Qualities of a Great Coach

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I got this off of a baseball board down here in Georgia. I thought you all would enjoy it. Anything else you think should be added?

- knows the game but doesn't think he knows it all!
- works hard to learn what it takes to make the player better.
- gets to know each individual player and what that player thinks and why.
- will ask for input from other coaches.
- admits when he makes a mistake and doesn't try to make it the players fault.
- screams, yells, fusses. At practice - not during a game!
- during a game he will take notes and work on what needs working on at practice.
- helps build confidence in players and does not degrade them in front of their teammates and fans.
- never - never puts the loss of a game on one players shoulders, it takes a team to play the game and a team to win or loose.
- will play the best players on the team!
- Will not play a player because of who he is or where he came from, a great coach is a fair coach.

 

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totally agree amen

 

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I got this off of a baseball board down here in Georgia. I thought you all would enjoy it. Anything else you think should be added?

- knows the game but doesn't think he knows it all!
- works hard to learn what it takes to make the player better.
- gets to know each individual player and what that player thinks and why.
- will ask for input from other coaches.
- admits when he makes a mistake and doesn't try to make it the players fault.
- screams, yells, fusses. At practice - not during a game!
- during a game he will take notes and work on what needs working on at practice.
- helps build confidence in players and does not degrade them in front of their teammates and fans.
- never - never puts the loss of a game on one players shoulders, it takes a team to play the game and a team to win or loose.
- will play the best players on the team!
- Will not play a player because of who he is or where he came from, a great coach is a fair coach.

Add
-Knows that Family, Religion, and School should always come first.

JMHO

 

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has the ability to transfer the knowledge to the players. Tells them why not just how.

 

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A coach that teaches the girls to think for themselves, and to make decisions that result in the best interest of the team. This is a game that moves very fast. Girls need to be able to think on their feet. A coach that teach his/her girls to do that is a great coach!!

 

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Actually I have to disagree that family, school and religion always come first. If they always come first, how could one ever play or practice?

I know what was meant, but I see too many instances where it is taken literally. For example, I had a player ask to miss two practices last week because her sister was in town for a few days. If family always comes first, I have to just say, ok, miss two practices. Her sister was in town for about 72 hours and she can't pull away for two, two-hour practices? She gave me, well family always comes first with me. We had to cancel one of the practices. For the other one, I allowed her the miss, but only with a special individual makeup session.

Priorities need to be kept in perspective, but I think we are too literal when we tell kids that other things always come first.

 

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I think a great coach also communicates well with player's families, and creates an "our team" atmosphere, no "my DD" mentality

 

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good post, and welcome back, coach tam, havent seen u in a while

 

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Feisty:

A sportswriter once asked Knute Rockne if he thought the team prayer asking God for strenghth & victory before the game actually helped--- considering the fact that the other team was most likely asking God for the same things at the same time.

"I find it does help," said Rockne. "Especially when we have the better players."

 

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A coach who buys the first pitcher at Roosters is always a quality i try to look for.

 

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Our coach just sent us an email about our tournament this past weekend, asking all parents if there were any concerns... and concluded with, "this is our team not his team." That is what a travel ball coach needs to remember. Respect for the parents time and money.

 

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A coach that really cares. Knows the players and parents. Buying a first pitcher at roosters is somewhat concerning. But probably happened.




Jeff Klopfer
Ohio Classics 14U

 

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Actually I have to disagree that family, school and religion always come first. If they always come first, how could one ever play or practice?

I know what was meant, but I see too many instances where it is taken literally. For example, I had a player ask to miss two practices last week because her sister was in town for a few days. If family always comes first, I have to just say, ok, miss two practices. Her sister was in town for about 72 hours and she can't pull away for two, two-hour practices? She gave me, well family always comes first with me. We had to cancel one of the practices. For the other one, I allowed her the miss, but only with a special individual makeup session.

Priorities need to be kept in perspective, but I think we are too literal when we tell kids that other things always come first.

Don't add more to my statement than the intent. I am very specific with players/parents at tryouts, parent/player meeting, and in expectation handout the guidelines to all aforementioned.

First Academics will always come before ball. You don't make the grades, you don't play. If you have an incrediable opportunity to do a special course that allows you both college and HS credit that causes you to miss a tournament and I have been notified prior to the season, I will not hold it against a player, especially if this is their intended area of study for college. Schooling is long term, ball is short term.

Second, if there is a family issue that comes up during season, and I am not talking about vacations, but deaths, serious personal issues, sickness, I will not penalize a player for having to be with their family in a time of need. My players know several weeks in advance the practice schedule for the entire summer. They are manditory and no excuses to miss are accepted unless they meet the handout guidelines. You can make your dental, doctor, and driving school times around what you have been provided.

Third, if a player has a special religious event (95% of the time we know this way in advance and can accomodate) such as a baptism ,an immediate family member getting married, I will not penalize a player.

I have yet to run into an issue by having these three things as a top priority for my players. I am not here only to coach them, but to teach them sound life skills.

JMHO

 

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I got this off of a baseball board down here in Georgia. I thought you all would enjoy it. Anything else you think should be added?

