Ten Qualities of a Successful Coach - Hawg Tuff

Head Coach Mike Krzyzewski speaks to
the players after a scrimmage during
USA Senior Mens National Team practice
Ten Qualities of a
Successful Coach
By Steve Pavlovic, Basketball Coaches Coordinator
St. Cyril and Methodius Catholic School, Lemon, IL
w hether
coaching a
child's youth
team, a junior
high school team,
a high school team, or a college team,
coaches require the same kind of
qualities to be successful.
In my 22 years of coaching youth
sports, I believe I can list the 10 qualities
that will assure success on both
the coaching and playing levels.
#1 PATIENCE
The younger the players, the more
patience you must have. You cannot
expect everyone to latch on to the
skill being taught at the same time.
Your challenge will be to get them to
pay attention to you and follow your
instructions. For those who don't,
you must leave a reminder of the reason
they are there.
#2 DISCIPLINE
In addition to patience, you must
also maintain control of the team.
You don't want anyone goofing
around and distracting the rest of the
team. Sure, everyone wants to have
fun. But the main objective is to
leam how to play the sport.
For those who are misbehaving,
you can add extra drills or talk with
their parents about their behavior.
You must take control of the situation
immediately—letting the players
know that you will not tolerate disobedience.
If you don't take control, your
players are not going to take your
discipline seriously. ! don't mean
that you have to be a tyrant. Just let
them know what you expect of them,
namely their attention and effort, and
stay consistent.
#3 BE FAIR
Treat everyone on your team
equally. Team rules are meant for
everyone, not just some players. The
quickest way to cause dissention is to
let one player get away with something,
and then punish another who
has done the same thing.
Even if the player is your child, he
or she must follow the same rules as
everyone else: We have no stars on
the team. Everyone receives the
same treatment. Treat them all the
same, whether complimenting them
or correcting them, and you will earn
the respect of all of them.
#4 COMMITMENTS
When you decide to become a
coach, you are making a commitment
to a team. A team that is depending
on you and looking at you as its leader
and resident "expert" on the sport.
Don't let them down! Show that
you are committed to them by
always being at practice, being
enthusiastic, and showing concern
for their development.
Always follow your own rules.
When you tell the players to be at a
practice or game at a certain time,
make sure you are also there on time.
1 always try to show up at least 20
minutes early. Being on time is a
practice that will be useful to everyone
throughout his or her lives. Show
them that it is important to you, too.
If you are consistently late, your players
will begin thinking, "If coach isn't
on time, why should I be?" Show
that you are committed to the entire
team by doing as you say.
58 APRIL 2OO7 COACH AND ATHLETIC DIRECTOR

#5 LEAD BY EXAMPLE
Being on time is an excellent way
to lead by example. But thea* are
many others ways. You must realize
that your kids art* watching your
every move. If they see you perform
a questionable act, they may also
think it is OK for them to do it.
You must be mindful of this at all
times, whether it's during a game or
at a practice. You want your players
to follow your attitude and demeanor.
If you are going to constantly yell
at an official or referee during a game,
your players will pick up on that. If
you do it, it must be alright for them.
We as adults know that this isn't the
case, yet we continually see coaches
do it and then be followed by the
players doing the same thing and
complaining to the officials.
That is not what you want your
team to be doing. Remember to handle
yourstif in an adult manner. You
must always ask yourself, "Are my
actions going to benefit my players?"
This includes the language that you
use, how much yelling you do at
practice and games, and how well
you maintain your composure.
#6 BE WILLING TO LEARN
Never think that you know all
there is to know about a sport. Even
after all the years I have coached, I
am still learning different techniques,
always trying to improve
myself as a coach.
Many coaches assume that they
know all there is to know, either
because they played the game in high
school or have seen it on TV.
Don't get caught in this trap.
Check out sports shows on TV, read
books at the library, or go to a bookstore
to increase your knowledge.
If clinics are available, try to participate
in them. Take advantage of
the knowledge of veteran coaches. I
help supervise basketball coaches in
our sports program, and I try to pass
along tips to our newer coaches. This
in tum helps them with their players.
Don't let your ego get in the way.
If you don't understand a skill, ask a
veteran coach or refer to some other
source for the answer. Always
remember, you are there to help your
players leam.
#7 KEEP EVERYONE
INVOLVED
Whether it's a practice or a game,
don't have anyone sitting on the sidelines
for an extended period of time.
Obviously, there will be times when
you're working on things like an
offense, with just a set number of
players. That's fine.
But you have to get everyone
involved at some point. When you
fail to involve a person, you may not
only hurt that individual, but also
the team.
How does it hurt the team? Well,
if that player doesn't know the
offense you are rurming because he
hasn't been involved in a practice,
how will he know it when he plays in
the game?
Keeping everyone involved in drills
and games will help everyone develop
a sense of accomplishment no matter
what their skill level.
#8 BE THICK-SKINNEO
One of the downsides of coaching
is being criticized. For a new coach,
this can be devastating. 1 can remember
the first time I heard about a few
parents questioning my strategy during
a game.
I can tell you, it hurt my feelings.
Then it made me angry. But I sat
down with a few veteran coaches,
and they set me straight.
All they did was ask one simple
question: "Are you doing what is in
the best interest of your players, helping
them develop?" If you are, then
don't worry about it when anyone
else disagrees!
That simple piece of advice has
stayed with me all these years. So do
your best as a coach, and ignore any
misinformed comments from parents
or fans.
#9 PERFORM THE SKILLS
OF THE SPORT
Since you will be called upon to
demonstrate drills to your players,
you must be able to do them. This
only makes sense. Take the time to
work on it, whether it is in the gym,
on the field, or wherever. I've seen a
team lose confidence in their coach
because of this. Why would you listen
to a coach tell you about shooting,
when he can't demonstrate it the
right way? Show your players the
way you want something done, and
earn their respect in the process.
#10 HAVE A PRACTICE PLAN
Practice time is very important,
and there never seems to be enough
of it. So make sure you don't waste
any of it. Take the time to write up a
plan before practice. Consult your
assistants, too, so that they have input
and know what will be going on during
practice. It will make for a much
smoother practice, with much more
being accomplished.
Coaching is a big responsibility,
but a very rewarding one. Take the
time to follow this list and you'll do
just fine. The best part of coaching is
watching a player and team develop
over the course of a season. Make it
interesting for the players; yet make
sure they leam a lot too. Sports
should be enjoyable for everyone! •
Steve Pavlovic is a youth basketball coach
at SL Cyril and Methodius Catholic School
in Lemont, IL. He has coached for the past
22 years at all levels from 4th grade
through 8th grade, and over the past six
years he has also served as the basketball
coaches coordinator. He is also author of
several self-published e-book series on
basketball skills. You can visit his site at
www.scoremorehoops.com
WWW.COACHAD.COM ?OO7 APRIL S9