My Coaching Philosophy

            “Failing to plan, is planning to fail.” A coaching philosophy is an extremely fancy word for a coach’s plan. Just as a contractor does not step out onto a piece of land and start pouring concrete in random places or digging haphazardly, a coach should not step onto a field or court without a plan or a blueprint so to speak. According to Gilbert (2017) a coach should assess themselves and their athletes each year to create the most effective philosophy for themselves and their athletes. Furthermore, their philosophy should consist of their reason for coaching, their values, the experiences they want their players to have, their opinions about athletic success and sport, their responsibilities to their athletes, their discipline practices, and their ethical standards (Gilbert, 2017). This paper will identify what makes me a coach, my reason for coaching, my values, and my views and opinions on how different aspects of the coaching world should be handled.

My Why

            A lot of times, people sit around and say, “someone should do something about this, or someone should do something about that.” Most of those people think that it is someone else’s job to help when they in fact have been given the ability to help in those situations. I saw a need for positive coaches who hold themselves to high standards and set good examples for young people. I coach for those reasons. It is my ultimate goal to share my passion for sports with young people while being a positive role model, who displays good moral characteristics. Therefore, I coach to help young people better themselves as an athlete and a person through a caring consistent environment that fosters creativity, growth, and confidence.

My Values

            I value the correct teaching of sports, sportsmanship, teamwork, honesty, perseverance, and trustworthiness and I expect my athletes to display those same characteristics whether they are participating in sports or living their normal lives. I want people to look at my athletes and know that they are different by the way they talk, act, and play. This does not mean that they walk around like they are better than anyone else, it means that they are confident and take pride in the things that they do. My athletes know that it is extremely important to me to see them succeed and to be the best individuals that they can be.

            In addition to the physical and mental aspects of sports, I also value the emotional aspect of sport and life in general. Roberts (2024) used two specific words when discussing emotional participation which are attuned and adapt (p. 96). Although he was conversing about coaches and leadership, these two words still apply to athletes. Attuned is the act of being aware and the ability to adapt means that you can change when necessary. If we are not tuned into an athlete’s emotions, we can lose them quickly, so we must adapt and find what works best for them.

Athlete Experiences

            As individuals, I encourage my athletes to seek opportunities to volunteer their time, expand their education, spend time with their families, and to travel when possible. As a coach, I feel that it is important for my athletes to experience all aspects of the sporting world which include physical, mental, emotional, and social experiences. The physical aspect is all things body related, not just movement and physical abilities. They need to understand that everything they do, eat, or drink plays a role in their physical performance. Mental and emotional experiences go hand in hand and include winning, losing, and dealing with challenges that they may face such as anxiety, stress, and criticism. Socially, athletes should communicate effectively and calmly with their teammates, coaches, opponents, and game officials. This should produce positive relationships that build rapport and ultimately help the athletes succeed.  

How do I define athletic success?

            While the worldly opinion of athletic success is winning, I do not define winning as athletic success. Some athletes and teams win, but they display terrible sportsmanship and sloppy athleticism. I like Gilbert’s (2017) acronym on pride where each letter stands for a certain aspect that athletes need to have. Being positive, being respectful, showing initiative, being determined, and showing enthusiasm are traits that all coaches and athletes should have as a team.

            I also encourage my athletes to create goals at the beginning of each season and to assess them throughout the season. If they are not moving toward their goals at the midpoint of the season, then reevaluation needs to take place. Some goals are based on sports skills, but some are based on attitude, sportsmanship, or teamwork. While I coach team sports and the team atmosphere is important to me, it is also important that each individual athlete is seen and feels important. This mentality helps athletes feel that they matter and ultimately helps the team grow and succeed in their own way.

            So, athletic success is dependent on the athlete and what that athlete needs. Are they performing well? Are they challenging themselves to be better and seeking out ways to develop their skills? Are they coachable and able to adapt in intense game situations? All these questions must be examined when determining an athlete's success.

