The Roles of a Quality Coach

A high-quality coach plays numerous roles and has a significant impact on the athletes he trains. The coaching position is a big responsibility with a heavy workload during the playing season and the off season. The coach must utilize all available resources to manage a team and assistant coaches. The coach also must maintain a professional demeanor while working in an emotional setting.

  1. Instructor

    • Instruction is the primary role of head and assistant coaches. The coaches must be experienced in their sport in order to teach the athletes. The coach also must be capable of converting actionable knowledge into descriptive instruction. Coaches teach by demonstrating movements and by critiquing the movements of athletes. A quality coach is able to transfer knowledge physically and verbally on a regular basis. The coach also must organize the instruction into a developmental program that accommodates the skill level of the athletes and encourages improvement.

    Mentor

    • The coach typically holds the highest level of experience on the team and acts as a mentor and example for the athletes. Coaches spend long amounts of time with athletes and are often called upon to counsel and help the student with personal problems that are affecting their performance. Although coaches are not required to be personal mentors, the high-quality coach is a leader and caring individual. Coaches who build strong relationships with the team members are likely to inspire success.

    Manager

    • The coach is a manager with numerous responsibilities outside of the competitive arena. The coach must organize meetings, monitor school grades for eligibility, arrange transportation and manage the staff. The coach is responsible for communicating with the school administration or management in a professional organization. The management responsibilities for a coach are time consuming and team managers are often appointed to help with some of the paperwork and organizational duties.

    Disciplinarian

    • A coach is often required to act as a disciplinarian for athletes who misbehave outside of the competitive arena. The relationship allows for punishment through physical conditioning or punishment with the threat of missing competitions.

      A coach is not required to discipline students but the relationship offers the opportunity for the coach to demonstrate leadership skills and teach life lessons. Parents of student athletes sometimes look to coaches when they want a form of punishment for student transgressions, in addition to the normal school discipline routines.