What Makes a Good Coach ?

"What is a good coach?”
“Why is HE a good coach?”
“What makes him different from other coaches?”

I’ve been asked these questions—or ones similar—many times over my years of being a volleyball mom. My daughter has had the same coach for almost four years, and no matter what organization the team plays with, I make sure we stay with the same coach. Why? That’s easy. He possesses qualities that I feel are essential and necessary for being a positive influence and good coach, such as:

• PATIENCE—This is probably the most important characteristic. Let’s face it—12 active girls together require a lot of attention. A good coach is one who doesn’t expect angels on the volleyball court.
• TOLERANCE—This quality goes hand-in-hand with patience. Kids are going to be rowdy, or moody or lazy. Tolerance takes the different mind-sets and turns the focus to the tasks “afoot”.
• ACCEPTANCE—Our children are so very different. Each one has varied potential and skill levels. A good coach is one who recognizes each child as an individual and he/she encourages that child to perform at his/her very best level. Perfection is not required!
• MOTIVATION—Volleyball can be viewed as kids hitting a ball across the net, or it can be viewed as an opportunity for growth. The true test lies in sparking a child’s interest to learn and grow and keeping that spark alive each season.
• RESPECT—I’ve seen many games in which the coaches, and sometimes parents, of the other teams berate and belittle their children for making “mistakes”. Sometimes they even go as far as criticizing opposing team members. Good grief! We’re playing club volleyball! This isn’t the Olympics. ‘Coach' has never singled out a child for making a mistake and he does not allow parents or the other team members to do so either. At the beginning of every season 'Coach' reminds us parents that we’re all in this sport to learn and have a good time.
• SPORTSMANSHIP—Perhaps this should have been on top of the list, but being toward the end does not lessen the importance. My definition of sportsmanship is to teach kids to work together as a team in order to achieve a common goal. It also means teaching kids to respect other players as well as each other. Insults are not tolerated. Mistakes are team mistakes, and they are used as teaching tools for the next game.