Purpose: My role as a coach is to assist athletes in their whole-person development by training for and through their sport. By providing safe, enjoyable, and learning experiences the athletes will cultivate attitudes that influence their behaviors leading towards quality actions.

Values: I value respect, integrity, compassion, and excellence. Respect involves recognizing the dignity and rights of every person, all living beings, and the places we live. Integrity is being one’s genuine and authentic self and displaying behaviors and actions that are ethically sound. Compassion is demonstrating empathy for others and seeking ways to raise everyone up. Excellence is constant striving and seeking for quality in performance and actions without yielding.

Beliefs: Coaching involves striving towards outcomes by focusing on attitudes, developing relationships, and learning skills. At the core of coaching is a positive relationship with an athlete. A quality coach demonstrates unconditional positive regard for all athletes. A coach needs to be athlete-centered, and they must seek a balance of who is driving the training. A coach needs to model the attitudes, behaviors, and actions that are expected and demanded of the athletes. All coaches are educators, and they embody and use elements of effective teaching and instruction.

How does learning happen? Learning is a complex and social process that occurs over time. It involves the acquisition of skills, knowledge, and attitudes that occur from training and experience. It is a lifelong process, and it involves change and reinforcement. Reflection is a crucial component to deepen and enhance this process.

What is the relationship between the athlete and the coach? The relationship between an athlete and a coach will vary based upon the length of time they are in partnership, the specifics of the goals and expectations that are set, and levels of maturity. Ultimately, establishing an effective relationship through rapport building is crucial between the two. This requires a level of respect that is reciprocal, and the ability to communicate genuinely.

What does it mean to teach? A coach is an educator, which encompasses the ability to teach. I view the primary function of teaching to educate learners, and this is generally accomplished through translating information and being an impetus to convince learners. A teaching approach provides intentional experiences that allow learners to develop personal meaning. Similar to coaching, at the core of teaching is positive a relationship.

What does it mean to instruct? Athletes, like all people, are complex and unique individuals. They have varying skills, knowledge, and abilities that fluctuate over time. This requires a coach to be multifaceted. They will assist athletes with more than just performance; they will also need to provide varied instruction for them. I view instructing as the ability to provide athletes with direct information and practice. This promotes an expedited implementation of the skills. Instruction also requires a relationship, but it’s use tends to be superficial and short-term.

What is involved in the coaching process? As mentioned earlier, coaching is a complex social relationship. It involves establishing and setting targets for skills that are cognitive, affective, and psychomotor. There is the mode of delivery by the coach that is a spectrum based upon who and what decisions are being made. There are the individual athletes, or learners, that have different characteristics and needs that must be considered to maintain an athlete centered approach. There is also the learning environment that includes not only the physical but the social and intellectual components. All of these elements are inextricably linked, and an effective coach will use these to ensure that their athletes meet success.

Revised: January 2020