Qualities of a Winning Coach - Jack Leggett · players need extrinsic motivation to work along with...

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Transcript of Qualities of a Winning Coach - Jack Leggett · players need extrinsic motivation to work along with...

Page 1: Qualities of a Winning Coach - Jack Leggett · players need extrinsic motivation to work along with their intrinsic motivation. Pre-game talks, post game talks, individual talks,
Page 2: Qualities of a Winning Coach - Jack Leggett · players need extrinsic motivation to work along with their intrinsic motivation. Pre-game talks, post game talks, individual talks,

Qualities of a Winning Coach by Jack Leggett 

 In putting together my thoughts and ideas about what it takes to be a successful and winning coach, I                                     found it necessary to share with you how it all began for me:  My father coached football in high school and college and also had collegiate coaching stints in track,                                 baseball, wrestling and swimming. My mother was the most supportive, competitive fan I know. I also                               had 3 siblings, 2 brothers and a sister who were all athletic.  Our orientation was the athletic environment from day one. As a result of my father’s job, he had the                                     keys to all of the athletic facilities. We had access to the swimming pool, racquetball courts, trampoline,                                 weight room, basketball courts, tennis courts, indoor and outdoor tracks, access to the practice fields,                             and certainly access to all of the athletic events.   During those times, our interest, enthusiasm, and love for sports and competition was cultivated. We                             traveled as a family from Maine to Massachusetts, then Washington, Oregon, Michigan and Vermont in                             order to chase the coaching dreams and challenges for my dad.   Back in those days, taking your family from the East to the far Western part of the states was a strong                                         indication that no distance could quell the excitement of a coaching challenge and the possibilities of                               climbing the coaching ranks and gaining coaching experience. It wasn’t a quest for money or fame, but                                 rather a drive to learn, to create opportunities, challenges, experiences and to establish relationships in                             developing a Team.   

The #1 quality that can lead to success and longevity in coaching is                         PASSION.   If an aspiring coach has the passion for teaching, developing players and a team, competing, and for the                                   love of the game, the odds of success and enjoyment are much better. Passion will inspire and drive a                                     coach to continue to learn, grow and develop.   Passion will help the coach focus on his job and keep his priorities in order. If you love what you do, the                                           ups and downs won’t kill you. You’ll continually be focused on the relationships created through                             coaching and allow you to enjoy the winning and better handle the losing days. Passion means love, and                                   a love for the game and the job allows you to attack the day and the challenges while always looking                                       forward to coming to work. A thirst for learning, competition, and developing relationships is the passion                               that drives you.   

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Strong communication skills are absolutely essential to the winning                 coach.   A coach must be able to verbalize clearly to his players and his team in moments of victory or defeat. He                                         must be able to relate to his players so that they understand what is expected out of them.   His knowledge base can only be passed on to his players and team through clear and precise                                 communication. The confidence and inflection in the coach’s voice, along with his body language, should                             be able to get the knowledge and message across to the players. I have seen many coaches, athletes and                                     clinic speakers who have great baseball knowledge of their sport but do not have the communication                               skills to pass it on to those listening.   The power of the voice, the timing of the message, and the confidence in which it is delivered                                   determines the value and understanding of the knowledge passed along. Precise and concise                         communication is essential to being a successful coach. Communication to a receptive audience at the                             right time is critical. Sometimes the timing after wins, losses, individual successes or failures can                             determine whether or not the message is received at its optimal level. 

