The life of a coach

As we approach the end of the collegiate season I wanted to share some of what I have seen of the life of a coach these days.

We all want to be coaches right? Everyone who played sport as a kid sees the appeal. The chance to be around a sport we love, and be paid to do it, who wouldn't want that. And besides it's not that hard really, I mean all you do is just put a few cones down at training.

If you're reading this, you probably are a coach. As such you've probably been exposed to the thought process above a few times. And it probably infuriates you. In very few other professions would you see this assumption that anyone can do what you do. This led me to think about what coaches actually do.

When I was a kid I took up hockey at aged four, struggled with soccer between ages 8 and 12/13, sailed between ages 13 and 17 and stuck a toe into some other sports along the way. In each setting I was exposed to some very different coaches, but in each setting I received (at the core of it) most of the following:

Technical instruction - How you do what is needed in the sport
Tactical instruction - When and why you would do these things
Situational/cultural instruction - What is appropriate behavior when practicing this sport
Vocabulary enrichment - Sometimes sport related, often times rude words!

But, is that all that a coach does?

If my coaching journey is anything to go off I hope the answer is no. This past weekend I hosted my team at my house for pumpkin carving. Picture the scene, 22 athletes and staff crammed into my living room for some lunch before taking to the front lawn to have a pumpkin carving competition. Bear in mind these are college athletes, aged 18-22, not children. I have to say it made for some interesting viewing!

What struck me most about the whole experience was firstly how competitive my coworkers got when the carving started. But, more than that, it had nothing to do with sport. We were just enjoying each other's company, and relaxing as a team. The whole event was enjoyable and natural, with everyone getting plenty of food!

The lesson in this? For me this year, and every year in coaching, has seen my role within our staff and team change. That's normal in coaching. Every group is different and every group needs something different from their staff. I tell people now that my job title is "Assistant Coach" not "Assistant to the Head Coach". My role is to help. Each athlete, each staff member, everyone we work with. Not just today, but everyday. In doing that I'm finding that I'm getting to enjoy myself a lot more. This season we've had highs and lows like every team. The highest highs for me have come from celebrating our athletes success, not just on the field.

So... what is the role of a coach?

BUILD an environment where everyone can flourish in pursuit of your team's goals.
NOURISH the group you're working with athletically and socially.
ENJOY yourself. It's got to be natural, and fun. If you're not enjoying yourself why would they?!?
CELEBRATE everything that's worth celebrating. Wins come in many forms, find them and celebrate them!