- Jan 31, 2011
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I gotta go with starsnuffer on this one. I have seen this exact thing...
Recent Former Players Make Good Coaches
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I gotta go with starsnuffer on this one. I have seen this exact thing...
- Jan 15, 2009
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I don't know if my post on another board about coaches recently out of school having challenges teaching kids the same way they were taught as an adult was one of your pet peeves. I had made it clear I don't think this a gender specific problem, it's just as big a problem for young men as young female coaches. It's almost like this was figured out 20 years ago by coaches and AD's with men's coaches and now we're having to suffer through it with women's coaches.
Personally I think it's worth going through the chaff right now to get to the wheat because that is what it is going to take to get a large number of good women's coaches out there and stabalized, but in the meantime there are so many out there that it is pretty common to run accross some really ill prepared ones who were sure that playing was the only prerequisite for coaching. A HS near me went through two young women Head Coaches in two years and are onto a third hiring this year after both quit after a year of finding out it wasn't what they thought. Same formula over and over again, recent college player, never coached any sport at any level and now you drop them into a pretty demanding position. It's tough to succeed and I don't see young men getting those same jobs, it's like the AD's already know better.
Personally I think it's worth going through the chaff right now to get to the wheat because that is what it is going to take to get a large number of good women's coaches out there and stabalized, but in the meantime there are so many out there that it is pretty common to run accross some really ill prepared ones who were sure that playing was the only prerequisite for coaching. A HS near me went through two young women Head Coaches in two years and are onto a third hiring this year after both quit after a year of finding out it wasn't what they thought. Same formula over and over again, recent college player, never coached any sport at any level and now you drop them into a pretty demanding position. It's tough to succeed and I don't see young men getting those same jobs, it's like the AD's already know better.
02Crush
Way past gone
I think it depends on different factors like:
What is the personality type of the former player wanting to coach now?
What age group are they looking to coach based on their desire to enter into coaching?
What experience do they have for the level they are coaching?
How do they communicate with others around them?
How were they a motivating force when in the playing world and can they convert that into coaching?
and more...
IMHO - I think former players hold an advantage that can help them get in the door to coaching...They hold knowledge and experience of the sport from playing in it. But that does not mean they will be good at it. That is an entirely different story. This is why coaching is coaching and playing is playing...I look around and see some of the best coaches in a lot of sports were not the superstars when they played. There are also some coaches who did not play at all. So it seems to me more about the individual and not always about the background.
What is the personality type of the former player wanting to coach now?
What age group are they looking to coach based on their desire to enter into coaching?
What experience do they have for the level they are coaching?
How do they communicate with others around them?
How were they a motivating force when in the playing world and can they convert that into coaching?
and more...
IMHO - I think former players hold an advantage that can help them get in the door to coaching...They hold knowledge and experience of the sport from playing in it. But that does not mean they will be good at it. That is an entirely different story. This is why coaching is coaching and playing is playing...I look around and see some of the best coaches in a lot of sports were not the superstars when they played. There are also some coaches who did not play at all. So it seems to me more about the individual and not always about the background.
This is a quote from a Newspaper article. Its a Basketball coach who was recently hired by a HS for the second time. In the article she talks about going from being a HS star, to a college player and then immediately coaching. In a nutshell she says in the article, that she has changed since her first coaching stint.
I think one of the other problems with College athletes immediatly becoming coaches is that there are more expectations. My first coaching was because the LL needed someone to coach. So I agreed to coach the machine pitch team my son was on. At the first practice I told the parents, I have no coaching experience, I intend to make this as fair as possible and will try to learn as I teach your kids. The parents were all happy that someone other then them had the job and they for the most part kept quiet. If I said, I never coached but I just finished up a 4 year collegiate career where I was second team all american (which is just an example, this is not true). I intend to make this as fair as possible and will try to learn as I teach your kids. Everyone would have much greater expectations of me, even though in both circumstances I never coached.
I think one of the other problems with College athletes immediatly becoming coaches is that there are more expectations. My first coaching was because the LL needed someone to coach. So I agreed to coach the machine pitch team my son was on. At the first practice I told the parents, I have no coaching experience, I intend to make this as fair as possible and will try to learn as I teach your kids. The parents were all happy that someone other then them had the job and they for the most part kept quiet. If I said, I never coached but I just finished up a 4 year collegiate career where I was second team all american (which is just an example, this is not true). I intend to make this as fair as possible and will try to learn as I teach your kids. Everyone would have much greater expectations of me, even though in both circumstances I never coached.
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I would guess everyone here is at least a slightly different coach then they were 5 years ago. Silly to think a former player would hit the ground running or set that expectation on them.
- Jan 15, 2009
- 584
- 0
Exactly, but per chinamigardens example you would typically drop a coach with no coaching experience into a less demanding role (like Rec, 10U travel, or assistant coach on a higher team ) but for some reason we keep dropping ex-players with no coaching experience into HS head coaching jobs or high level travel jobs and wondering why they fail. You have to learn to coach as much as you need to learn the skills your teaching. Playing prepares you for the latter, but doesn't necessarily do anything for the former.
02Crush
Way past gone
@quincy and snocatzdad
I agree with you both. Good perspective on the topic.
I agree with you both. Good perspective on the topic.
My DD's 10U coach is a current D-1 player. She coached the team last summer up to the time school started and did a great job. The organization has hired another coach to run the team while she is away at school. He did a great job in the fall and right now the goal is developement. They practice two to three times a week including having different D-1 coaches come in every weekend and work with the girls. When every she comes back on a break from school, she coaches the team. My DD as well as her team mates get really exicted when se\he comes back. She'll take total control of the team when she's out of school. My DD going to this team took a little thought. We knew going into this that there was a lack of experence coaching, but then again the last two teams we were on was the same thing and the coaches were doing it for years.
There is going to be a learning curve for her coach and I'm sure she'll make some mistakes. But she seems like a quick learner and we do great when she's out of school. Who knows maybe she'll take up coaching full time.
There is going to be a learning curve for her coach and I'm sure she'll make some mistakes. But she seems like a quick learner and we do great when she's out of school. Who knows maybe she'll take up coaching full time.
I've always felt that the most important quality of a great coach is great communication skills. As mentioned earlier, a travel coach has to deal with younger kids and their parents. Over the years, I've had former players as asst coaches. It's VERY difficult to get a well rounded young lady to spend several nights a week and EVERY weekend during the late spring and summer working with a young travel team. They almost never last more than one season, and I believe you need continuity in a coaching staff.
Where I have been more fortunate is to use former players as private instructors. I've had a very successful D-II catcher serve as our organization's catching instructor. We get her energy and enthusiasm, and she gets to pick up some much needed cash. The kids just love her! No chance she wants to put all that time in, day in and day out, as a full time coach over the course of several years.
One more thing about coaching, although a bit off topic. I've found that when your girls respect you, they will run through a brick wall for you! Great communication often gets great results!
Where I have been more fortunate is to use former players as private instructors. I've had a very successful D-II catcher serve as our organization's catching instructor. We get her energy and enthusiasm, and she gets to pick up some much needed cash. The kids just love her! No chance she wants to put all that time in, day in and day out, as a full time coach over the course of several years.
One more thing about coaching, although a bit off topic. I've found that when your girls respect you, they will run through a brick wall for you! Great communication often gets great results!
