I have often written, commented about or made reference to my 27 years spent in coaching. It is something I am very proud of not simply because of the longevity but in the fact that I was able to adapt to the changing reality of coaching over an extended period of time. Since I started in the early 90s, the game itself has progressed, women's soccer as whole has become quite a bit more covered, supported and visible in the mainstream, and technology had come to play a huge role in coaching. These changes have paralleled changes occurring in society as a whole which have affected the coach-athlete relationship, the expectations by the athletes even at youth levels, parental pressure, and to speed at which any situation can go viral with the explosion of social media.
I have to admit hearing my parents' voices resonating in my ears when I say or write anything that someone starts out with " back when I started out" or " in all the years I have been involved" . They come across as cliché catch phrases older people use to somehow indicate that things are easier today than back " in our time" . However, being middle-aged, I am not in that older category and I think I am rationale enough that I can subjectively compare how things have changed in close to 3 decades. Recently, I received the honor of being inducted into the Lac St Louis Soccer Region's Hall of Fame. While I did have some success in terms of results, I am lucid enough to know that I was not recognized based on my win-loss record or overwhelming number of championships but rather on the cumulative body of work that is my coaching career. I coached at 3 very different levels, coaching players of different generations all the while being an unapologetic advocate for women's sports. I had the privilege to work with close to 20 players who went on to represent Canada on the international stage, include one who after a successful playing career as the country's 3rd most capped player, 2 Olympic bronze medals, 4 world cups, this afternoon will be coaching Canada's U17 in a World Cup semi-final. I bring all this up, because I would like to thing that the biggest success in coaching for me has been the ability to stay relevant, to be able to adapt my style and message so that I could continue to reach athletes as their expectations and requirements changed. At not point, even towards the end of my coaching career did I take anything for granted or assume that there was nothing more I could learn. Staying relevant over time in every aspect of day to day life. There is always importance of remaining relevant in a changing world. Look hard enough and you can find examples of this in business, entertainment, sports and human interaction. For those of you who are younger, you may think this doesn’t apply to you. In fact, it does, more than to those who are older. After all, you will have more time and more of a need to adapt than those in my age bracket. There will be many more opportunities to either bury your head in the sand or look out onto the forward and prepare to adapt. When you look towards those in leadership roles around you, that you might be working or playing for, who you might make fun of, or criticize their decisions, might be you in the not to distant future unless you are open minded enough and ready do something different if and when required. Avoid getting trapped in the gears of the machine, and be ready plot your own course. Coaching female coach as a young male, with no kids on the team was not glamorous in the early 1990s. Many just leaped to the conclusion that it was either because I wasn't good enough to coach in the men's game or that I saw it as a way to meet girls. Early on, while I might not have shown the same confidence and willingness to speak up and out about gender bias an equity, I applied myself wholeheartedly to my coaching role. I became my own champion ( with some help from a few mentors and supporters along the way ) to improve myself as a coach. There were people, sometimes more than others, who saw what I was doing and trying to do and criticized, second guessed or or make fun of me. I soon took the attitude to avoid all individuals who belittled or couldn't understand my coaching ambitions. Small people always do that. I have made not secret that my path in coaching was very instrumental in helping me developed professionally and personally. That included being able to ensure that I always took steps to be at worst relevant to the changing times and at best somewhat avant-garde in my actions. If as a coach, you strive to be successful, to be better than just och, or good but been seen as a great coach ( for today, I was stay with GREAT as an all inclusive term and not debate the definition). you have to remain relevant. It all starts there. Successful coaches are more than great motivators. They are leaders, mentors, and teachers. They cultivate behaviors in their athletes that drive passion and performance. Observe coaches in action and there are traits that will jump out at you that are consistent among the very best. Athletes notice when commitment and passion comes from the top. Coaches who want their teams to put in the work, go beyond the simple minimum effort and take all the extra steps to success, will demonstrate their willingness to do the same. they set the standard for work ethic, then dare everyone on the team to keep up. Great coaches don't demand loyalty and blind obedience by the simple fact that they are the coach. The old school mindset that the coach is always right and athletes are expected to follow just because... are no longer valid today. Today's athletes need to know the “why” of decisions and when athletes understand how their intense training schedule supports the team’s greater goals, they’ll be more inclined to go the extra mile in practice and on game day. Great coaches have the ability to see beyond the X’s and O’s of skills and strategy. They will take take an interest in the lives of their athletes, which over time makes them better equipped to address their needs, help them grow, and cultivate a culture of excellence among them. Team culture can be contagious. When team members buy in, believe in what is happening, they become stronger advocates for maintaining the culture than you as a coach might ever be. Peer influence is a strong asset to nurture. Like with any leadership role, all of the technical knowledge in the world won’t help you if you can’t communicate it effectively. Take time to understand how your players learn and then tailor your instruction accordingly. The best coaches are able to deliver both criticism and praise in a way that’s well received and taken to heart. Success is a moving target. With some many factors that influence success being out of one's control, in order to remain relevant, coaches must commit to lifelong learning and continuous improvement. they must also strive to develop at a faster pace than their peers. Good coaches can oversee successful sport teams or programs and maintain their level of results. Great coaches build successful teams or programs that sustain a level of excellence through changing athletes, competitive realities and the simple passing of time. . Creativity is key to success as a coach by remain open to innovative ideas and teaching philosophies. Great coach. stay up-to-date on the latest sports technology and are not afraid to take risks and drive change. Great coaches make training challenging – physically, mentally, tactically, and emotionally. They plan workouts with great attention to detail. And they understand that every training session should provide the optimal environment in which athletes can reach their full potential. Every coach wants to win games, but not at the expense of skill development. Great coaches realize it’s about the team, not the man behind the bench. For me personally, coaching has always come down to two things, giving the athletes under my responsibility ( I hate using the expression " my athletes" although I am sure I slip sometimes) the best possible environment to excel and about personal growth for myself. Was I good, successful, great, relevant or some combination of those and more ? I will let other judge me on their selected criteria.
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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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