Alex Groothuis, a coach who has served at several universities, has guided 24 students who went on to play professional basketball. Coaches like Alex Groothuis must cultivate many skills in order to achieve success, both for themselves and their athletes.
Coaching requires strong interpersonal skills, and no coach can succeed without a meaningful rapport with his or her athletes. A good coach must be able to encourage athletes to have positive relationships with themselves and with the sport. The deliberate humiliation and embarrassment of underperforming athletes based on what they get wrong tends to create performance problems, while building a solid foundation of confidence based on what athletes get right encourages further development.
Similarly, a good coach tailors coaching to individual athletes, developing a supportive understanding of what makes them perform well. Coaches need to be capable of motivating athletes, and no two competitors will be quite alike. They also need a solid understanding of how and when to apply all the tools in their interpersonal toolbox, including both firm discipline and gentle support, to get the most out of an athlete.
To achieve all these things, a good coach has to be invested in the athlete as a person. Rather than being seen as distractions from the sport, personal, academic, social, and professional obligations should be treated as part of the total package, and as a chance to better understand the athlete's motivations.
Coaching requires strong interpersonal skills, and no coach can succeed without a meaningful rapport with his or her athletes. A good coach must be able to encourage athletes to have positive relationships with themselves and with the sport. The deliberate humiliation and embarrassment of underperforming athletes based on what they get wrong tends to create performance problems, while building a solid foundation of confidence based on what athletes get right encourages further development.
Similarly, a good coach tailors coaching to individual athletes, developing a supportive understanding of what makes them perform well. Coaches need to be capable of motivating athletes, and no two competitors will be quite alike. They also need a solid understanding of how and when to apply all the tools in their interpersonal toolbox, including both firm discipline and gentle support, to get the most out of an athlete.
To achieve all these things, a good coach has to be invested in the athlete as a person. Rather than being seen as distractions from the sport, personal, academic, social, and professional obligations should be treated as part of the total package, and as a chance to better understand the athlete's motivations.