Sport Purpose

            Sports are meant to teach individuals specific skills to accomplish an exact goal or goals. This goes far beyond the physical being and includes mental, emotional, and social aspects. The main idea of sports is to develop an individual physically, but the other aspects of a healthy individual must play a part in creating a well-rounded athlete. Sports are meant to grow and challenge individuals into being better athletes and individuals, which can help them throughout their life. Character traits such as confidence, self-control, and flexibility are developed while playing sports and are needed throughout life, especially in the workforce. Consequently, sports go far beyond the field or court.

Responsibilities to Athletes

            I feel that it is my responsibility, as a coach, to teach the skills and rules needed for my sports. I spend a lot of time teaching the correct techniques for throwing, catching, base running, sliding, and hitting. I do this not only because it is necessary, but to keep my players from getting hurt. Safety is important to me because I want to keep my athletes athletic for as long as possible so that they can share their talents with loved ones in future years.

            I also feel it is my duty to teach my athletes the characteristics needed to lead a successful life. While many have already been discussed, I feel that teaching the value of family and community is extremely important. I tell my athletes that it does not matter what they came from, it is what they can create for themselves that matters. I try my best to show them and tell them about all the opportunities that they can have in life. I would not be worthy of the coach title if I did not teach them more than the game of softball.

Discipline of Athletes

            I personally feel that discipline is like walking a tight rope. I definitely want my athletes to be controlled and orderly in sport and life, but to be that way, they must first be disciplined. I tell all of my students and athletes that every choice they make has consequences whether they are good consequences or bad consequences. I end that discussion by telling them that they must think before they speak or react because they will receive bad consequences from me if they make bad choices.

            Before I assign any type of consequence, I make sure that I have established some form of a relationship with them and try to gauge where they are physically, mentally, socially, and emotionally. I never want to make a student or athlete feel that I hate them or do not like them and I definitely do not want to turn them against the sport that they are playing. Ferner et al. (2023) discusses a coach that dealt with a player committing suicide. That would be the hardest situation to navigate, especially if it was something you or your team did to push that athlete over the line. Therefore, I am very transparent when it comes to discipline, and I stick to what has been decided at the beginning of the season. I also make sure that my athletes are in a good mindset before they leave a game or practice.

My Ethical Standards

            I have high ethical standards, and I expect my athletes to walk the walk and talk the talk. I portray a responsible and respectful demeanor, and I expect my athletes to do the same. I understand that some athletes were not raised the same way as I was, so it can take time to teach my expectations, but I do so patiently because it is my duty as a coach.

            I abide by the Georgia Professional Standards Commission Code of Ethics, and I expect my players to abide by many of those same rules. I promote good behavior, trustworthiness, honesty, integrity, and professional relationships. I also display and encourage self-control even when an opposing player or umpire does something that I do not like. I display patience, understanding, grace, and attitude regulation, because that is what I expect out of my athletes.

Conclusion

            These details identify what makes me a coach, my reasons for coaching, my values, and my views and opinions on the different aspects of coaching. For these reasons, it is important for a coach to create a philosophy that includes their reason for coaching, their values, the experiences they want their players to have, their opinions about athletic success and sport, their responsibilities to their athletes, their discipline practices, and their ethical standards (Gilbert, 2017). Coaches carry a huge weight that impacts their players’ futures physically, mentally, emotionally, and socially. Their philosophy should be taken seriously as it can change individuals’ lives forever in a positive manner or a negative manner.

References

Ferner, K., Ross-Stewart, L., & Dueck, D. (2023). The role of coach education in coaching philosophy development and implementation: A dual case study. The Sport Journal, 24, 1-18.

Gilbert, W. (2017). Coaching better every season: A year-round system for athlete development and program success. Human Kinetics.

Roberts, J. (2024). Coaching with the heart in mind: The varying levels of emotional engagement. International Journal of Evidence Based Coaching and Mentoring, 18, 83-100.