coachtuk
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Coaching: winning or teaching? - 2007/01/02 04:16
The blog on how to become a better coach got me thinking. I coach boys varsity in the largest classification in Houston, Texas. Instant gratification makes teaching the game properly a very difficult task, kids today are way too impatient for the fundamentals. Their parents (and the school system) do not teach them responsibility, nor do they make them value hard work. How do you think kids in the US would handle the sport science aspect, ie...proper running form, hip movement in the shot, etc? Although I have some elite athletes, most high school kids don't love the game enough to work at it. I struggle with this coaching conundrum everyday; how to coach to the level of commitment I get from my players? Especially since the level of commitment varies so greatly from kid to kid. What would be your coaching priorities (win, strategy, fundamentals, sport specific movements, etc.) if you coached the level that I coach? My scores and district standings are in the paper, in todays talk radio society it is virtually impossible to keep your job if you are losing. This is why being creative in teaching is such an important aspect to coaching todays kids. Just would like some thoughts on this topic. Thanks.
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coachmccormick
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Re:Coaching: winning or teaching? - 2007/01/02 04:48
I think there is a difference between an ideal and the practical.
As I write in my book, the varsity high school level is the competitive level. So, while winning is not everything, it is important and coaches should coach to win.
The problem, imo, in your example, is not with your program, but the preparation of players. Since kids compete for national championships at 8 years old, it's tough to "go backwards" and eliminate some of this competitiveness at a freshman or junior varisty level.
It's essential, if we ever want to change the way athletes develop, that we start early. That part of youth coaching is not just teaching skills or movement skills or winning games, but teaching kids competitiveness and desire to excel.
Your dilemma is one reason I enjoy training more than coaching; in training, I get motivated athletes who will do most anything I say because their parents trust that I can get results and make them better players. I get kids who want to play varsity hs ball or college ball and know they need to get better. So, in many ways, I am fortunate because of the kids I get and the situation.
I think firing a hs coach because he does not win illustrates a society's misplaced priorities. However, I also think everything else mentioned is a part of winning. In an ideal world, the frosh and jv level are udes to teach movement skills, fundamentals, etc so players advance to the varsity level with a certain level of ability, IQ and athleticism. In many ways, it's impractical. However, after watching some local games, I astonished at the lack of fundamentals and basic athleticism of varsity players. And, I think its a product of the environment you describe, where every coach from the time a player starts coaches to win and ignores anything that does not lead to the next win. At some point, coaches need to realize that u-8 is not an end, but a beginning. Playing to win is important; however, teams need to train to improve for the future, not just the next game.
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coachtuk
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Re:Coaching: winning or teaching? - 2007/01/02 21:41
Thanks. My thoughts exactly. My toughest problem teaching in a such a populated area is I do not have true feeder schools (I get kids from many different schools) so I can not properly develop my younger levels. I have no say in the coaches/coaching of my middle school kids, and no contact with the elementary. I get kids with their bad habits already so engrained only the toughest of kids gets better.
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coachmccormick
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Re:Coaching: winning or teaching? - 2007/01/03 19:51
I think Coach Vargas proposed that the best way to orchestrate change is through the varsity high school coach. I don't know the rules in every area, and I know local rules prohibited my friend and I from doing something similar as it was termed recruiting, but is it possible to have coaching clinics or sessions with local coaches who have kids that enter your program? Or, organize a weekend clinic for players who potentially enter your high school?
The more I think about Coach Vargas' point, the more I think that the rules and such get in the way and we lose possibly our greatest basketball resource, which is the good, committed high school coach. We should encourage hs coaches to be more involved, not punish them for illegal recruiting.
In Ireland, I tried to contact every school attended by one of the club's players so I could meet with the PE teacher/basketball coach and either advise or assist the coach or work with the players occasionally to supplement our normal club practices, improve the feeder programs and recruit new players to the club. I know the school system presents different challenges, but it's an idea worth investigating if varsity coaches really are the best way to reform the system.
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coachtuk
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Re:Coaching: winning or teaching? - 2007/01/03 22:04
My personal situation, two problems arise: (1) apathy from the middle school coaches, they do not care to learn (in my two biggest feeder schools none of the 7th or 8th grade coaches have ever come to one of my practices, nor shared any experiences with the players they are sending me: also when they pick the teams they put all the physically mature football kids on the A team because they know them, and the help them win even though they will never be basketball players. Two of the leading middle schools scorers were offensive lineman in high school! (2) football coaches in Texas see this as recruiting, they think it makes kids choose basketball over football. I have to start with the ninth grade kids.
Great idea from Coach Vargas, that one of my coaching friends Larry Brown of Westfield High School implemets. He has a clnic that all his lower level coaches run for incoming kids and middle school kids. He has a twofold purpose, to evaluate his coaches and to get the kids involved in the basketball program. Funny that he has more football kids on his roster than most 5A coaches in Houston. They win every year in both sports.
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coachmccormick
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Re:Coaching: winning or teaching? - 2007/01/03 22:49
Like I said, the ideal is not always practical. Why can't they play football and basketball? I'm sick of all these possessive coaches and trainers who try and run young athletes' lives.
It's always good when we put apathetic coaches in charge of players during their formative years of athletic development.
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