What is Coaching Philosophy?
Coaching Philosophy in Sports can be broadly defined as a set of values, governing principles, beliefs, knowledge that defines how a coach behaves and delivers in the context of coaching. A well thought coaching philosophy clarifies many aspects of the coach’s delivery and present a consistent and positive message which helps to establish trust and respect.
Some of the outcomes of a well-defined coaching philosophy are as follows:
- Setting of objectives and goals – both short-term and long-terms
- Establishes feedback loop and monitoring/evaluation process
- Focuses on athlete’s welfare and communication
- Parental involvement
- Setting correct expectations
- Staff interactions
- Enhances communication and social skills
- Encourages empowerment, logical and moral reasoning.
My Coaching Philosophy
I believe sports is a great way to approach life – and that has actually made me who I am, and my coaching philosophy is built on imparting the learnings gained from my sporting and life experiences.
- Accepting Failure – unless you fall you cannot learn to walk. Failure should be acceptable and part of every athlete’s training. This philosophy helps with cooing mechanisms to other walks of life
- Individuality – I would ensure that, individual styles are not curbed, and every person comes out with their specific style of playing the game.
- Having Fun – the key is to make learning ‘fun’ as it has a direct impact on the physical and mental health benefits. Once something is fun and enjoyable, it’s easier to pursue the activities continuously.
- Communication – ability to explain, understand and give feedback are essential to any learning process. My philosophy is having open communication channels and encourage everybody to speak up and give their opinions and ideas.
- Mental Fitness – most of the sports require ability to think, improvise and strategize. Mental toughness becomes the separator between great athletes who consistently do well in crunch situations. Building mental fitness is a key part of my coaching philosophy.
- Scientific Approach – imbibing a scientific approach is key for self-evaluation as any improvement is dependent on a well-planned program with feedback tools. The approach is valid to apply in other walks of life
- Team Spirit – team building encourages stronger relationship bonds and also shows that a unified goal is better than personal gain. For example, in cricket it is better to score 40 runs and help the team win than score a century and see the team lose. Idea is to build team spirit and morale through team building exercises.
- Empowerment – the aim of my coaching philosophy is to make empowered individuals so that they can in turn be the leaders among their peers and community and work together with the society to build a stronger community.