Coaching is an educational domain and as such necessitates the development of a coaching philosophy. Coaching philosophy can greatly impact and enhance the daily coaching procedures and strategies and remains a very practical matter. In coaching, it is crucial that every coach follows certain principles based on his own playing experience.
A coach has to assume several roles in life including those of a guide, a teacher, a role model, and sometimes a friend. Principally, a coach must have and reflect a positive attitude. A positive coach will always put the players before anything else. While coaching, an optimistic coach desires to triumph but at the same time must comprehend that before everything else, he is an educator, thus coaching primarily concerns the development of his players.
Coaching is a resolute commitment to the best education that can be given to the athletes. Coaching then comprises the development of character as well as the skills of the athletes. In coaching, the victories and defeats are used as teaching instances to develop confidence along with affirmative personality facets for instance self-discipline, self-motivation, self-esteem, and most importantly an enthusiasm for life. Effective Coaching is an activity that facilitates athletes to learn and efficiently develop their skills.
The purpose can be accomplished by setting pragmatic goals where the focus is on the effort rather than the outcome. Coaching ensures the laying of precise standards of incessant training and enhancement of the athletes. The coach is instrumental in encouraging and inspiring the students or athletes, irrespective of their ability levels, and motivates them to better themselves. This can be achieved by creating a partnership with the players and using effective communication to construct successful associations based on respect, caring, and character with players.
Good coaching practices necessitate that the game is treasured and that the coach feels a commitment to the sport he coaches. Love for the sport is a crucial aspect in coaching the game as the coach shares this love and pleasure with the student-athletes. Coaching is a philosophy that needs to be developed in a positive way and it is the duty of the coach to teach the student-athletes to respect the opponents and make them recognize the fact that a worthy rival will drive his players to perform their best. Coaching is therefore an incessant activity where the coach not only teaches the correct tactics of winning but also the approaches to winning and losing along with the ethical and moral values which are necessary to uphold the decency of the game.
The coaching approach must be educationally sound and the drills ought to serve a constructive purpose of time management and not simply for killing time. The players should be given a temporal deadline for the necessary drills which must be athlete’s capacity.
The philosophy of coaching must at all times be ethical and the coach is the role model for his players and therefore must teach by setting an example of pure practices while coaching and should at all times abide by this philosophy.
Effective coaching can be achieved if the coach has an open mind and uses the philosophy that learning is a constant pursuit.
Explanation plays an important role in coaching and if the coaches clarify why they have taken a particular approach to instruct, the justification will motivate the athletes to a very great extent. The coaching philosophy is supposed to be compatible with the personality of the coach and the issue of sportsmanship conduct must always take the first position in the philosophy.
Coaching is, however, greater than merely abiding by principles or encompassing an unshakable program. Coaching involves interaction in the lives of the players. It is therefore the duty of the coach to assist his players in making the correct and mature choices in all aspects of their lives. The coach is required to assist them to develop personality, regulation, self-motivation, confidence, by raising the set standards of the players. He must therefore adopt correct coaching practices to facilitate them achieve those standards by successfully developing proper associations with them founded on reverence, compassion, and disposition.
The most triumphant coaches are not essentially those who succeed in most of the games but are those who lay emphasis on team cohesion and promotion of an environment of collaboration, mutual admiration, and dedication.
There could be restrictions and pressures that may affect the coaching deliverance including laws or policies, club or school rules of behavior, school demands, parental hindrance, etc.
Communication plays a vital role in coaching practices and athlete interaction. It is extremely essential to talk to the players in person to establish their morals and viewpoint, along with their goals their reasons for participation. A coach must be an authoritative role model in order to have a wonderful influence on the players. Knowing and understanding each of the players, their strong points, limitations, capabilities, and skillfulness, helps in developing a correct approach in coaching them.
Coaching the team with the philosophy of teamwork helps the players achieve greater success. By developing a TEAM philosophy along with personal coaching philosophy the coach can successfully combine the elements for greater victory.
All coaches must function by following some kind of coaching philosophy which may be designed by pure instinct or officially documented. The rewards of a well-planned coaching philosophy are numerous. The philosophy helps to not only learn about the players’ strengths and weaknesses but is also effective in enhancing the deliverance of coaching. The coach can increase the perception of the coaching context like the obstacles he has to face and how to successfully deal with pressures, restrictions, suitable and safe training techniques, and the goals the players try to accomplish. The strategy enables the coach in gaining a better insight into the athletes on a more personal base and consequently, the coach can adapt and modify the training to meet the requirements, strengths, and limits of the players.
With this knowledge and strategy relating to coaching, it becomes possible to develop a team approach that attains supreme performance.
Coaching is thus centered on helping the players and the athletes to successfully accomplish their dreams and as such must be accomplished optimistically, stylishly, and passionately. The encouraging coach and role model will follow a distinct coaching philosophy which will ultimately be a key factor in the triumph of the athletes and will ensure in making coaching much easier and hopefully more rewarding.