Being a coach is one of the greatest feelings in the world.
The only thing that seems to out-do coaching, is playing. However, there is
still a sense of competitiveness amongst coaches in live games where you get
that, “it is you vs. me” type of feeling. Your ability to have the most
prepared team in competition is what drives you. The fact of the matter is this
however—you need players that fit the mold. It is not necessary that you to go
out and find a particular type of player. It all boils down to one specific
characteristic that determines how good your team can be and how well your
players develop individually. This one characteristic is probably the most
understated, intangible, underrated, but most important distinctive trait for
any player to have. What is it? Coachability.
Coachability is an athlete’s capacity to listen, decipher,
and regurgitate the message of a coach in its physical form. A player’s
aptitude in sports directly correlates to how well players listen-- and
listening is the first step to being coachable. What makes being coachable so
hard for some players, most typically for high school athletes, is the humility
that comes along with it. To admit to being coachable is to admit that you are
not omniscient or “all-knowing” of your sport. However, once you can accept
this fact, then that aptitude will in turn determine your altitude as a player.
There is a lot coachablilty can do for you. It can help you
win over your teammates, and more importantly, win over your coaches. It can
turn a less talented player into tremendous prospect. But even with that, I
think most importantly, the negative effects of what not being coachable can do
to you should be considered here, most importantly. It can tear team chemistry
apart because a player has his or her own agenda. It can hinder player
development for other teammates because too much time is being focused on one
player that refuses to take heed to coaching advice. Probably the most
detrimental thing it can do is leave an athlete “black-balled” where no coach
wants to deal with him or her. Teammates will not associate with the player,
and ultimately no coach or team is willing to accept you on their team any
longer.
In closing, as coaches, we need to do a better job at
showing our athletes how important it is to be coachable and how fun the game
can be when our athletes listen. They should be rewarded when doing so, and
reprimanded when not. As coaches, we need to do a better job of humbling
ourselves, so that in turn we can help humble our players. Let us become better
examples, so that we can foster better pupils. And at the end of the day;
athletes, you must be coachable because your career depends on it.
