Peyton Williams

Dr. Buchanan

Coaching & Officiating

31 March 2017

Paper 2: Coaching Philosophy

With so many different sports, so many different teams, and so many different coaches, it

is pretty obvious that each and every coach or respective leader of a team has their own qualities.

However, what exactly is a coach? Is a coach someone who makes people be successful or find

ways to make teams win? Is a coach just a motivator? There are numerous roles that a coach

can acquire and numerous titles that a coach can be referred to as. With all of this being said, a

coach can be thought of and perceived in many different ways. Depending on who one talks to,

the definition of coach can vary from person to person.

There are multiple things that define a coach. All coaches are remembered mostly

because of what they are known for. What a coach is known for makes a huge impact on

establishing a well-known identity and leaving a notable legacy. Legacies and making history

makes a coach good to a lot of people. Coaches leave lasting impressions based on how

good or successful they are as a leader. However, being good does not necessarily mean a

coach should just prioritize winning. There is a lot more to being a good coach than being a

skilled leader, knowing the Xs and Os, winning games, and racking up trophies every season.

A good coach is also someone who leads his or her team in the right direction by doing what is

morally and ethically right. Coaching provides the privilege of responsibly directing a group of

boys, girls, men, or women down the right path and having a positive impact on their lives.
 When it comes to coaching, describing a coach as good can mean completely different

things. Some good coaches are the coaches who consistently achieves good results,

meaning they are successful and skillful. On the other hand, a good coach may be a coach

whose coaching is virtuous, meaning they always do what is morally right (Hardman & Jones,

2011, p. 45). Some coaches are very good at constantly achieving good results. In contrast,

some coaches are very good at always doing what is morally right. Putting all of that together, a

coach that is truly a good coach would be a coach that is good at both. As a coach, I would want

to be known for by being a coach that led a team that was full of respectful players. I would

want to make sure every member of my team had high morals, always knowing the difference

between right and wrong. Also, I would want to be known as coach that demanded the best out

of everyone. I would never expect or demand perfection, but I would always demand the best

out of a player. Demanding the best out of a player may not relate into ideal talent. However,

even though I would not necessarily expect one to be perfect, I would always expect hard work

and maximum effort out of them.

I believe that establishing a coaching a philosophy with the ideas that I have would lead

to a positive atmosphere and positive results for those around me. Being a coach, especially a

good coach, would provide me the opportunity to make an impact on those around me physically

and morally. Being able to get the best out of athletes both technically and ethically would go a

long way in becoming a good coach. Being a coach myself would allow me to discover the best

out of my athletes from an athletic standpoint as well as a mental and moral one. It was once

stated that the coach is someone in whom discretion is invested (Hardman & Jones, 2011, p.

35). Being a coach and mentoring athletes at my own discretion would allow me to get what I

want out of them for the most part. Leading athletes at my own discretion and under my own
rule would yield excellence in their physical and technical skills as well as their ethical and

moral attitudes.

As a coach, the coach is the head of the team or the leader of the unit. With the coach

being the central figure in the group, the coach has a responsibility to dive deeper than just the

Xs and Os of the sport. For me to be a good coach, I have greater responsibilities to display

towards my athletes than just winning. If I have boys, I have a responsibility and duty to

transform them into men. If I have girls, I have a responsibility and duty to transform them into

women. If I coach adults, I would still have to sharpen their tools as well. As a coach, it is my

job to fill my responsibilities towards to my team that requires more work than just becoming

successful when it comes to trophies. There is also a need to develop and display individual

skills that expand off the field or court (Hardman & Jones, 2011, p. 90). These individual skills

relate to everyone as a person, not just an athlete. It is my job as a coach to make more than just

a better athlete, but rather a better person.

To solidify this philosophy of mine, I had to follow some of the secrets from many

former coaches that were very successful. It was once stated that ultimately your success as a

coach will not solely be judged on the quantity of wins you have, but also on the quality of the

relationships you develop with your athletes (Janssen & Dale, 2006, p. 11). I have always told

myself that I am more worried about the quality of my coaching career than the quantity of

things I accumulate during it. Also, in order to maximize the success of those around me both

technically and morally, I have to be a coach that coaches with my head and my heart. I can not

just coach with my head because then that takes away aspect of developing more than just

successful athletes. In contrast, I can not just coach with my heart because then that takes away

the importance of winning and being physically successful. There is a fine line to becoming a
great coach that I have to follow in order to become successful in every aspect of life and

develop athletes into people that find success the same way.

Just like other coaches, I have many strengths as well as limitations that can boost or

prohibit the impact I have on my athletes. The role I play as coach impacts those around me both

positively and negatively. With that being said, I always have to be careful of my limitations and

keep them to a minimum in order to display my strengths. I need to prioritize being positive and

displaying my strengths while coaching. Always demanding the best out of my athletes will give

them the best in return. Doing what I do best will help me to be the best coach I can be. On the

other hand, I have to minimize my struggles; things such as losing patience and being critical.

My criticism needs to be constructive in a way that encourages my athletes into doing better and

learning from their mistakes rather than discouraging them from trying again.

When it comes to coaching, a lot of things can make you a good coach and a lot of things

can make you a bad coach. There is a key to becoming a good coach and establishing good

athletes that can also be good people. However, discovering the art of that can be difficult.

Connecting the realm of coaching to the real world is a tough job, even for a good coach. A good

coach is the one that could do this and with my coaching philosophy, I feel that I can be a coach

that does more than winning. I can develop good athletes and make them great people. In

reality, that is more than winning. One is not a true winner unless they are winning at life. If the

only place one wins is on the field or on the court, then they are not truly a winner. Any coach

can take a group of athletes and win a game. It takes a special group coach with a special group

of athletes to do more than win a game. Winning more than a game is real winning; and that is

special.
 Coaching Philosophy
THREE THINGS WHICH ARE OF GREATEST IMPORTANCE TO ME

1. Your Mental Toughness and Effort Who You Are When No One Is Looking
You must stay true to yourself as well as your teammates when it comes to practices and
competition. You can never control the athletic ability of those around you, but you can
control you. However, you can control your effort and the amount of work you put in.
Do not skip that push up when Im not looking. Do not look to your teammates for
approval on when to give in or quit. If you work hard and do what I ask of you and your
success will come.

2. Your Mentality Once Competition Has Begun It Is More Than Just a Game

If it was just a game, we would not keep score and play so competitively. Once that
whistle blows and the game begins, you give it all you have. If you are on my team you
are out there to win. We will not win everything; we will not come close to winning
everything. However, you always try to win. You never throw in the towel. You never
give in. You never quit. You give it 110% from the first whistle to the final whistle.

3. Your Team First, Me Second Attitude

There is no I in team. The team comes first. You come second. You play for the name
on the front of the jersey, not the name on the back. The team will never reach its full
potential if you put yourself first. Put the team first and you wont be far behind.

CONCEPT:

It is not all about winning and collecting trophies. No one wins everything; everyone loses.
However, true winning is leaving it all on the field or court every time you walk off of it. If you
do that, you can yourself a winner regardless of the actual outcome. It takes skill to be athletic.
It takes initiative, hard work, and determination to be a great athlete. I want athletes, not athletic
kids.
Works Cited
Hardman, A., & Jones, C. (2011). The ethics of sports coaching. London: Routledge.
Janssen, J., & Dale, G. A. (2006). The seven secrets of successful coaches: how to unlock and
unleash your team's full potential. Cary, NC: Winning The Mental Game.