Thursday, December 15, 2011

Coaching Philosophy

Coaching Philosophy
My personal coaching philosophy consists of instilling a sense of hard work, dedication, and team work in my athletes.  As a pragmatist, I believe that it is crucial to develop my athletes’ minds, just as well as their bodies.  I want to help them set goals for themselves, giving them the tools necessary to accomplish those goals, thus assisting them in building self-efficacy.  I believe that, as an athlete, having a belief in oneself is crucial to one’s success, in sports and life.  As a coach, it is imperative that I provide for my athletes’ success, thus helping to decrease frustration and increase motivation.  I desire to invent new and innovative ways to help athletes fine tune their skills and develop their minds.  It is important that you are able to figure out what your athletes need to improve upon and then communicate to them in a way that they are able to benefit from your advice.  You could be an expert on recognizing what an athlete is doing wrong, but it means nothing if you aren’t able to connect with them in a way that they can understand what you’re saying.  It is important to take the time to get to know each one of your athletes, as a person and as an athlete, so you can help them develop in any way necessary.  There are always going to be those individuals who excel more than others but it is important that you remember to treat every person the same.  Last spring, I went to observe my ten year old brother, Brendan’s little league game.  I noticed how the children who struggled more with the game were always placed in the outfield.  That was not my idea of good coaching!  These kids were ten years old!  They should still be given the opportunity to play different positions.  How else would they ever improve?  By banishing them to the outfield, you are not accomplishing anything, except a sense of disbelief in their abilities.  It is important, as a coach, that you remember that each child should be treated fairly and given the same opportunities to learn as the others. Your job is to help each kid develop and improve to the best of their ability.   When losing occurs, I want my athletes to learn from the experience and help them find ways to avoid losing the next time.  In my opinion, athletics is a great opportunity to deliver life lessons to the athletes, and I will use every opportunity possible to do so.  I want to help these children develop good character and push them to their fullest potential.  I will do this by providing challenges that will force them to work hard and be persistent.  It is important that I help them to realize exactly what they are capable of and to get them to believe that they can conquer any obstacle they may encounter, whether it is in sports, or life.  I believe that the process is just as important as the product; setting realistic goals and formulating a plan of how to accomplish these goals is just as crucial as actually accomplishing them.  It is important that athletes set both personal, and team goals while participating in sports.  Team work is one aspect of sports that is crucial in order for success to occur.  It creates a relationship with one’s peers, which is something that is essential if one is to be successful in sports, or life.  Through my knowledge, dedication, and passion for sport, I hope that my athletes will gain the knowledge necessary to be successful in sports, as well as everyday life.  I hope that they walk away with the willingness to accepts any challenges they are given and the belief in their ability to overcome them.  If so, I will consider my job, as their coach, a success!

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