There is an epidemic going on in sports. No, it’s not performing enhancing drug use. It is people putting too much emphasis on athletes and coaches winning championships. Don’t get me wrong. Winning a championship should be the ultimate goal of every athlete and coach, but it isn’t the only way to determine greatness. This epidemic is a little more prevalent in coaching though. All too often coaches get fired when they don’t produce championships. Why is this? Is it because replacing a coach is easier than replacing the team’s players? Possibly. I pose another theory though.
I think the reason that coaches receive pink slips so often is because of uninformed fans, media members, owners/front office personnel, and players. I don’t think a lot of these people know what good coaching is. It may seem like a crazy theory, but unless you’ve played a sport at a high level, watched countless hours of play, and been through technique clinics or practices with coaches than it is impossible to determine if a coach is really good or not.
-Playing a sport at a high level means that you’ve had success and know what it takes to win. It also probably means that you’ve received some solid coaching/training.
-Watching countless hours of play means that you know how good coaches coach during live game situations and how players react to their coaches when it counts.
-Going through technique clinics or practices with coaches mean you understand the training, drills, and situations players are put through on a daily basis. This also shows how coaches motivate and interact with players.
Just because a coach doesn’t win a championship doesn’t mean they aren’t great. A coach can’t win without the proper players around them. It’s the same for star players. Star players need good role players in order to win. Winning and losing in team sports never comes down to one player or one coach. It is always a collective effort between front office personnel, players, and coaches. Stop firing good coaches just because they don’t win championships. Too many careers have been ruined because of uninformed fans, media members, owners/front office personnel, and players complaining about things they know nothing about.
Here is what makes a good coach in my book.
-Knowledge of the game/sport.
-Knowing how to show proper technique and training habits.
-Using drills to develop a player’s skills.
-Ability to motivate and inspire.
-Scouting your team and your opponent’s team.
-Handling in game situations.
-Winning.
These are the qualities that make up a good coach. Winning makes a coach good. Winning a championship makes a coach great. Winning multiple championships makes a coach legendary. Just remember though. Players play and coaches coach. This means even if a coach does everything perfect it still takes players to win games. Players and the general managers/owners who bring in the players need to be held more accountable.
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