motivate and support an ever-changing athlete population . For those of you who think this is a novel take on coaching , you would be wrong . For example , in 2004 , I performed an impromptu experiment an hour before practice as assistant coach for the Columbus Crew . Instead of my usual sweep through the locker room , spending time with each player , saying hello , and asking him how things were , I stayed in my office and purposely separated myself from the players until the training session began . Once we started practicing , I was my usual coaching persona . However , after practice , five experienced players approached me individually at different times to ask if everything was OK . They noticed that I did not engage with the group and just wanted to make sure I didn ’ t have an issue going on in my life . That was 20 years ago , and top professional players ended up winning the MLS Supporter ’ s Shield that year . Ultimately , my point is that this isn ’ t a new thing ; we must be able to meet players where they are . That ’ s just a common fact of life that some people need a little bit more . Your ability to understand who needs more of your time , who needs more resources , and who has additional challenges away from the pitch is key to any successful leader . The best coaches are not just passionate about their sport , they ’ re passionate about their people as well !
C . EXPAND COACH EDUCATION AND SUPPORT : We must continue the development of American coach education and further grow professional development vehicles and support . Furthermore , I propose creating a mentor system where experienced coaches in the community can assist young coaches as they navigate contemporary challenges within their positions . Nash and Sproule state “ mentoring is consistently advocated as an experiential and contextually appropriate tool for developing sport coaches ” ( Nash & Sproule , 2009 ). By providing a more substantive support network for coaching , it will impact the field in several ways . I believe it will cut down on burnout and frustration for long-time coaches . Sometimes , you need someone to talk you through an issue or quandary . Also , it will encourage underrepresented groups within a community to get involved who often do not get into coaching for multiple reasons . Luguetti believes “ that coaches ’ lived experiences and knowledge in working in their communities constitute vital resources for creating more culturally responsive , community-driven sports programs ” ( Luguetti et al ., 2022 , p . 6 ). Again , this is not a strategy to move coaches out of their current positions or weed out lifelong coaches who have given so much of themselves over the years . However , the need to identify , recruit and develop a more diverse coaching community is in everyone ’ s best interest , regardless of the level . This strategy , combined with better resources for coaches at every level , will strengthen our professional field for the benefit of the athletes .
Finally , I want to end with another thought for our coaches : keep a journal . I have kept track of my work for quite some time now and have strived to document not only tactical issues and organizational thoughts , but the interpersonal relationships I have with my staff , my players , and key stakeholders in and around my teams . It is a valuable exercise as it gives you the opportunity to go back and crossreference your thoughts on periods of the season when things were going well or , vitally , when they weren ’ t going so well . Remember , failure must be part of the process , or you will never have peace of mind and intellectual clarity to move forward . Again , maintaining a mindset that you will learn something new daily will help in this process as it can help clarify more effective ways of moving forward personally and professionally . A great colleague once advised me , “ Treat every player as if he was your son , and you ’ ll be OK ,” and I don ’ t think I ever got better advice than that . We must emphasize during our daily actions with our charges the important values of life : empathy , perspective , self-discipline , selflessness and our shared human experience . Start from a place of compassion , patience and perspective first . Then you can plan out how your team is going defend set pieces . n
Murphy has over 30 years of experience in the game as a coach and coach educator , both domestically and abroad . He is the author of two books , an instructional DVD series , and is a nationally recognized speaker and clinician . Murphy has earned a UEFA Pro License ( Scottish Football Association ), a U . S . Soccer A License , and a Certificate of Applied Management from Warwick University ( England ) in conjunction with the League Managers Association . He is currently a Coach Educator with U . S . Soccer and is in the dissertation phase of a Doctoral Degree in Curriculum Studies at Georgia Southern University .
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