Becoming an Effective Coach by: DeWayne Dawkins

There’s no formula for perfect coaching. It's as much about intuition as it is about technique. What works with one person may not work with another, and what works in one case may not work in the next.

There are several characteristics that successful coaches have in common. These coaches: Committed to individual integrity, values, and personal growth. They are profound thinkers who see themselves as educators, not just coaches. They are committed to their athletes and their institution. They are willing to experiment with new ideas. They Love their sport and work. They are Honest and strong in character.

Being a good coach is not just about having excellent sports-specific and technical knowledge. The skill of effective coaching lies in asking the right questions. It is important to ask yourself: Have I planned for perfection and covered all eventualities?

Coaches as leaders: Require excellence; do not expect perfection, Understand your athletes before you can influence them; Create trust and command respect Motivate and inspire them.

Communicating with your athletes: Keep the message concise and precise. Work out whether your athletes receive the same message as the one you think you are communicating. Remember your tone of voice and body language - only 10% of what we recall comes from the words spoken. Find out what your athletes' preferred styles of thinking are - visual, auditory or kinaesthetic? Try to use a story to help get what you want to say across.

Understanding how your athletes tick: Think about how your athletes like to be coached; Look at how well you know your athletes: What are their goals? What is stopping them from achieving this? What can you do to help? Think about how often you ask for feedback from your athletes about your coaching.

Coaching is about a connection, not just about techniques. Coaching is about trust, integrity and honesty, not just about fluent directives. Coaching is about the athlete’s needs and wants, not about forwarding the coach's agenda. Coaching is about creative exploration of possibilities, not structuring predetermined systems and pathways. Coaching is about nuanced, detailed communication, not blanket, quick homilies and tips. Coaching is about creating a big vision, not just about fixing problems. Coaching is about evolution and expansion, not just day to day living.

There’s no formula for perfect coaching. It's as much about intuition as it is about technique. And I quote, --Ralph Waldo Emerson "Life is a succession of lessons, which must be lived to be understood".

By: DeWayne Dawkins