You want practices to build better people, not just better players. These five resources give you the frameworks, lessons, and planners to make that happen.
The State of Character Development in Youth Sports
Youth sports coaching has shifted. Parents and administrators now ask what a season builds in a kid, not just what it builds on a scoreboard. Coaches are looking for practical tools that fit inside the practice time they already have. The market has responded with lesson packets, membership libraries, free planners, and nonprofit frameworks. The challenge is not finding content. It is finding content you will actually use on a Tuesday night with twelve nine-year-olds. The resources below take different paths to the same goal: making character a deliberate part of sport.
How We Evaluated These Resources
We looked at the same factors for every resource. First, practical usability: can a volunteer coach open it and run a practice without a certification course? Second, scope: does it cover a full season or a single lesson? Third, pricing clarity: is the cost obvious before you commit? Fourth, sport fit: does it work for basketball, soccer, or both? Fifth, support materials: planners, videos, and printables that reduce prep time. IMPACT stood out for its low one-time price and ready-to-use character packet. GoodCharacter.com stood out for its free, broad lesson library. The Soccer Sidelines stood out for its season-long program structure. Player Development Project stood out for its deep video and session-plan membership. American Coaching Academy stood out for its free downloadable planners and printable activities.
Here is a quick look at the five resources, what each does well, and who it fits. Use this table to narrow your shortlist before you dig into the details.
| Provider | Best For |
|---|---|
| Character Ed in Sports - Lesson Plan & Curriculum (GoodCharacter.com) | Coaches who want a free, broad character education library |
| IMPACT — The game is only the beginning. | Volunteer coaches who want an affordable, ready-to-use character packet |
| The Soccer Sidelines - 8 Week Character Development Coaching Program | Club directors and coaches who want a season-long character program |
| Player Development Project - Coaching for Character | Coaches who want video-led session plans and a deep resource library |
| American Coaching Academy - Free Lesson Planners | Coaches and PE teachers who need free planning templates and printables |
The Five Resources in Detail
#1 Character Ed in Sports - Lesson Plan & Curriculum (GoodCharacter.com)
A screenshot of the Character Ed in Sports - Lesson Plan & Curriculum (GoodCharacter.com) website.
GoodCharacter.com offers a free character education section built specifically for sports. The material draws on the Positive Coaching Alliance framework and covers trustworthiness, respect, responsibility, fairness, caring, and citizenship. You get lesson plans and teaching guides you can drop into a classroom or a team meeting. It is broad rather than sport-specific, so you will adapt some lessons for basketball or soccer. The price is the strongest feature: most of the core content is free to access. If you want a wide library to pull from, start here.
#2 IMPACT — The game is only the beginning.
A screenshot of the IMPACT — The game is only the beginning. website.
IMPACT is built for coaches who want character development to fit inside the practice they already run. The core product is a $19 character packet with ten lessons, a clear coaching philosophy, and a fillable planner. No app is required, and it is a one-time purchase. The framework uses six pillars: Intention, Movement, Playmaking, Awareness, Communication, and Teamwork. It is designed for both basketball and soccer, with a Game Day rotation tool and playing-time guidance. You can preview a free lesson before you buy, which makes the decision low-risk.
#3 The Soccer Sidelines - 8 Week Character Development Coaching Program
The Soccer Sidelines lays out an eight-week character development program you can run across a full season. It includes pre-game, game-day, and post-game activities, plus a communication plan for parents and a reward component. The program is designed for clubs, not just individual coaches, so it works if you are coordinating multiple teams. You get a downloadable PDF in the show notes to put the plan to work quickly. The soccer focus is clear, though the structure transfers to other sports with minor tweaks. If you want a season-long plan rather than a single lesson, this is a strong fit.
#4 Player Development Project - Coaching for Character
A screenshot of the Player Development Project - Coaching for Character website.
Player Development Project offers a membership library with 900+ coaching resources, including video sessions and weekly drills. The Coaching for Character content focuses on character strengths like bravery, collaboration, and courage, delivered through the game itself. You get session plan videos, PDF downloads, and masterclass content. The approach is less about lectures and more about letting players face challenges together. Pricing is membership-based, with monthly and annual plans plus a low-cost trial pass. If you want depth and video support, this is the resource to explore.
#5 American Coaching Academy - Free Lesson Planners
A screenshot of the American Coaching Academy - Free Lesson Planners website.
American Coaching Academy provides a free PE lesson planner template in PDF format. Beyond the planner, the site sells printable activities, PE games, lesson plans, and fitness challenges. The catalog is broad and covers multiple sports and age groups. You can print as many copies as you need for your school, organization, or family. The free planner is a low-commitment way to test the quality before buying anything else. If you need planning templates and printable activities fast, this is a practical stop.
How to Choose the Right Resource for Your Team
Start with your time budget. If you have ten minutes before practice, you need a packet like IMPACT that is ready to use. If you have an offseason to plan, a season-long program like The Soccer Sidelines gives you more structure. Next, look at your role. Volunteer coaches usually want low cost and low prep. Club directors need communication plans and parent-facing materials. Then check the sport fit. IMPACT covers basketball and soccer. The Soccer Sidelines is soccer-first. GoodCharacter.com and American Coaching Academy are sport-agnostic. Finally, decide whether you want free or paid. Free resources lower risk but often require more adaptation. Paid resources like IMPACT and Player Development Project save prep time. Match the resource to your real constraints, not the ideal ones.
A Simple Weekly Workflow to Put Character First
Pick one character pillar for the week. Open your chosen resource and pull one lesson or activity that fits. Write a single sentence you will say before practice starts. Run your normal warmup, then weave the lesson into one drill. At the end, ask players one question about how they used it. Send a one-line note to parents so the lesson carries home. Log what worked in your planner. Repeat next week with a new pillar. This workflow takes about five minutes of prep and keeps character development from becoming an afterthought.
The Bottom Line
You do not need a complicated system to build character through sport. You need one resource that fits your time, your sport, and your budget. IMPACT gives you a $19 packet with ten lessons and a planner, which is hard to beat for volunteer coaches. GoodCharacter.com gives you a free library to explore. The Soccer Sidelines gives you a season-long structure. Player Development Project gives you video depth. American Coaching Academy gives you free planners to start today. Pick one, run it for a season, and adjust. The game is only the beginning.