Contrary to what the title of this blob post might lead some to believe, the topic, unlike some in the past, is not related to gender equity in sport and coaching but rather to how a coach can and maybe should a diverse group of athletes in a team setting.
If equality means giving every athlete the same chances and opportunity, equity means giving every athlete access to the chances and opportunity they need to improve and thrive. As any coach who has spent significant time working with teams knows each athlete is different. It can be tough to meet their competing needs, Coaches quickly realize that there is no "one size fits all" method of coaching a group. At the core of everything, a player's ability to improve during training and perform under the pressure of competitive games is directly linked to who they are as individuals but also to how they might have been coached in the past by others. In any group setting, social gatherings, workplace or team environments, individuals will take in cues and react to them differently. Some require constant feedback, others constant reassurance. I think back to a former player of mine who didn't play much in her first two years but as her playing time increased in year 3, I was talking to her after a game pointing out all the things I thought she had done well. She quickly replied " I can tell what I did well but the outcome, I need you to tell me about the things I didn't do well or can do better so that I can improve and player even more ". I thought I was providing her with good feedback, pointing out how she had improved, so in essence giving her reassurance but what she needed was feedback on where she could get better. Working with a large group of individuals, athletes for the benefit of this blog post, is never easy and as a coach, it is important to finds ways to know as much as possible about each athlete individually, their background, how they perceive themselves, how they react to criticism AND praise, how they want to receive feedback... and those are just a few of the areas to keep in mind. There is no one right way to get about it but there are some habits I have tried to use with my teams. First and foremost, get to know each athlete as a unique individual. Take the time to learn where they're from, maybe what makes this tick as the expression goes. Why they play their sport, how they got started, what excites them, what scares them. Don't assume that every athlete is there for the same reason and motivate by the same goals. The more you know, the more you can build trust and differentiate your coach. However it is important to balance this with keeping certain boundaries. You are there as their coach and not all aspects of their lives is relevant to your role or more importantly any of your business. Don't be afraid expect a great deal of your athletes, but also find ways to convince them of their own potential, and help them to reach it in a disciplined and structured environment. It doesn't matter how good you think an athlete is or could become if they themselves don't realize or believe it. As you gather background on athletes as individuals, start to piece together his or her learning story:
As I wrote earlier one-size does not fit all when it comes to how you coach at the individual level. As a coach, you need to be ready to adapt, adjust and improvise. Be willing to flex or set aside your well-laid plans to individualize instruction. If pulling an athlete out of a training session to provide some specific instructions seems difficult or hard to manage, don't let it control your decisions or actions. If it doesn't feel natural surround yourself with assistant coaches that the players can respect and relate to and assign them the role of individualized coaching. Remember, when it comes to coaching, it isn't about you, it's about giving your athletes access to every opportunity to reach their potential and maximize performance. Create an environment where the message is clear that failure is just another form of feedback. When a athlete feels embarrassment or stressed at the thought of not performing as needed or straight out failing, they will hide behind different reactions, the nervous laugh, compensating by trying to be funny around teammates, revert to simple decisions and actions to avoid mistakes or to hide among the team. In an positive, equitable team environment, there's no need to hide, because struggle and failure are neutralized, normalized, and even celebrated. When mistakes are made, sometimes one on one or as a group, have a discussion, what went wrong, why did it happen, what where the factors that lead to it. You will find that sometimes an athlete, read the situation right, make a great decision and the error was simply an issue of execution. Teach the athletes to review their performance and be willing to identify the whys and and whats of what went well and what didn't. Now, here is the issue when as a coach, you try and balance, being equal with being equitable. If you apply rules, make decisions, communicate, give feedback, teach, etc with the optic its the same process for everyone regardless, you are going to lose athletes, your message won't reach some of them and you won't be able to maximize performance. On the flip side, if you adapt your coaching to individuals, and are not transparent about it, it will create the perception that you are playing favorites or have different rules for different athletes. Simple example, you have two athletes, acting out in practice, with bad attitudes, talking back to teammates and coaches, disrupting practices, etc. You look into the matter and see that in one case, that is just how the athlete is, a malcontent, who overvalues their skill set and feels they are owed everything. The second athlete, has been count off financially by his or her parents, recently broke up with their significant other, and hasn't slept in days stressed with school , finances etc. On the surface, the behavior is unacceptable and disruptive. Equal application of teams rules would mean the same consequences for the behavior, equitable application would mean consequences for both but finding a way to correct might have to be different. Being equitable in coaching requires very clear and transparent communication. For the athletes to buy in, they have to know what is expected of them and know without doubt that your only interest is in helping them perform at the maximum level while improving and giving them a rewarding and positive experience. I'll probably come back to this topic with shortly to give more details on the how if this.
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AuthorAfter many years of coaching at various levels and with different teams, I thought I would share some of my experiences and thoughts about coaching. Archives
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