Differences between a Successful and an Efficient Coach - Term Paper Example

 Differences between a successful and an efficient Coach Introduction There is a common misunderstanding among the general public that there is hardly any difference between a successful and an efficient coach. Whereas, in the truest sense of these words, there is a great difference between coaches who are successful and those who are efficient. Success and efficiency are two entirely different criterions which are used as a measure of the performances of coaches of different sports. It appears to a layman that the coach of the winning team is not only successful, but efficient as well. It is assumed that both these attributes are dependent on each other to such an extent that both success and efficiency must co-exist in a coach and that neither of these traits can exist individually in one person. Success can be defined as the achievement of a set goal, whereas efficiency is generally described as the extent to which the resources are utilized in order to achieve the desired goal. Therefore, a coach can be very successful despite being inefficient and vice versa, if we are considering the literal meanings of these words. It is essential that one must realize that success and efficiency are two entirely different categories which are used to estimate the effectiveness of the coach’s training techniques and planning. Although efficiency and success seem to follow each other, one should be able open minded enough to understand the differences that might exist between the two terms when applied to coaching. Winning percentage Among the many differences that exist between an efficient and successful coach, one major differentiating factor is the winning percentage of the team that is being coached. A successful coach is obviously the one whose team is getting the most number of wins. These wins cannot be attributed to one single factor like the coaching technique or the individual performances; rather they are a result of an excellent performance at the end of the players along with the intelligent planning at the coach’s end. On the other hand an efficient coach is the one who despite having a weak team and limited resources, is able to produce good results. In this scenario, it is the efficiency of the coach who was able to extract the best performances from his team under the prevailing difficult conditions. Therefore if a coach is given ideal conditions like exceptional individual players and an already existing team coordination which lead to a consistent winning record, it does not necessarily imply that the coach is very efficient. Although that coach will always argue that the success that the team is achieving under his coaching is a proof of his efficiency, it is in reality only the outcome of the favorable conditions. The real efficiency of the coach will be judged if he achieves the same kind of success with a weak team which is composed of average athletes who have a terrible coordination with each other. And if he is able to maintain an unexpectedly high winning percentage in spite of having an unfavorable environment, then that coach is indeed efficient in transferring his techniques into the game play and mindset of his players. The best results can only be achieved when the coach is efficient at his job and is also ensuring success of his team. This very idea was elaborated by Darrell Morris (2005), according to whom coaching is both an art form as well as a science. A successful coach not only understands how to communicate with players in a way that achieves results, but they effectively guide, inspire and empower their players to realize and develop their individual potential. The role of a coach in any sport is both powerful and pivotal. Having a good coach not only means the difference between having a team that is successful, but one in which the team members enjoy, excel and thrive. A good coach has to have a mixture of the characteristics of a teacher, counselor, cheerleader, motivator, and mentor. Additionally, they must possess some technical knowledge about the sport so that they can guide the players in the light of their own experiences. Thus the winning percentage of a team, which is the only criterion in the minds of players and even the fans, defines whether a coach has been successful at his job or not. It cannot be used to assess how effective the coach has been. In the sports psychology although a high winning percentage is all that mostly matters since at the end of the day it is the wins for which the players compete against each other in the first place. If the winning percentage is high, the efficiency of the coach hardly comes into question and the coach is not criticized for his inefficiencies as long as he is successful in getting the right results. Coach-athlete relationship Another factor that is very crucial for both the team and the coach is the relationship that exists between the coach and the players. Coaching is in reality a lot more about relationships than it actually appears. And this relationship goes way beyond the boundaries of the match field or the training ground. The coach has to create an environment of trust among his staff and athletes. Without trust, both parties will be at loss. Thus it is very important for the coach to gain the trust of his athletes in order to make sure that they implement his strategies in the field according to his desires without having doubts about his competency as a coach. If the coach is able to gain trust, the coach and the team both would be able to accomplish great success in their endeavors. Once it is evident that it is included in the job of the coach to build a relationship with his players then an efficient coach should be the one who cares about his athletes as people. He should sincerely want the best for his athletes in all aspects of their lives and he should be willing to help them every possible manner. Efficient coaches invest their all so important time to get to know each of their athletes on a personal level, showing an interest in their athletes' families, friends, faith, and future goals. Further, this caring does not end when a player's