Bobby Knight threw
chairs. Lou Holtz grabbed players by the facemask. Jimmy Johnson banished a
player to the ‘asthma field’. These are three of the many well-known stories of
how ‘old school’ coaches would treat their athletes. With the recent scandal of
player mistreatment and subsequent cover-up by men’s basketball coach Mike Rice
at Rutgers University, the era of the ‘old school’ coach has come to an end.
Today’s coach lives in
a new world, a world dominated by new technology like cell phone video, social
media and 24-hour news cycles. Coaches have to be aware that everything they
say or do to their athletes during a private practice may be recorded and made
public. 
Just as technology has become a
game changer, it is important to note that today’s athletes are different than
the athletes of the past. The top athletes in the world of basketball are from the AAU generation and have been
treated with ‘kid gloves’ by major shoe companies who fund the programs, as
well as trained by coaches who are afraid
that the athletes might switch allegiances (Adidas to Nike) if they are coached
in an ‘old school’ manner. For these reasons coaches must adapt and adjust
their coaching methods.
While coaches can still
be tough on their athletes to get the best out of them, they have to balance
this out by building the athlete up as well. All athletes want to be coached;
it’s the way they are wired. But the new generation of athletes expects to be coached
by a leader with a ‘new school’ philosophy.
You talk about “old school coaching” like it was ok. Are you agreeing that coaches should still coach like the so called “old coaching” style or are you agreeing with the “new school” coaching philosophy? I do agree we do live in a new world. A world where everything you say and do is being watched by many. Although this can be frustrating as a coach when you feel like every move you make is being watched like a hawk I would say it is good in a since where coaches aren’t able to get away with mistreatment to their players. As a coach you need to be able to adapt and be flexible and ready for any situation thrown at you.
ReplyDeleteI think that athletes that were coached in the “old coaching” styles were stronger mentally than the athletes today. I don’t necessarily agree with all the old methods but I think back then coaches could be harder on their athletes and not catch any negative rap for it. I think athletes were mentally stronger back in the day not because coaches threw chairs and yelled in their faces, but because they were able to give their athletes tough love. They were able to put them in their place when they got out of line but they also praised them when they did well. Since technology has become such a huge part of our lives, everyone but especially those in charge have to be careful with anything they do. Coaches don’t have as much comfortable moving space as they use to and it is frustrating. I think technology has blessed us in many areas but that’s also why I think more coaches are having closed/private practices and a no phone policy. So they can go back to focusing on the athletes and doing what needs to be done to make the athletes the best and most focused.
ReplyDeleteAlthough the “old school” coaching methods are a little too harsh for my liking, I do wish my athletes were as tough as athletes were known to be in the past. This past school year, I made my girls run lines, as well as complete 30 burpees in a practice after some team members were being disrespectful to each other, and not doing what they knew was right. The next day, I had 14 e-mails and several phone calls telling me that the punishment was too “rough” for my group of 60 dancers. They spoke of how their students were extremely tired, and sore after the terrible work out that I had them do. I feel as though this would not have been a problem in the past, and that it really should not be a problem now, seeing as how my dancers are considered athletes, and they are physical education credits for being on the team.
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