Through coaching, a person can learn more about themselves, find out how others perceive them, and improve areas of their personality that they are not satisfied with. In addition, coaching takes learning to a level that goes beyond recollection and understanding. I now have more than 30 years of experience in the business world and have experienced many different types of leaders and team situations. Along the way, I coached my children's soccer, lacrosse, and baseball teams.
Most of the teams were competitive in their league. Some teams won every game, while others lost every game, so I've seen it all. Some teams only existed for a year or two, while others I coached from the time the children were five or six years old until they graduated from high school. It was an incredibly rewarding experience that was relevant to business, particularly with respect to leadership.
What follows are the 10 lessons I learned about leadership when training sports for children. In the world of sports, success is often measured by the team's record. However, as John Wooden once said: “The way you run the race, your planning, preparation, practice and performance count for everything. Winning or losing is a by-product and a consequence of that effort.
Winning can be an empty victory. A team can win a game by playing poorly just because of their talent. It was frustrating to watch games like these as a coach because my team didn't work as hard as they should, but they still received recognition for winning the match, so it was difficult to get the team to grow. Losing, but playing beyond your abilities, on the other hand, can be a hidden victory.
Teams are often formed, not in the middle of a game, but during practice. As they learn to work together, they develop skills and develop strategies that work. A leader's job is to build the team and prepare for successful matches. As I mentioned in lesson 2, the results of many of the games I coached were predictable from the start due to talent imbalances.
I knew how the game was going to end, but they served as a checkpoint to check the team's performance. The preparation and commitment made the difference in the rest of the matches. If a coach works for an amateur team, he can teach the basics of his sport through demonstration and practice drills. They will teach athletes the strategies for winning in their sport, the rules of the sport and the principles of performance.
They also monitor the athletes and evaluate their physical condition and their ability to make the necessary adjustments or suggestions for the player to improve. A coach makes sure to maintain the safe and proper use of any equipment used. A coach instructs people about the skills of a sport and can train an amateur or professional team or athlete. Youth and high school sports teach young people many life lessons, and the impact that coaches have on young people lasts a lifetime, whether for better or for worse.
Whether you're a professional coach, a leader, or a manager who uses a coaching approach to help your team members develop, or you use your training skills in a less formal environment, there are a number of key skills that will help you become a great coach. The most important attribute of any coach is that they want to help the person or people they are training to learn. Coaching and mentoring require some very specific skills, especially focused on facilitating and empowering others, and on building good relationships. However, in an internal relationship, the coach may have a strong interest in the quality of decision-making, in addition to knowing a lot about the subject.
The coach doesn't say it, but asks for permission to make suggestions and ask questions, while respecting the person being trained. It has been said that coaches should never offer opinions, but should only ask questions to guide the person being trained on the subject. They find that this helps them to structure their training around the person being trained and to ensure that the training is as effective as possible for that person. For sports coaches, there may be specific areas that are important, such as nutrition, training time, skills, and downtime.
Great coaches and coaching leaders are happy, if not thrilled, when the person they're training achieves something. .