Identity
This post will be meander through some thoughts and realizations that I've had over the last 10 months.
At my age I am now old enough to have a coaching tree and to have younger coaches or those considering a career in coaching ask me for some advice. At the last US Rowing Convention I realized that I was no longer the "new wave" of coaches. That title had been relinquished to younger coaches, and now it's my turn to transition into giving back.
I go between which piece of advice to hand out. I've received so many and I've learned much during my career. It's difficult to choose which I believe is the best but I'll start with the first piece of advice I was ever given.
"The older you get, the better you were."
The actual quote was, "The older you get the faster you were," but I believe it's interchangeable. I've spoken about this at length on this blog, in a previous blog, and with many young coaches. Don't talk about what you've done. Your time for earning medals and titles is over, and you are now in the business of giving back. If you had great coaches, then share the wisdom gained from your time with them. If you didn't have great coaches, then share the experience you gained from your time with them. Above all, do not talk about what you accomplished as an athlete. Your bio is your bio and if they care to read about it, then they can. If they want to ask you questions about it, then I suggest you keep your answers brief and pointed. If you are going to talk about your career then I suggest you do it in a way that doesn't glorify you - the quote - and instead talks about what lessons you learned.
Keeping with that quote is more a philosophy and one that I've chosen to embrace.
"Athletics, high school or college, are there to enhance your experience, but should not be it."
Now, I've learned that this is a bit different at a D1 program where scholarships are involved but even there I believe that there's some give and take necessary in order to make it work.
Student athletes at the collegiate level are special individuals. They already have a full-time job as a student, and now they're taking on a part-time job as an athlete. This extra work is limited to 20-hours a week of structured practice per NCAA guidelines, but I know many athletes who put in extra time at the boathouse, or in the gym on their own working toward goals they've established for themselves. That commitment should be respected, and admired and never abused. These individuals are choosing to make their lives more difficult or challenging than they need to be and for that, you should be understanding.
I've worked with too many coaches who say, "It's all about academics and athletics and that's it." No. 100 percent false. We are teachers, and our classroom is the athletic environment. And the lessons that we teach should transcend the athletic playing field. These athletes are not our employees. They don't owe us anything. You build commitment and loyalty and trust and love, but you cannot demand it.
This is not a case where the athletes run the program, but you should remember that the athletes, and the program don't need you. There are hundreds if not thousands of other individuals who would love to have your job. The athletes do not need us as much as we need them. Without us, they get another coach. Without them, we don't have a job.
The single piece of advice that I feel fortunate enough to have received early in my career, and fortunate enough to be around enough individuals who were committed to helping me follow that advice is this:
"You need to find your own way."
I've been to multiple coaching clinics, and two conventions. I've spoken with many experienced coaches, and inexperienced coaches. The piece of advice they give you is that you should take what you're learning with a grain of salt. Do not listen to the national teamers and then run back to your club and throw the athletes through the ringer expecting the same commitment and results that the national teamers get.
I've worked with two coaches who expect that. "Well the US/GB/New Zealand women/men do these workouts so we should be able to as well." That's fantastic. And which athlete on the team is good enough to be invited to train full-time with those international programs? I've been coaching since 2004 and in those years I've worked with some incredible athletes. I know exactly TWO who've been on U23 teams, and ONE who went to Worlds. Hundreds of athletes, and a total of two who've made it as far as U23s/Worlds/PAN-AMs.
A few years ago, ESPN Magazine ran an article on a young coaching staff for a high school football program who'd gotten hold of a copy of Bill Walsh's coaching book. The staff ate, slept, lived the book and attempted to carry the knowledge in the book into how they coached their team. It failed. One particular image that I recall vividly is after a game - a victory I believe - where the head coach was tearing the team apart, only to realize that the team was no longer acting the way it had been prior to the season. Despite the win, no one was smiling. When the head coach tried to lighten the mood and praise the victory, it rang hollow.
You have to find your own path toward being the coach you hope to be. It's an art, and it's science, and you have to practice it daily, hourly, by the minute. You can compromise and change as you learn, but you should never sacrifice.
I worked at a program where I was promised full autonomy so long as my message was on point with the head coach. This would be accomplished through weekly meetings where the state of the program would be discussed and we'd share our knowledge and experience and help each other.
This did not come the pass as the head coach instead chose to run the team as they saw fit, changing my practice plans, and season long training plans, changing the program philosophies and goals near daily ultimately resulting in a fractured staff. The coach did not want an assistant but a puppet, someone they could mold into the type of coach they wanted. While this person did present some good ideas and arguments, ultimately I left because I refused to be what they wanted - exactly the same as they were.
Find the coach you want to be. Take in the advice given to you by more experienced coaches, but learn and grow and be willing to change, and be willing to stand your ground. I've coached since 2004, and I am still learning. It's only been in the past year that I've felt comfortable enough handing out opinions to someone who asks.
Those are my three pieces of advice. Or two.
1. The older you get, the better you were. Don't fall into that.
2. Athletics enhances experiences, but should not be the only experience.
3. Find your own path. Be open minded, ask questions, don't be afraid to change, but don't change simply on a whim or to conform to what someone else wants. Ultimately you must be you.
