What
Kind of Coach Are You?
The following article is based on a lecture titled, “What Kind of Coach are you, Anyway?” presented at one of the national tennis conventions last year. The lecture was given by Dr. Paul Roetert, executive director for the American Sport Education Program (ASEP). Dr. Roetert is the former director of research for the USTA, helped develop the sport science program for the USTA and worked closely with their Player Development program.
As a coach of young athletes, you can have a profound influence on their lives if you fulfill your obligation of using athletics as a way to teach life skills. Remember, student-athletes are students first, athletes second.
It's important that you determine what type of coaching philosophy you will have before you begin your season so you can be consistent throughout the season, and know how to deal with unique situations which will undoubtedly arise during your season.
Is winning important to you as your ultimate goal? Admit it if it is. Especially at the collegiate and professional ranks, a coach's job may depend on winning.
Do you keep everyone who comes out or do you cut? By keeping everyone, you offer more youngsters the opportunity to develop self-esteem, goal-setting skills, discipline and team work. By keeping everyone, however, you are able to pay less individual attention to each player. If you have a no-cut policy, think about the up- and down-sides, and try to come up with solutions to address this (two different practice times, having varsity players act as assistant coaches with the JV, etc.).
Very often, your goals may be subordinate to those of the school's. Meet with your A.D. to determine if there is a coaching philosophy which he or she wants applied to all the school's sports, and meet with other coaches to discuss how they use these philosophies in their sports.
Bear in mind that a nationwide survey of youth athletes found that having fun was the youngsters' number one priority, while winning came in 10th.
In a lecture to tennis coaches earlier this year, by Dr. Paul Roetert, executive director for the American Sport Education Program, discussed and explained the three coaching styles prevalent in sports.
#1 Command
#2 Cooperative
#3 Submissive