eligibility or career is over, but often extends throughout a player's lifetime. Thus an effective coach instills a dedication to improvement, practice and training by getting close to his team and becoming an integral part of them. If the task at hand were easy, no one would need a coach. The coach's role is to push others to practice and perfect their skills until they accomplish the goal. Once this bond is established between the coach and his players then the coach can steer his team according to his will in order to benefit the team as a whole and as individuals. For example a particular instance of cheating might pay off, but an effective coach worries about more than just the game or competition. A good coach who has a healthy relationship with his players would always care for his player’s long-term development and prosperity. On the other hand a coach who is after success might not be so much interested in the stability of the personal life of an athlete as long as he is performing in the field according to his desires. A coach driven just by success in the matches might even stretch his athletes to their very limits in the training sessions just to get the best out of them during the matches. He would hardly care about the future career and the long term effects that such kind of coaching techniques might have on athletes. Such a coach as a role model for the team might be a source of demoralization since he does not take the sport as a means of enjoyment rather he takes it as a war in which winning is the only option. This approach may end up with trophies for the team but it has a deep impact on the psychology of young players who have always taken sports as means of enjoyment. Such a coach might even be keen to use mind games and illegal tactics in order to ensure a win, blindly following the saying, ‘ends justify the means’. Many studies have been conducted on the impact of the quality of the coach athlete relationship on an athlete’s ultimate performance.  One of these compelling studies has been conducted and written by Penny Wurthner on the 2008 Beijing Olympic Team for Canada.  The study found that the most significant contributor to a medal winning performance or a personal best performance was a strong, high quality, coach-athlete relationship.  This was ahead of other factors including, effective training environment, managing the competition environment and many more. Thus a good coach is the one who realizes the importance of his relationship with his players, and is keen to safeguard the interest of his players not only in the game but even outside the game. Whereas, a successful coach will still be labeled successful even if he does not have the respect of his own athletes as long as he keeps on producing a winning record. ‘Of all the factors contributing to high performance results, building a quality coach athlete relationship and discovering ways to create a better team dynamic, takes no physical stress at all.’(Bo Hanson) Consistency Consistency is a crucial factor in determining the success of any team, individual or coach, in the world of sports. This factor also further distinguishes between a successful and efficient coach. A person who has consistency in his work is bound to achieve success ultimately since he is continuously doing hard work in order accomplish his set goals and desires. ‘Credible coaches develop a sound philosophy of coaching which is highly consistent. This philosophy remains stable over time, but they are flexible enough to adapt to changing situations or personnel’ (Jeff Janssen). Efficient coaches are the ones who bring a consistent mood to practices and games, regardless of whether their team is winning or losing. They are able to control their emotions under pressure situations and convey a sense consistency and security to their athletes by not letting the highs get too high or the lows get too low. Further, they maintain a consistent approach towards the rules and standards of the team. Efficient coaches are consistent in method in which they apply their rules and strategies irrespective of the caliber of the player. Highly organized, efficient coaches tend to take their practice and game preparation very seriously. A successful coach is also consistent but not in his technique and strategies, rather he is consistent in getting the required result. He would even sacrifice his own principles and routines if the situation requires, only ensuring that he maintains his winning record which eventually means that he gets to keep his job a little longer. A successful coach would demand that his athletes give their level best physically and mentally in order to obtain a consistent winning record irrespective of the strengths and weakness of the opposition. Since at the end of the day it is the successful matches that count, irrespective of the facts that whether the coach’s strategies were conventional or not. Training techniques and planning Training techniques and planning are methodologies that vary from coach to coach. A coach is like a role model for his players. He provides information on the many topics related to developing physical and mental strengths in order to help his athletes. While the players undergo the strong opposition in the field, the coach has to work out and figure out how to defeat the opposition before the actual encounter. In this way the players are not mentally stressed out off the field since they know that their coach is developing their game plan for them, and all they have to do it is to implement it in the field. The art of coaching is actually the scenario when the coach has to analyze the scientific and statistical data and convert it into coaching and training programs to help develop and prepare the athlete mentally and physically. This analysis process relies heavily on the coach's experience and knowledge of the sport and the athlete concerned. With the development of science and technology, the training programs have also evolved so that the athletes’ maximum potential can be utilized. Now a successful coach would be the one who is capable enough of making his team win regardless of the fact that whether they are using the latest training