Coaching Philosophy 101...

            One coach got a text from a parent this past weekend asking if he was going run the same line ups as the day before. When he replied yes, she simply texted back, “We won’t be there.” 

            The half way point of a season tends to be where patience wears thin: for coaches, athletes and especially parents. Why aren’t we winning more? Why isn’t my daughter playing more?

            What tools do you have to keep this “schizo midterm” from derailing the rest of your season?

            As was written in this blog some weeks ago, ASU head coach Jason Watson saw his team win 13 of their first 16 matches but then saw the wheels come off, losing 7 of his next 8 matches. That could have been the downward spiral of the season.  But as Watson said, they stuck with their coaching philosophy and got through the rough patch and on into the NCAA tournament for the first time in 6 years.

            When was the last time you looked at your coaching philosophy? Better still, did you ever have one?

            Every IMPACT clinic, time is spent writing up a quick philosophy. New coaches struggle with this task as they don’t know what to write, they don’t know what is ahead of them. Experienced coaches have shaped and altered theirs to the experiences they have had to overcome and navigate.

            Newly hired Arizona Cardinals Head Coach Bruce Arians spoke publicly about his road through pro football and cataloged what he liked and just as importantly, what he didn't like through his 32 year career. “Treating people with disrespect, that a coach was more important than a player and lying to a player to try to fool him into believing something, things that I had seen,” Arians said. “I knew that wasn't the way to do it.”  

            Arians philosophy of trust, loyalty and respect permeated his season last year in Indianapolis and will be prevalent in Cardinal red going forward. “Those are things you build on,” he said.

            The Phoenix Suns recently hired Lindsay Hunter in his first head coaching job ever. A 17-year veteran in the NBA, Hunter has gathered many an idea from his past coaches and teammates. “ I've always taken something from the guys I've played for,” Hunter said. “I share a lot of their philosophies and beliefs, and they've all been influential to me.”  His biggest influence was his former coach Larry Brown. Hunter has taken the essence of Brown’s teachings and morphed it into his philosophy. 

            “With as many players as there are, everybody can’t be happy,” Hunter said. “But if you’re honest with them and you just tell them the truth, I think that goes a long way.” This also was driven by Brown’s insistence on coaching everyone on the team.  “I loved that about him and I think guys respected that about him.” Hunter remembered. “That’s one thing that I always said that I would do. I would coach everybody.”

            A philosophy is born.

            New coaches might need help. Getting started, the A.V.C.A. has a power point you can watch by Don Burroughs entitled “Developing a Functional Coaching Philosophy.” 

            You can also check out Athlete's Assessments for a FREE workbook on developing a Coaching Philosophy. (You will have to get through a mid-document infomercial, but it is free) 

            Ask other coaches what their philosophies are and maybe how they got them.

            In the end, this should be a blue print of why you do what you do, how you treat your athletes and a compass for when your calm seas become white capped. It’s only as important as you make it!