On your own time
I have a few pet peeves as a coach with any one of them seeming to be the most important or most annoying when I encounter them.
I have a difficult time with disorganization. I don't like hypocrites specifically when we talk about time management and a coach shows up unprepared for the practice or the day. I don't like indecision or hashing out the same topic over multiple meetings.
The one that gets under my skin the most is one that I don't encounter often but when I do it sends the alarm bells on hyperactive mode.
Working out with your team.
There's a job posting out right now that is asking for a coach to engage in the practices with the team. I've been around programs where coaches take out singles or doubles during practice and coach from them.
And I've been around programs where coaches bring their shells to regattas so they can race.
100 percent opposed to this. Under no circumstances would I abide by or condone this. I have very few rules where a violation would be grounds for immediate termination - depending on the contract - but this is one of them. Coaches, volunteer or otherwise, never workout with their team. Never. No excuses or reasons.
Short an athlete? We pick something else. Injury during a row? We head back in. Someone calls in sick? Alternatives are available.
I will repeat this. Coaches NEVER workout with their team.
Why?
Because you are not there to workout with your team. You're responsible for leading your team and your athletes.
"But I can do that while engaging in the workout."
No you can't. When you're engaging in the workout, your focus in executing the drill or work correctly. That is your focus, not focusing on what everyone else is doing. When you're engaged in the drill then you're not observing how the team performs the drill. When you're on the erg, you're focusing on the numbers on the monitor.
Yes, yes you are. Because coaches are naturally competitive, and we were former athletes. And there's no way we're going to allow our charges to beat us on the piece, or have a better split. We're experienced. We're teaching others. We can't allow ourselves to be beat in what we're supposedly teaching or supposedly more experienced in.
I've observed football practices, basketball practices, wrestling practices, soccer practices. The coaching staffs of those programs hover over the practice. They may demonstrate the drills when technique slides or when they're introducing a new approach. But those coaches do not get involved with the practice. They don't stand in line with the team.
If you're engaging in the practice, then you're not watching the practice. You're not doing your job.
In my opinion, you're trying to prove that you somehow, "belong." That you despite your age difference can still mix it up with athletes younger than you.
And now we're talking about your ego and not coaching your athletes. Now we're talking about you trying to recapture your youth.
Don't get me wrong. I have no problem with coaches engaging in some fun activities with their teams. If you're going to play soccer, or ultimate frisbee and you want to get in on the game, then by all means. This is outside the scope of what you're coaching. These activities are about breaking the routine and adding another element or the element of fun to the daily grind. By all means, play frisbee or whatever the activity is.
But remember: You're no longer the athlete. Your time to participate has come and gone. Your ego doesn't belong on the field trying to prove that you can "hang" with practice.
You're paid to coach, or you chose to coach. If you want to play go and find a rec league.
I have a difficult time with disorganization. I don't like hypocrites specifically when we talk about time management and a coach shows up unprepared for the practice or the day. I don't like indecision or hashing out the same topic over multiple meetings.
The one that gets under my skin the most is one that I don't encounter often but when I do it sends the alarm bells on hyperactive mode.
Working out with your team.
There's a job posting out right now that is asking for a coach to engage in the practices with the team. I've been around programs where coaches take out singles or doubles during practice and coach from them.
And I've been around programs where coaches bring their shells to regattas so they can race.
100 percent opposed to this. Under no circumstances would I abide by or condone this. I have very few rules where a violation would be grounds for immediate termination - depending on the contract - but this is one of them. Coaches, volunteer or otherwise, never workout with their team. Never. No excuses or reasons.
Short an athlete? We pick something else. Injury during a row? We head back in. Someone calls in sick? Alternatives are available.
I will repeat this. Coaches NEVER workout with their team.
Why?
Because you are not there to workout with your team. You're responsible for leading your team and your athletes.
"But I can do that while engaging in the workout."
No you can't. When you're engaging in the workout, your focus in executing the drill or work correctly. That is your focus, not focusing on what everyone else is doing. When you're engaged in the drill then you're not observing how the team performs the drill. When you're on the erg, you're focusing on the numbers on the monitor.
Yes, yes you are. Because coaches are naturally competitive, and we were former athletes. And there's no way we're going to allow our charges to beat us on the piece, or have a better split. We're experienced. We're teaching others. We can't allow ourselves to be beat in what we're supposedly teaching or supposedly more experienced in.
I've observed football practices, basketball practices, wrestling practices, soccer practices. The coaching staffs of those programs hover over the practice. They may demonstrate the drills when technique slides or when they're introducing a new approach. But those coaches do not get involved with the practice. They don't stand in line with the team.
If you're engaging in the practice, then you're not watching the practice. You're not doing your job.
In my opinion, you're trying to prove that you somehow, "belong." That you despite your age difference can still mix it up with athletes younger than you.
And now we're talking about your ego and not coaching your athletes. Now we're talking about you trying to recapture your youth.
Don't get me wrong. I have no problem with coaches engaging in some fun activities with their teams. If you're going to play soccer, or ultimate frisbee and you want to get in on the game, then by all means. This is outside the scope of what you're coaching. These activities are about breaking the routine and adding another element or the element of fun to the daily grind. By all means, play frisbee or whatever the activity is.
But remember: You're no longer the athlete. Your time to participate has come and gone. Your ego doesn't belong on the field trying to prove that you can "hang" with practice.
You're paid to coach, or you chose to coach. If you want to play go and find a rec league.
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