Written by Terry Liskevych
(not in rank order)
- Having a passion for your sport.
- Have a long term plan (vision) and the ability to implement it (organize).
- Find the way to lead this group - - leadership ability.
- Applying the appropriate teaching method – identify how each individual player learns best (visual, auditory, hands-on, etc.); develop creative approaches to present all the information and material.
- Appropriately facilitate your message – i.e. have all your coaches and staff say the same thing; provide the rights tools - - notebooks, playbooks, video, tests. etc.
- Knowledge of X’s & O’s - - skills (techniques) and strategies (tactics).
- Identifying general “athletic” and “sport specific” talent.
- Inter-relating to the players and staff.
- Communication skills –how best to get your points across? What is the best delivery mechanism.
- Ability to relate (get-along, function appropriately, etc.) with the athletes and staff.
- Learn who your players and staff are as people - -their personality strengths and weaknesses; what they are and are not about.
- Make it FUN!
- Determine how to motivate each athlete and the team as a whole
- Motivation = working for reinforcement
- People are motivated to fulfill their needs (Successful Coaching by Rainer Martens, 1990)
- “Sport psychologists have learned that the two most important needs of young athletes are to have fun (which includes the need for stimulation and excitement), and to feel worthy (which includes the need to feel competent and successful).
- What reinforces your team and each of your individual athletes?
- What moves your team and each individual athlete to excel?
An average coach gets his/her team to perform at their expected level.
A successful coach gets his/her team to perform beyond their level of expectation.
A winning/championship (great) coach is successful with a team that has a high level of athletic talent.
A successful coach is able to give (transfer) information to his/her players and they execute this in the game/match – they actually do it!
A winning/championship (great) coach transfers superior skills/techniques/ & strategies/tactics to his/her players and they execute this high level of performance repeatedly in the game/match
Every coach must have a tireless work ethic (the ability to work hard), must exhibit patience and must be adaptable.