What does a high school
coach really need to know about the profession that was not taught in academic
courses? A coach wears many hats throughout the progression of a calendar year.
Gratto revealed that 1 “Coaches are often called upon to be expert
tacticians and teachers as well as trainers, counselors, disciplinarians, and
desirable role models.” (pg. 59) Mastery of sport and subject matter are just
the beginning of the skills required to be included within a coach’s toolbox.
Beyond matters on the
court and in the classroom, a coach functions as a therapist and a mentor to
athletes. Anshel, Kang, & Miesner noted 2 “The value
of studying an athlete’s coping style improves the ability to predict the
athlete’s future use of coping strategies in response to certain types of
stressful events.” (pg. 341) The high school coach will learn valuable
relationship skills through experience in order to effectively communicate with
the many personalities that compose a team. Education is a necessity, but
learning experience on the coaching front line is priceless.
References
1 Gratto, J.
(1983). Competencies used to evaluate high school coaches. Journal of Physical Education, Recreation & Dance, 54(5),
59-60. DOI: 10.1080/07303084.1983.10630466
2 Anshel, M.H.,
Kang, M. & Miesner, M. (2010). The approach-avoidance framework for identifying
athletes’ coping style as a function of gender and race. Scandinavian Journal of Psychology, 51, 341-349.
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