The Coaching Moment

There are a lot of things we can learn about coaching from one simple game of under-12’s tee-ball. On one particular day I witnessed some very insightful and opportunistic coaching and also some things not to do. I found it intriguing how much there was to be observed during this one game, let alone the catches, hits and throws. The coaching was the highlight in my view.

One coach used every opportunity to not only encourage his team and the individual kids within the team, but he would use the little things they either did or didn’t do to further their education and knowledge of the game. But he didn’t stop there. He also made the connection with the application of these principles to the more mature-aged game of baseball. But, the key was his style. He was a natural. There was nothing contrived about his feedback and communication--it was all genuineness. And his timing was impeccable.

At the same game I witnessed another coach encourage his kids with just as much passion but he lacked the genuineness of authenticity and care of the other coach. There was a hint of desperation in his voice as he coached the plays; remember, this was with a bunch of ten and eleven year olds. In transactional analysis terms, this coach went into the parent-child mode of communications and his implicit emotion i.e. his body language, had a negative effect at a particular time in the game when an umpire’s decision was being verified. Emotions of both sides’ coaches then became slightly tenuous for a minute or two. It reminded me that there only needs to be one person in this sort of role who loses it to compromise things. Fortunately, there were enough adults behaving like adults that nothing bad transpired.

A few years ago I witnessed a junior coach in the same situation lose control and get upset; his cussing could be heard by parents and officials alike, and then he abused another coach, totally losing it; he later resigned in disgrace--an entirely regrettable situation for all concerned, and not the least of which for this guy who was a respected school teacher.

The character of the coach is paramount, particularly in children’s sport. It is woeful when parent-coaches get overly serious and lose their adult faculties, even temporarily. Coaching-for-kids methodology needs to be underpinned and characterised by safe and positive adult interaction and guidance for the children. This can only happen when there’s an all-ruling sense of respect for everyone in the coach. The coach very simply needs to be relatively emotionally intelligent. Children’s sport should always be fun. The higher the standard of competition the more professional the coaching needs to be to keep things positive.

Every interaction should be constructive. Coaches must put their own desires well behind them in serving the greater good of the kids, parents, other spectators, and importantly also, the officials, who’re often volunteers and parents themselves. The coach is the crucial leader. He or she has the power to inspire or crush. If you’re a coach how would you like to be remembered?

Copyright © 2008, S. J. Wickham. All Rights Reserved Worldwide.