Back In The Day

It seems that coaching ‘now’ and ‘back in the day’ has undergone some changes over the last 50 years for coaches as well as athletes; particularly in track [XC]. I have noticed the good and bad coaching changes have gotten a lot clearer after I became a parent. Consequently, I believe that an old coach from Texas put it best, “that the three best qualifications for any coach are children of their own, a sense of humor, and a spiritual side”.

“Back in the day” many coaches had a ‘pick’em up and lay’em down attitude; like a “drill sergeant” approach. The belief was that an athlete had a “God-given” talent and little could be done to improve it. Sadly, along with that belief came the idea that injuries were just “part of the game”. As a result, what you found was that ‘bored’ athletes just “acted up”.

“Acting up” is seldom a problem when coaches are disappointed FOR athletes instead of IN them when goals are not reached. Does this mean coaches should not maintain discipline, eliminate bad habits and improve attitudes? Certainly NOT! Humor, rest, imagination, encouragement and rewards can all bring about desired results. The “key” is to get athletes to enjoy what they are doing; to compete with themselves as well as others.

Unfortunately, many coaches today do not take time to really understand the “why” of their coaching. Coaching any sport is not “a one size fits all” responsibility. Training reaches a point of diminishing returns if coaches don’t know where athletes are before they start and when they get there [conditioned]. “Coaching is teaching and if it is done right will gain immortality.” Some of the best coaches I have learned from are dead, but live on through the lives they touched. Most everything I know about coaching I learned from someone who was willing to invest in me what they knew; not just fill a position.