 

A successful coach needs to have a confident and extensive                   knowledge base for their sport.  A clear understanding of the fundamentals of the game is important, and it helps if the coach has a                                     broad knowledge of the skills needed to be successful in the sport. You learn as you go and by trial and                                         error, but you always need to be in the hunt for more knowledge.   Gathering skill development drills and drills for technique improvement are essential to extended                         success. Skills and drills usually evolve and change as time moves on, so it’s very important that the                                   coach is willing to adapt and change when necessary. Gimmicks, trick plays and a reliance on talent can                                   lead you down a short period of success at times, but innovation and the ability to teach the long lasting                                       fundamentals to motivated, talented athletes provides a better chance for long-lasting positive results . I                           have found that a solid foundation in the fundamentals allows a coach to prepare his team for success                                   for a much longer period of time and allows for the stronger development of the athlete.   A strong foundation of fundamentals in a team can overshadow some other inadequacies, and the same                               is true for an individual athlete. He or she can overcome some deficiencies in strength, size, speed and                                   power with the mastering of strong fundamentals.  

 

Evaluation skills are very important for the winning coach.  

They have to be able to evaluate their team and their players to know what their strengths and                                   weaknesses are. Coaches need to continually assess the needs of the players and the team.  

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 Practice schedules and workout routines can then be planned accordingly to improve the players and the                               team. If the coach is in the college arena, he needs to be able to recruit athletes that will help the team                                           win and have the ability and aptitude to improve. The ability to evaluate when players and teams need                                   rest or need constructive work is necessary for success as well.   Coach’s eyes need to be looking and evaluating constantly in order to make good decisions during                               competition and know when to make strategy and lineup changes. Coach’s eyes need to be constantly                               scanning their players and the team to assess the needs and get an edge toward winning and                                 improvement.   

After constantly evaluating their players and team, a coach must be                     able to organize practices, drill, and workouts to achieve winning                   results.  

 Organized practices achieve efficiency, improvement in the players and team, and utilize time wisely.                           Players know what they need to accomplish in practice. They know what their schedule is for the week,                                   have a plan in mind coming to practice, and know what they have to accomplish.   Disorganization and lack of direction creates confusion, sloppiness, and a lack of discipline, which in                             effect, creates a losing atmosphere. Organize the year, the schedule, the season, the week, and the day                                 and your players will be more successful and productive. With an organized mind, practice schedule and                               daily plan, you will have a better chance to win.   

Along with organizational skills, you have to have the ability and                     desire to lead others.   

 It’s a responsibility that follows you 24/7…  Players will look to you in success and especially during adversity. Your words of wisdom in times of                                   stress, failure and success is critical in the development of your team. How you handle yourself with your                                   players, opposing teams, the press and fans will be evaluated constantly. You have to be walking the talk                                   to your team the right way after both losses and wins. Your words and body language will indicate all                                     that you are thinking. They will all follow your lead.   Sacrifices will be made along the way to set an example for your players. Your actions and behavior will                                     be emulated by your players, team and fans. It is a very powerful position as many people depend on                                     you, follow you and look up to you. Young people need examples to follow, and the coach is one of the                                         most impressionable people in their lives . You must keep that in mind whenever you talk and whatever                                 you do.   

   

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A winning coach also has to set the Goals and parameters for the                         team and players.   Teams and players must know where they are going and how to get there. If they have a clear                                     understanding of the goals, they are much more likely to work hard and follow the rules.   The parameters of discipline concerning appearance, dress code, travel behavior, academic expectations,                       social expectations, and work ethic on the field and in the weight room need to be set so that the                                       players know what is expected. The coach can then do his job without repeating the expectations daily,                                 and the players can practice and play with a clear understanding of what’s expected.   

After setting the goals, a coach must establish the Culture.   By this, I mean put a brand on your team, emphasizing important issues like the proper discipline, hustle,                                   style of play, enthusiasm, style of practices and energy around the program.   Your ability to motivate your players in times of winning, losing and adversity is a necessary attribute. All                                   players need extrinsic motivation to work along with their intrinsic motivation. Pre-game talks, post                           game talks, individual talks, team talks, and the ability to tailor them to get the most out of the athletes                                       and team is an essential quality of a winning coach.   A culture of trust has got to be created in order for these motivational moments to be effective. Most of                                       the lessons taught will be remembered for life, and most of your players will pass them on to others if                                       you’ve made the impression you have hoped for.   When players are fighting through adversity, they need you to help with recovery.   When they are performing well, they need you to keep them on the right path.   The ability to challenge your athletes and your team, regardless of past performances or results, is a                                 great quality. In motivating and challenging your players and team, you must be able to be honest with                                   them. Changes and improvements can only be made by being honest in your evaluations. Teams and                               players need to know where they stand and what their roles are in order to improve and win together.  