programs or not. On the contrary, an efficient coach will adapt his training techniques and methodology according to the situation. He would be careful not to push the athlete beyond their limits just to make sure that they perform in the field. An efficient coach would not compromise the career of his athlete just for a winning record rather he would ensure that his players are mentally and physically tough enough so that they can handle the unpredictable pressure of the game. Even if his team loses, he would be satisfied if all his athletes performed according to his strategies and plans. A successful coach would want a win at the end of the day, whether the athlete is implementing what he has learned in the training sessions or not. ‘Young athletes are continuously confronted with increasing expectations, often resulting in unrealistic demands on time and physical performance leading to early withdrawal from the sport environment. Therefore, the purpose of this review is to define physiological indices of overtraining, examine psychological factors involved with youth sports, and suggest corrective alternatives for coaches to avoid overtraining of young athletes’ (Daniel B. Hollander, Michael C. Meyers, Arnold LeUnes, 1995). Thus an efficient coach never enforces such training techniques and schedules on his players that they are tested to the very limit of human strength. To him the continuous and steady performances of his players are more valuable rather then only few match winning performances. A successful coach might be lured into training his athletes to the extreme just to extract a few match winning brilliances even if it might cost the athlete his career in the long run due to excessive training and tight schedule. Continuous Improvement Process In today’s sport world, it is essential for every athlete that he is constantly improving his skills and game. An efficient coach would always inform his athletes about their weak points and will motivate them to improve on those weaknesses, even if the team is continuously winning. Even if his team wins the world cup he would always give them his honest feedback and would make them acknowledge their mistakes or make them realized that they should be humble in their hearts no matter how high their achievements might be. On the other hand a successful coach would be on top of the world if his team wins the world cup. And he would think that his team is perfect and there is no room for improvement in any aspect, let it be the coaching strategies or the performance of the players. A successful coach is usually seen as someone whose goal is to make sure that the team wins even under the most unusual and difficult situations. Therefore, the essential part of the coaching job which is to ensure the continuous and smooth improvement in an athletes performance becomes his second priority. It must be acknowledged that if the coach is giving more priority to the result of the match rather than the development of his players thinking that the winning streak will automatically improve the performance of his players then in this case the coach’s approach is also valid to some extent. In reality expert coach is the one who achieves both the aims simultaneously by creating such learning and productive environment that the players not only improve their performance but also obtain the required results when it really matters. Conclusion An ideal coach is the one who has both these qualities, i.e. success and efficiency, merged together which would almost always result in a success for the team. Both these qualities must be transferred from the coach to his players, to ensure that they must also realized that efficiency on the athletes part is essential whereas winning and losing are both part of the game. A person should not be disheartened form a loss that he gives up the process of continuous improvement. On the other hand, a person should not be so blinded by the fame and honor that accompanies success that he resorts to extreme measures in order to achieve his goals. Good coaches motivate their players by encouraging and complimenting good play, pointing out strengths in a player's game and refraining from harsh criticism. This is a balancing act. To help players improve and recognize areas that need work, coaches must point out a player's mistakes and weaknesses. It is the manner in which this occurs that reflects a coach's skill in relating to her players. If a coach is honest and can remain encouraging, she will earn her players' respect (Micheal Kozlowski). Therefore it is more essential for a coach to guarantee the continuous improvement in an athlete rather than to ensure that the team is winning. Since, when every player of the team is undergoing a process of continuous improvement and is permanently increasing his efficiency, then the entire team is on track for inevitable success. Ironically, most of the experienced coaches themselves fail to realize the differences between a successful and an efficient coach and even they categorize both of them in the same category. Therefore one must acknowledge the fact that it is the mixture of the qualities of a successful and an efficient coach that must exist in a coach who can be classified as an excellent coach. And this can only be achieved when a coach is willing to understand the difference between success and efficiency when applied to the profession of coaching. REFERNCES: Darrell Morris (2005), ‘What Makes a Good Coach’, retrieved from: http://kidspeedcamp.com/What_Makes_a_Good_Coach.html. Daniel B. Hollander, Michael C. Meyers, Arnold LeUnes (1995), Psychological Factors Associated with Overtraining. By Bo Hanson,’ Ultimate Sports Performance and the Coach-Athlete Relationship – Part 2 of 2 for College Golf Connection’, retrieved from: http://www.athleteassessments.com/articles/golf_sports_performance_coach_golfer_relationship_2of2.html Jeff Janssen, The Seven Secrets of Successful Coaches, retrieved from: http://sites.google.com/site/gunrun73/TheSevenSecretsofSuccessfulCoaches-J.doc Micheal Kozlowski, Characteristics of a Good Coach, retrieved from: http://www.ehow.com/about_5403826_characteristics-good-coach.html Read More