As an Audiologist you are a coach for people with hearing loss; how to manage the condition and how to use their hearing aids. These concepts apply to you.
As a Business Owner you are a coach for your team; how to win as an organization. These concepts apply to you.
I wrote this for a Football Coach I know but post it because the concepts are universal.
Some observations about Great Coaches:
- Great Coaches do not wander up and down the sideline saying I want the ball, get ME the ball. Great Coaches do encourage the defense to get the ball back for us, the team, or for the offense. Great Coaches are about TEAM and us; not about I and me.
- Great Coaches know their best coaching often happens when they don't have their best teams. Great Coaches know that they are only one part of the team and it takes more than one coach to win regularly. Great Coaches realize their wins and loss record is as much impacted by the players they happen to have and the teams they happen to play as by their coaching ability.
- Great Coaches have the ability to modify their coaching style to fit the players they have now. Young players need a different coaching focus than experienced players. Fast learners are different than slower learners. Some kids need to be fired up, some need to be encouraged.
- Great Coaches do not use the same intonation and volume all the time. Great Coaches are loud or quiet depending upon what helps the team at that moment. Always a yell is a lot like no yelling at all as it all sounds the same to the players and loses its ability to emphasize a point or to motivate.
- Great Coaches are great at picking out the good things on every play. Great Coaches know a player that knows exactly what to do and feels good about their ability to do it will be more likely to do it.
- Great Coaches know to encourage the team or player when the team or player is down to build them up; and when necessary bringing them down a bit, when the players are too exuberant or to high.
- Great Coaches know if the players don't know what to do it is the coach's fault, not the players fault. Great Coaches simplify if the players are uncertain because a Great Coach knows an uncertain player will not be going full speed, and a player not going at full speed is at a disadvantage in the game.
- Great developmental Coaches are always developing players for the future. Giving the players who aren't as experienced a couple of situations where they will be successful. Give a back who cannot figure out the whole offense 1 play to run, let him practice one play to figure it out, and then put him in for that one play.
- Great Coaches know no player intentionally lines up in the wrong position, or takes the wrong angle, fumbles the ball, or misses a tackle. The player chasing the opponent down the sidelines because the angle was wrong already feels bad. The player who fumbles already knows it. Great Coaches don't waste time telling players about mistakes they player already knows they have made. Great Coaches make a note and the next practice have a drill to demonstrate how to do it right.
- Great Coaches are Great Teachers and they don't waste any time on things unrelated to teaching the player how to play better. If 5 words will convey the concept they use only 5. If the player needs one more rep they will get a rep and not a lap. If the players are happy and encouraged they will line up quicker and get more reps.
- Great Coaches are in control of their emotions. Great Coaches know the person who is overcome by emotion is at a disadvantage in sports and in life. Sure they may appear out of control at times to fire up the team, or the crowd, or to make a short term point. But being out of control of their emotions is very, very, very rare.
- Great Coaches support their assistant coaches. Great Coaches don't criticize their assistants in public. Great Coaches know if their assistants don't know what to do it is the coaches fault not the assistants fault.
- Great Coaches have mentors to learn from. That is plural, as in more than one. Great Coaches take the best of each of their mentor's ideas and characteristics and use them. Great Coaches do not mimic mistakes of their mentors, but learn from them.
I would encourage you to read the coaching books by some of the greatest football coaches of all time: Joe Gibbs, and Tony Dungy; both men who have not only been successful in Football, but in non-football activities. These are Coaches that I believe share your desire not only to win games, but to use football to create great young men.
I know this can help you.
Rick