- knows the game but doesn't think he knows it all!
- works hard to learn what it takes to make the player better.
- gets to know each individual player and what that player thinks and why.
- will ask for input from other coaches.
- admits when he makes a mistake and doesn't try to make it the players fault.
- screams, yells, fusses. At practice - not during a game!
- during a game he will take notes and work on what needs working on at practice.
- helps build confidence in players and does not degrade them in front of their teammates and fans.
- never - never puts the loss of a game on one players shoulders, it takes a team to play the game and a team to win or loose.
- will play the best players on the team!
- Will not play a player because of who he is or where he came from, a great coach is a fair coach.

stepping back and looking at this list... I've noticed that to deliver this list, a great coach must be a "very good" communicator. One that's not self serving and will take an approach that is flexible enough to grow the players while going after the "teams" goal whether it's have fun, win a tourney or two, or take 1st place in a year end WS.

I agree with this list all but the screaming part... I'm not liberal but just don't think screaming is beneficial. Yelling to make your voice heard is another thing-I do plenty of that myself-hope it's right... Many kids take screaming as an attack whether the intention is one or not.

Feistymom hit on many things that are pretty important (not saying others didn't)...laying the foundation at tryouts with a list of "here's what I expect" and "here's what you must do to be on this team" is awesome. No surprises, no guessing, let's do this together. Her list of academic reasoning, family issue and how to handle, and the communication for schedule conflicts for family events-I like. This philosophy ("the feisty philosophy") matches my team in many ways and our parents/players are super accepting. To me, good coaches are good communicators and may not be the best "tactical" coaches but can see an issue and effectively get the result they desire-lots of them around. Great coaches are great leaders (I know this list is short) which can put a solid game plan together, communicate it so all understand and can implement it, surround themselves with staff members that contribute core strengths which all add up to an awesome machine, and can over come obstacles effectively. Hard to get to the "great coach" status but plenty of them exist. My 2 cents in my short time of coaching when compared to many others on this site.

 

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Don't add more to my statement than the intent. I am very specific with players/parents at tryouts, parent/player meeting, and in expectation handout the guidelines to all aforementioned.

First Academics will always come before ball. You don't make the grades, you don't play. If you have an incrediable opportunity to do a special course that allows you both college and HS credit that causes you to miss a tournament and I have been notified prior to the season, I will not hold it against a player, especially if this is their intended area of study for college. Schooling is long term, ball is short term.

Second, if there is a family issue that comes up during season, and I am not talking about vacations, but deaths, serious personal issues, sickness, I will not penalize a player for having to be with their family in a time of need. My players know several weeks in advance the practice schedule for the entire summer. They are manditory and no excuses to miss are accepted unless they meet the handout guidelines. You can make your dental, doctor, and driving school times around what you have been provided.

Third, if a player has a special religious event (95% of the time we know this way in advance and can accomodate) such as a baptism ,an immediate family member getting married, I will not penalize a player.

I have yet to run into an issue by having these three things as a top priority for my players. I am not here only to coach them, but to teach them sound life skills.

JMHO

I don't disagree with anything you said, but you made my point. In your first post, you indicated that family, academics and religion always come first and left it at that. As I indicated in my post, I didn't believe that was what you meant literally. My point is that all too often that's what we all do and the players take it literally.

Your post above flushes it out and I think about any coach would agree with the way you did it. So what I am saying is that I think too many coaches do a disservice to kids by simply saying to their players something like, "academics, family and church always come first," without getting into the details of when it is acceptable to miss a game or practice and when it isn't.

 

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I don't disagree with anything you said, but you made my point. In your first post, you indicated that family, academics and religion always come first and left it at that. As I indicated in my post, I didn't believe that was what you meant literally. My point is that all too often that's what we all do and the players take it literally.

Your post above flushes it out and I think about any coach would agree with the way you did it. So what I am saying is that I think too many coaches do a disservice to kids by simply saying to their players something like, "academics, family and church always come first," without getting into the details of when it is acceptable to miss a game or practice and when it isn't.

That's the way that I took it Joe. I just think Feistymom was getting feisty!:lmao:

 

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I don't disagree with anything you said, but you made my point. In your first post, you indicated that family, academics and religion always come first and left it at that. As I indicated in my post, I didn't believe that was what you meant literally. My point is that all too often that's what we all do and the players take it literally.

Your post above flushes it out and I think about any coach would agree with the way you did it. So what I am saying is that I think too many coaches do a disservice to kids by simply saying to their players something like, "academics, family and church always come first," without getting into the details of when it is acceptable to miss a game or practice and when it isn't.

We make it measurable and observable and then how could we test for it to see if we all understand what it is we are talking about...for example being on time for practice.

If it starts at 7 PM and you get there at 7 PM and then you have to change into your cleats, get your glove out and it is 7:06 PM you technically were there on time however if you specify ready to cross over the white line with your equipment on then we have determined what it was in measurable and observable terms and what was the test.

You will not be considered late if you call the coach by 6:30 PM and inform him/ her what the problem is...the penalty for being late is XYor Z and you know what being late really means now...no excuses.

I find this sets the table for the parents also as many of the kids do not drive yet so the parents do not feel the pain the kids do because of the parents.

 

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That's one nice thing about the kids on out high school team. Almost every kid is a half hour early every day. Makes for better run practices.

 

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A coach that knows how to deal with parents.

 

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Humility when the team has success and pride when the team ends up on the short end.