 

Perhaps one of the most important qualities of a coach is his ability to                           constructively coach and encourage.   Both are necessary to bring out the best in the players and team. Players and teams need to be                                     challenged and coached with honest evaluation. The ability to constructively coach in order to improve                             and to encourage when things are not going as planned are essential.   

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Handling failure, because it will happen, is necessary for survival in the coaching life.   Persistence, fighting through the adversity of winning and losing, social media barrage, or fan                           displeasure is important to survival.   As a coach, your mental toughness will be tested often and will make or break you in this profession.                                     Failure is tough to take. It hurts your pride, and sadly, your results will give fans and outsiders a reason                                       to judge.   

Resiliency and your ability to bounce back is a necessary quality of a                         winner.   The toughness to overcome defeat is essential because it will happen. Whether a coach likes it or not,                                   your body language and your poise is being looked at and judged throughout your practices, games,                               speaking engagements, and the way you handle your players and your team.   People can tell, just by looking at you, that you believe you can win or that you’ve lost your confidence                                       in your players or the result of the contest.   It is essential that your body language never exhibits defeat, lack of belief, or that you are beat mentally                                     or physically. Your players, fans, and opponents see you. They are watching you. Stay poised. Emotion is                                 a good thing, but you must try to make it a positive vibe as often as possible. There are times where                                         excitement and emotion take over, and when exhibited in the right way, it can portray a feeling of                                   togetherness and fun.  Poise leads to good decision-making skills because your mind is calm and confident. To manage a game                                 and decide on strategy and personnel moves, you have to have good game management skills. This                               comes from inner confidence and the knowledge of the strengths and weaknesses of your players, your                               team and your opponents. Games are won and lost by good decisions and knowing your personnel, your                                 opponent’s personnel, the situations and the game experiences.   It helps to surround yourself with good people who have: 

● a strong knowledge base, ● experience, and  ● confidence.  

 It has long been said that: you can tell what kind of person you are by the people you surround yourself                                         with . It’s something we all tell our own kids, and you should talk to your players and team about it. But                                         from a coaching standpoint, it always helps to be surrounded by knowledgeable, confident, and loyal                             assistants and support staff within your organization.   

 

Page 7: Qualities of a Winning Coach - Jack Leggett · players need extrinsic motivation to work along with their intrinsic motivation. Pre-game talks, post game talks, individual talks,

THE BOTTOM LINE:  Along with all the qualities mentioned, is the fact that a coach who aspires to win must have a                                     willingness to work hard and work long hours. A strong, persistent work ethic is necessary if you want to                                     coach. Keep in mind that through experience, a winning coach will learn to work smarter, not harder!   By putting in quality and productive effort, positive results will come if a coach can develop some of the                                     important qualities mentioned.  Enjoy it, and remember, stay balanced, have outside interests, and always believe that coaching is about                               the relationships created through the hard work and teamwork you experience together.   Remain professional in all you do in the face of adversity and when not always getting the outside                                   support you need or want. Budgets are tight, facilities always need work, and sometimes, you really don’t                                 have enough help. So be creative, look on the bright side, and improvise to win. Excuses are not                                   acceptable and not something to lean on.   The bottom line is that it’s a results oriented job. Everyone cares about the score. Everyone knows how                                   to coach, especially after the game is over! So enjoy the “dance” as Garth Brooks says, because wins and                                     losses are fleeting… the journey is the reward!  

     

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