What Makes a Good Coach?

Since coaching is a form of educational endeavor there must be basic qualities that are needed to do an effective job. From personal observation and a review of the literature, I have found agreement on four essential qualities: (a) expert knowledge of the game, (b) understanding of the participant—physically, mentally, socially, and emotionally, (c) skill in the art of teaching (knowing how to get across the fundamentals and skills of the game), and (d) desirable personality and character traits.

Expert Knowledge of the Game

A coach should be an expert in the game he supervises. This means he has knowledge of techniques, strategy, rules, offenses, defenses, skills, and other information basic to the sport.

Understanding the Participant

The coach needs to understand how a youth functions at his particular level of development. This implies an appreciation of such facts as: skeletal growth, muscular development, organic development, physical and emotional limitations, and social needs. It also means a personal concern for the total physical, mental, and moral welfare of youth.

Skill in the art of Teaching

The coach should be a master at teaching players not only the basic fundamentals of the game but also such factors as the importance of thinking clearly, making right decision, understanding healthful and balanced living, and being a good sport. He knows the laws of learning, how to present material most effectively to the age group with which he is working, and how to apply sound psychological principles to his field of work.

Desirable Personality and Character

The coach should posses such traits as patience, understanding, kindness, courage, cheerfulness, affection, sense of humor, energy, and enthusiasm. He should be able to withstand pressure from forces not interested in educational athletics. His character should be beyond reproach and his example one which mothers and fathers would like to have their sons emulate.

A great many students who show exceptional skill in some interscholastic sport such as basketball, baseball, or football possess a desire to be a coach. They feel they have proved themselves as athletes in high school and therefore they will be successful in coaching. This, however, is not necessarily true, it may seem paradoxical to the layman, but there is insufficient evidence to show that exceptional skill in any activity necessarily guarantees a good teacher of that activity. Many other factors, such as personality, interest in youth, understanding the psychology of learning, intelligence, integrity, leadership qualities, and character, carry as much or more weight in coaching success.

Training and Experience

If the above are the desirable qualities needed by the coach, the next step is to determine how such qualities can best be obtained. Training and experience are probably the two most important considerations in this regard.

Our present day is a day of increased specialization. If a boy goes into the field of engineering, many years of training in mathematics, science, and other disciplines fundamental to this profession must be studied. Advertising, journalism, medicine, and countless other fields of work also require their special preparation.

If one desires to develop expert qualifications as a coach he also needs to receive the best training possible in the rudiments of the sport he is going to teach. In addition, thorough preparation is needed to see through Johnny and to understand his total make-up, to understand the psychology of teaching, and to appreciate one’s self and one’s relation to others. All are part of the education of a coach. He will be as strong as he is prepared in each of these important areas. Being weak in one will act as a deterrent factor to his optimum operating efficiency.

Although parts of a coach’s training could be gained through self-study or majoring in some liberal arts area, it seems that physical education offers the most desirable and complete type of preparation for coaches.

A person who has been associates with an activity to a great extent should understand it better in all its aspects. That is why we usually want more experience in positions of increased responsibility. This is also true of coaching.

But is experience alone all that is needed? Much knowledge about the game, young people, and teaching can be gained through the trial and error method which experience provides, but many costly mistakes may occur along the way. We would not want a surgeon’s preparation limited to experience through trial and error. By the same token it does not seem we should recommend such a procedure for a coach who leaves his imprint for good or bad upon youngsters.

A course of Action

There should be more careful screening and preparation of candidates for coaching positions. In this way we can be sure that the best interests of the young will be served. Also, it will help the coach to do his most effective job.

The job we have to do as a profession, it seems, is to delineate the specific knowledge, skills and competencies that a coach should have, the assistance of coaches on the job, physical education personnel, school administrators, and others is needed to accomplish this task. These standards should then be translated into guides for certifying officers and school administrators in the hiring of coaches. Furthermore, it should be the responsibility of professional preparing institutions to see that such training is offered not only for the undergraduate who desires to go into coaching but also in the form of in service preparation for coaches already in the field.   

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