4 Behaviors for Coaches to Avoid
I love analyzing coaches. I think most real arm chair fans enjoy thinking along with a coach and a strategy. It is so easy for us watching at home to yell stuff at the tv without taking into account practices, behaviors and other behind the scenes items. However, there are some behaviors that coaches have complete control over and we’ll cover those today.
1. Results without Practice: Just like in life you have to work for the victories that you get. Coaches have control over practices and what is covered there. Don’t expect a player who has never scored a basket in his life to all of a sudden put up 20 points. Practice is there to get your team ready and players ready to be effective when it comes time for the game. Don’t expect or hold your players to playing any different than they do every day when you see them.
2. Over Coaching: This is a big one. Let the kids play and trust what you have taught them. Over coached players play the game timid and looking over their shoulder. If you teach them correctly then let them play and turn into a game manager at that point. I’m not saying to not take opportunities when they are available but understand when you are doing more harm than good.
3. Under Teaching: How often do we see this? It goes along so well with over coaching because they are two different things. Take the time to teach, not coach, when the situation calls for it. Pull a player aside that has just learned by experience and reinforce the lesson. Stop a practice to teach and prove a point. Stop a practice to praise for things done right just as you stop practice for things done wrong. Kids have to understand the principle behind the teaching and give them a chance to figure it out.
4. People Pleasing: The best coaches aren’t people pleasers. I talked with Herb Welling out of Omaha the other day and I asked him his philosophy when parents come to him about playing time. He told me that he says “i’m sorry but your kid isn’t doing what is necessary to play right now” and he leaves it at that. Don’t ostracize yourself but don’t try to please everyone. Your job is to teach kids the game, to teach them to be responsible adults one day and then to win games. I know that not everyone feels this day but as the commercial says “99% of all athletes will go pro in something other than sports”.
