Everyone knows the textbook definition of being a coach, but have you ever truly stopped to ponder what this “job” means and entails? One of the beauties of coaching means that you have taken on the decision to fully invest yourself in a carer that is one of the most powerful, influential, and amazing ones that a person can choose to have. Not everyone is made out to be a coach. But the people that who are coaches are doing something that is more than a profession – this job and its title hold way more power than most people realise.
For starts, coaches must work with young athletics who are all going through their own personal trials and tribulation. As a coach it’s your job and responsibility to guide them into becoming the best versions of themselves and learning two of the most amazing games: the sport itself and the wonders of life. Coaches have the power to truly change these athletes by making them incredible at their sport, but almost more importantly – making them even better and wiser people while under your watch. Coaches must remember that at the end of the day – you are a leader of a team of willing participants who admire you and whom they entrust themselves with.
Don’t forget the depth of this responsibility
Coaching is known to be one of the most difficult professions a person can choose to go through as they must work with an array of aspiring athletes in high stress and public situations. Coaches must keep scores, which means that every week, they are getting judged – hell, even on a day to day basis based on the performance of some kids who are trying to learn and perfect a sport. Coaches must go through having people judge every action they make regarding how well the players play, how much playtime they have, along with where they play at.
Along with the judgment, coaches must always be aware of how much power their words have to affect their players – in both a positive and negative light. While facing moments where success is praised having to take calls from officials, no matter how good or bad is part of the job. Coaches must always think about what they have to say to ensure that their players are not falling into a negative slope of doubt. Especially considering how coaches no control over what gets remembered, forgotten or overlooked.
Another part of coaching that is often overlooked is the constant dealing with parents. While many of these encounters are wonderful, enjoyable, and full of a pleasant conversation about the player’s successful, failures, and things the must work on. Others can be quite intense and negative. The negative ones are known to have unrealistic expectations of their child making it and will blame the coach, and everyone else if their child is not where they suspect they should be. The best thing a coach can do is try to lower their anger and negativity and teach them to empower their kids. Many people seem to minimise that coaches serve as a positive role model for all players, and that is especially common in situations where the parents have lost sight of it.
The facts of coaching
Research regarding the impact that coaches have, alongside teachers, transformed kids extensively over the last few decades. Nowadays, we know that some of the popular teaching methods used decades ago were unsavoury and did not produce the results that were desired. It’s a fact; fear methods do not work as well with helping a kid become more successful than loving and nurturing them. As many kids, today will say, just because we went over it does not mean that we learned it and can retain it. In reality – having practices filled with mistakes that can be learned from are the best ways a coach can teach a player the realities of life. At the end of the day, coaching is about being a person filled with: passion, understanding, empathy, and consistency. Coaches must model the behaviour and mindset that they would want their players to follow – on and off the field.
