SouthEast Crush Coaching Creed

 

1. Model effective habits  

Players may not always remember what you teach them, but they will always remember what they see you do. Head coaches are not the only ones who are held to a higher standard; all coaches are expected to be leaders on the field, in the school and in the community. If you show up late or unprepared, use inappropriate language, consume tobacco products or generally prove that you can’t manage your personal habits, then you absolutely cannot expect your athletes to manage theirs. Nobody picks up on hypocritical actions faster than young people. If you have personal habits that you need to change, begin taking steps to change them.

 

2. Communicate expectations 

Talk early and often with your head coach and have a clear understanding of what he or she expects of you. Be sure to discuss the following questions in detail:

·         What are your specific roles and duties on the coaching staff?

·         What do you feel most comfortable contributing to the team (position-specific knowledge, administrative talents, etc.)?

·         What are your head coach’s pet peeves?

·         Do you have a long-term goal of being a head coach?

Whenever possible, be available before and after practices and games to communicate regularly with your head coach. The working relationship should be positive and rewarding for everyone involved.

 

3. Be a champion for your head coach 

Nothing derails a program’s success faster than an assistant coach who whispers behind the head coach’s back or pushes his own agenda with players, parents or other coaches. Even if the assistant does not completely agree with the head coach’s decisions or philosophy, unless those differences are moral or ethical in nature the assistant has a responsibility to stand behind and support the head coach. Not only does it establish trust with the head coach and contribute to a positive working relationship, it reaffirms the strength and continuity of leadership on the coaching staff to the athletes and parents.

 

A veteran head coach recently shared an unsettling story about one of her former assistants. Like most head coaches, she had a few players on her team who saw little (if any) playing time. Late in the season, one of the parents insisted on a meeting to discuss his daughter’s playing time. In the midst of this heated discussion, the parent revealed what no head coach wants to hear: that her assistant coach had been telling non-starters that they really deserved to be in the starting lineup. The parent also explained how the assistant coach held informal meetings with players to discuss unhappiness with the head coach, differences in coaching decisions, etc. Needless to say, this lack of trust caused a climate of tension from which the team never recovered.

 

4. Build positive relationships with your players 

 “Seek first to understand, then to be understood.” This habit speaks to the importance of listening with the intention of understanding. We cannot effectively influence anyone unless the person feels understood, and the same goes for our players. Teenagers, particularly, bring a mixed bag of self-consciousness, fear, anxiety and beliefs to a team. Coaches should not use the words, “Oh, I know how you feel,” or “I went through the same thing.” Even if you’ve been there, done that, and gotten the T-shirt, assume that your players are different. Positive influence, learning and a contagious climate of success cannot exist without trust.

 

5. Take initiative 

Legendary Coach John Wooden (2005) once said, “Failure to act is often the biggest failure of all. Use good judgment based on all the available information, and then use initiative.” Assistant coaches should make sure they understand what the head coach wants to accomplish and use their initiative and resources to help get things done. It might be something as simple as setting up practice stations at the beginning of practice, making sure student athlete gets water, etc. If you believe your head coach has forgotten something important, e.g., administrative tasks, take a moment to remind him at an appropriate time.

 

6. Constantly seek to improve on technical and tactical knowledge, and improve the ability to teach. 

At a large baseball coaches’ clinic in Virginian, a college coach talked about infield skills and drills, as two coaches sat and listened one coach started to feel that he knew everything college coach was talking about and in fact, he even disagreed with a few things he was saying. In the midst of those thoughts, He recognized a very well-known, accomplished high school coach sitting nearby. He was not only listening intently, he was taking notes; A coach who had won several state and regional titles and received numerous coaching awards during his 25-year career; he had coached countless college and professional players, yet he remained dedicated to learning and improving his technical and tactical knowledge.

 

If you feel that you’ve reached the point in your coaching career where there are few things you have left to learn about a particular aspect of your sport, please consider the following two questions:

·         Is there a different way to teach a skill, perform a drill or approach a team-oriented task?

·         Is there a different position or area of your sport in which you could become more proficient?