the transition and get everyone re-focused, motivated, and aligned for the second half of the season.

Why a Reset Is Important in Youth Sports

First things first: kids are not machines. They can’t just flip a switch and go from “holiday mode” to “locked-in competitor.” Their brains are still growing, their habits are still forming, and motivation can swing wildly depending on things like sleep, school stress, or whether they got the Xbox game they wanted.

The American Academy of Pediatrics emphasizes that structure, consistency, and clear expectations are crucial for young athletes. After several weeks of disruption, a return to that structure helps kids feel more confident and ready to engage. A good reset is about reconnecting—with the sport, with the team, and with themselves.

It’s not about scrapping what came before. It’s about intentionally restarting with fresh energy.

Tip 1: Start with a Real Team Conversation

Don’t assume kids are just ready to jump in. Begin with a quick huddle—on the field, at center court, or even just sitting on gym mats. Take a moment to look back at what the team accomplished in the fall. Celebrate improvements. Remind them of where you started. Then shift the lens forward.

You might say something like:
“We’ve already come a long way. Now it’s time to gear up for the next chapter. Let’s set some goals and make the rest of the season even better.”

That kind of clarity and reflection sets the tone. It helps players mentally switch gears—and shows them that you’re invested in their journey, not just the scoreboards.

Tip 2: Make Goal Setting a Group and Individual Thing

January is a natural time to talk about goals—so use that momentum. Set a simple team goal for the month ahead. Maybe it’s something like, “Let’s get 10 successful passes in a row at each practice,” or “Let’s keep energy up from the first whistle.”

Then go deeper and help each player identify one personal goal. Encourage younger athletes to pick something fun and achievable:

• “I want to use my left foot more.”

• “I want to cheer for three different teammates every game.”

• “I want to beat my shuttle run time from last month.”

Keep it visual if you can—hang a team goal poster in your practice space or let players decorate index cards with their personal goals. According to The Sport Journal, youth athletes who engage in structured goal-setting improve performance by 20-25% compared to those who don’t. That’s huge.

Tip 3: Ease Back In—Don’t Sprint on Day One

It’s tempting to dive back in at full intensity, especially if your team has games coming up quickly. But slow your roll. After a few weeks off, bodies need to reacclimate—and so do brains.

Start with fun warmups, small competitions, partner skill work, or light scrimmaging. You want the first few practices back to rebuild momentum, not overwhelm.

Also, don’t forget to give grace. Some kids might have been active over break. Others may have done zero activity. Meet them where they are. Your job isn’t to punish the downtime—it’s to re-ignite the fire.

Tip 4: Revisit Team Culture and Identity

Remember that team chant you created in the fall? Or the shared playlist before games? Or the motto written on your dry-erase board?

Bring. It. Back.

When players return after time away, they don’t just need skills refreshed—they need connection. Fun rituals, inside jokes, team chants… these things build a culture that makes players want to show up. They’re not just “extras”—they’re anchors.

A strong culture also helps manage anxiety, reduce cliques, and get every player engaged again—especially those who may have struggled with confidence early in the season.

Tip 5: Get Parents on the Same Page

As a coach, your reset efforts will go 10x further if you get parent support. Send a quick email or message outlining your focus for January:

• Mention the gradual ramp-up

• Encourage positive reinforcement at home

• Share goals you’ve set as a team

And maybe most importantly, remind parents that some kids might take time to re-adjust. That doesn’t mean they’re lazy or falling behind. It just means they’re human.

The goal isn’t perfection—it’s progress.

Tip 6: Make Practices Fun Again

Let’s be honest—January can be a rough month. It’s cold. It gets dark early. School’s in full swing. And some kids are coming down from a sugar high and a screen time bender.

Your practices can be the thing they look forward to—if you bring the fun.

Mix in:

• Relay races

• Small-sided scrimmages

• Coach-vs-player challenges

• Team-building games

• Goofy drills that still teach real skills

Research from the Aspen Institute’s Project Play shows that the number one reason kids play sports is to have fun. And the number one reason they quit? Because it stopped being fun.

So lighten the mood. Smile more. Let kids laugh. That energy will carry you further than any drill.

Tip 7: Reflect on Your Own Coaching Growth

Let’s not forget—you’re in this journey too. Resetting the team also means resetting yourself. Take a moment to reflect:

• What went well last season?

• What frustrated you?

• Are there players you still haven’t connected with?

• Is your current structure working?

Maybe you want to improve how you handle subs. Maybe you want to give more individual feedback. Or maybe you just want to show more patience when things get chaotic.

Whatever your growth area is—own it. Talk to assistant coaches or even ask players for input. (Yes, really.) Kids respect a coach who models learning, not just lectures about it.

Final Thoughts: Small Reset, Big Impact

Resetting doesn’t mean starting over. It means intentionally pausing, realigning your goals, refreshing your culture, and re-engaging your players.

It’s about understanding that kids need structure—but they also need joy. They need goals, but also grace. And most importantly, they need coaches who see the long game, not just the next win.

So if you’re walking back into the gym or field this month wondering how to get your kids back on track… just take a breath, bring the team together, and hit that reset button.

The rest will follow.