While we’re sidelined by COVID-19, this is a good time to nail down some important big-picture stuff that you might be too busy to address during a normal season. Creating a coaching philosophy is a great place to start. As AOC founder Terry Liskevych explains, a “master plan” is of great benefit to you, your assistants, your players and anyone else associated with your program.
If you don’t already have a written coaching philosophy, Liskevych’s tips in the video above and in these step-by-step guidelines will show you the way. If you do have one, this info will help you refine and improve it.
One key to creating a philosophy that accurately reflects your mission, Liskevych says, is writing down answers to these questions:
- What are my guiding principles in life?
- What are my guiding principles as a coach?
- What do you I want my team and staff to know about me?
Other important notes to make before outlining your philosophy include:
- Top three priorities in life and top three coaching priorities.
- What you would never compromise, and what is NOT important to you.
- What your players will learn and prioritize when playing for you.
- Favorite quotes about life and coaching. For instance, one of Liskevych’s favorites is “Concern yourself with things you can control; don’t worry about things you can’t.” Here are some others that he has shared with his players and staff over the years.
To see what a well-thought-out coaching philosophy looks like, check out the full Liskevych version that he often distributed to his team. Here are other examples of coaching philosophies for different levels of volleyball:
Here’s a final tip from Liskevych: “Once your philosophy is in written form, put it away for a day or two and then review it again and make revisions.” The idea here is that revisiting your philosophy after some time away will give you a fresh perspective and allow you to make it better.
