Coaching Culture
ATHLETES AND COACHES DISCUSS THE BEST METHODS OF COACHING FOR ATHLETES By Legend Engberg and Violet Zinck
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rom professional athletes to kids in little league, how people are taught can influence the way they play, and how they grow as an athlete. Coaches shape both performance growth and what people can value in their work. Like with teaching, there are different methods of mentoring, but which is best for athletes? When senior Ahmed Rashid was originally presented with the challenge of pole vaulting in track and field, he didn’t really know how to perform it until coach Phil Johnson guided him to the proper technique. “It’s very form reliant and I would have not known how to do it from just looking at videos,” Ahmed said. “So his instructions on how to do it properly is crucial for the sport.” With many activities comes guidance that can be passed on, which is shown through the relationship between coach and young athletes. Coaches help perfect the strategy or technique of athletes, adding guidance and knowledge that the athletes may not have. Coaches of sports techniques and skills can be presented to athletes in many ways. There’s types of coaching mindsets that can help produce a greater response of actions within a sport, one being a more aggressive style, which may help motivate their players. ¨I always liked the coaches that are loud and in my ear because it’s what motivates me,¨ said junior lacrosse player Ashton Cavender. Coaches showing off an aggressive nature might help keep their players engaged in their sport. Freshman Szammy Kitchen, tennis player, preferred this aggressive style seeing it as her coaches showing off their enjoyment and passion for the sport to their players. This aggressive style of coaching success, when it comes to motivation was broken down by baseball player junior Porter Kelly, who talked about the infectious nature of a coach’s spirit. “They
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keep their energy and their energy is contagious,” KelKelly to be the least effective coaching technique. ly said. “Their energy will influence the players in the “Coaches that don’t talk are the worst and you never game pushing them to win.” know if you’re doing something right,” he said. So if an Presenting that style of coaching, however, can be un-constructive form of instruction to athletes isn’t what implemented into many different ways, depending upon most find effective, what do athletes want? the sport. That feedback which is gathered by coaches “We practice hard, but we’re all very dedicated to each can be brought to the forefront and really be digested other and the team. I met people during the first week of through direct communication, practice that I now hang out not beating around the bush with on the weekend. We’re and getting straight to what WE PRACTICE HARD, BUT WE’RE ALL a family and it’s just a very they need to work on even in positive environment,” VERY DEDICATED TO EACH OTHER AND Kitchen said, “I wake up in a blunt manner. This idea was expressed by Kitchen about THE TEAM. I MET PEOPLE DURING THE the morning and I’m excited her tennis coaches, feeling FIRST WEEK OF PRACTICE THAT I NOW for tennis, it literally motithat, ¨The best coaching techvates me coming to school HANG OUT WITH ON THE WEEKEND. sometimes.” Expressing how nique, is just flat out telling the person what they need to work WE’RE A FAMILY AND IT’S JUST A VERY even though coaches might be on… telling us when we’re not blunt at times, she still thinks POSITIVE ENVIRONMENT looking good.” that her coache, Justin Crow Saying nothing at all about and assistant coach Carrie what an athlete needs to work on or what they’re not doHarrington, are some of the best ones she’s ever worked ing right was seen by Kelly as the worst possible coachwith. ing technique. Coaches depriving athletes information To some athletes, coaches can present a likable nature they could use to help them become better was stated by even when aggressive and blunt with their statements.
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