At my age I am now old enough to have a coaching tree and to have younger coaches or those considering a career in coaching ask me for some advice. At the last US Rowing Convention I realized that I was no longer the "new wave" of coaches. That title had been relinquished to younger coaches, and now it's my turn to transition into giving back.
I go between which piece of advice to hand out. I've received so many and I've learned much during my career. It's difficult to choose which I believe is the best but I'll start with the first piece of advice I was ever given.
"The older you get, the better you were."
The actual quote was, "The older you get the faster you were," but I believe it's interchangeable. I've spoken about this at length on this blog, in a previous blog, and with many young coaches. Don't talk about what you've done. Your time for earning medals and titles is over, and you are now in the business of giving back. If you had great coaches, then share the wisdom gained from your time with them. If you didn't have great coaches, then share the experience you gained from your time with them. Above all, do not talk about what you accomplished as an athlete. Your bio is your bio and if they care to read about it, then they can. If they want to ask you questions about it, then I suggest you keep your answers brief and pointed. If you are going to talk about your career then I suggest you do it in a way that doesn't glorify you - the quote - and instead talks about what lessons you learned.
Keeping with that quote is more a philosophy and one that I've chosen to embrace.
"Athletics, high school or college, are there to enhance your experience, but should not be it."
Now, I've learned that this is a bit different at a D1 program where scholarships are involved but even there I believe that there's some give and take necessary in order to make it work.
Student athletes at the collegiate level are special individuals. They already have a full-time job as a student, and now they're taking on a part-time job as an athlete. This extra work is limited to 20-hours a week of structured practice per NCAA guidelines, but I know many athletes who put in extra time at the boathouse, or in the gym on their own working toward goals they've established for themselves. That commitment should be respected, and admired and never abused. These individuals are choosing to make their lives more difficult or challenging than they need to be and for that, you should be understanding.
I've worked with too many coaches who say, "It's all about academics and athletics and that's it." No. 100 percent false. We are teachers, and our classroom is the athletic environment. And the lessons that we teach should transcend the athletic playing field. These athletes are not our employees. They don't owe us anything. You build commitment and loyalty and trust and love, but you cannot demand it.
This is not a case where the athletes run the program, but you should remember that the athletes, and the program don't need you. There are hundreds if not thousands of other individuals who would love to have your job. The athletes do not need us as much as we need them. Without us, they get another coach. Without them, we don't have a job.
The single piece of advice that I feel fortunate enough to have received early in my career, and fortunate enough to be around enough individuals who were committed to helping me follow that advice is this:
"You need to find your own way."
I've been to multiple coaching clinics, and two conventions. I've spoken with many experienced coaches, and inexperienced coaches. The piece of advice they give you is that you should take what you're learning with a grain of salt. Do not listen to the national teamers and then run back to your club and throw the athletes through the ringer expecting the same commitment and results that the national teamers get.
I've worked with two coaches who expect that. "Well the US/GB/New Zealand women/men do these workouts so we should be able to as well." That's fantastic. And which athlete on the team is good enough to be invited to train full-time with those international programs? I've been coaching since 2004 and in those years I've worked with some incredible athletes. I know exactly TWO who've been on U23 teams, and ONE who went to Worlds. Hundreds of athletes, and a total of two who've made it as far as U23s/Worlds/PAN-AMs.
A few years ago, ESPN Magazine ran an article on a young coaching staff for a high school football program who'd gotten hold of a copy of Bill Walsh's coaching book. The staff ate, slept, lived the book and attempted to carry the knowledge in the book into how they coached their team. It failed. One particular image that I recall vividly is after a game - a victory I believe - where the head coach was tearing the team apart, only to realize that the team was no longer acting the way it had been prior to the season. Despite the win, no one was smiling. When the head coach tried to lighten the mood and praise the victory, it rang hollow.
You have to find your own path toward being the coach you hope to be. It's an art, and it's science, and you have to practice it daily, hourly, by the minute. You can compromise and change as you learn, but you should never sacrifice.
I worked at a program where I was promised full autonomy so long as my message was on point with the head coach. This would be accomplished through weekly meetings where the state of the program would be discussed and we'd share our knowledge and experience and help each other.
This did not come the pass as the head coach instead chose to run the team as they saw fit, changing my practice plans, and season long training plans, changing the program philosophies and goals near daily ultimately resulting in a fractured staff. The coach did not want an assistant but a puppet, someone they could mold into the type of coach they wanted. While this person did present some good ideas and arguments, ultimately I left because I refused to be what they wanted - exactly the same as they were.
Find the coach you want to be. Take in the advice given to you by more experienced coaches, but learn and grow and be willing to change, and be willing to stand your ground. I've coached since 2004, and I am still learning. It's only been in the past year that I've felt comfortable enough handing out opinions to someone who asks.
Those are my three pieces of advice. Or two.
1. The older you get, the better you were. Don't fall into that.
2. Athletics enhances experiences, but should not be the only experience.
3. Find your own path. Be open minded, ask questions, don't be afraid to change, but don't change simply on a whim or to conform to what someone else wants. Ultimately you must be you.
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