Reflections Of A Coach In Ken Wooden's They Call Me Coach

Many everyday encounters can test our values. In sports conflict is expected, and as skill level increases conflict becomes more prominent. This is even more evident to coaches, as they experience conflict from players, referees, and parents. In my experience, coaching many times I must hold back what I want to say and walk away. One specific encounter with two parents tested my values of respect, positivity, and self-worth. In this experience, two parents confronted me after a game about the substitutions going on on the field, as I was a youth coach learning how to run the bench I was appalled at this statement. In this instance, I related to the barber contemplating what to do, “ What do you gain by it? Nothing.” (pg.15A) I also connected with the idea of upholding a reputation, as I would not want to be viewed as anything less than a great coach, “Murderer or hero?” (pg.15C) My values of respect and positivity helped me walk away from this situation, which further revealed how my character is centered around integrity.

The relationship between an athlete and a coach is an unique and (humble??) one. It’s all about learning, growing, and overcoming failures to its successes. About looking forward to the future together in the game and beyond the life of sports. The interaction between them should be upheld and agreed upon, to be held together. They are the most influential character of the competitive environment. I believe in the value of a coach.

Joe Ehrmann describes how he has developed his philosophy of coaching by relating the story of his life in his youth, high school and in college describing two different types of coaches he had played for. The first are coaches who were impersonal, authoritarian, and sometimes abusive which he calls transactional coaches; this is in contrast to the humane coaches he calls transformative coaches. Coaches must face this responsibility because we all remember our coaches. “This is the awesome power and responsibility of coaching: You give your players memories, for better or for worse that stay with them until the day they die” (Ehrmann, 2011 p 46-47). Joe Erhmann goes on to ask, “What is the moral and ethical composition of their program?

Parents – Children are always influenced by their parents. For a child to be brought up in an environment which promotes learning as a positive thing and encouraging their child’s education, it will give the child the right, enthusiastic attitude. The child will understand from their parents the benefits of learning, the options, and opportunities it can open in their future. With the support

My father, Jason Katcher was my Coach for nine years. We have had our ups and our downs. Through all these years of sports there are these unfathomable moments in time that will be frozen in to my mind. One of these moments was for the championship in a football tournament. My team and I needed a touchdown to when the game. I hear the fans screaming, my heart is pounding, the other team is nervous, I look up less than ten seconds left, forty-five yards to go, I look left I look right like I do before every play and then I look at my coach.

How many youth and high school coaches serve as a father figure to their players? How many mothers look to the coaches of their son’s football team as the last best hope to show their son what it means to become a man – a real man? More than we’ll ever know. Coaches teach us boys the lessons of life that very often they learn from no one else. Coaches have the kind of influence in our schools,

I hope that when I am a teacher that the kids will learn from me that learning can be fun and not a task. That there is so much to learn about that you should never be bored with learning. If they leave my class room knowing about that and the curriculum needed to succeed in my particular grade and subject. Than I accomplished everything that I wanted to.

So many Coaches have talent and dedication for what they do. I 'm proud to play for one that has a spectacular history of coaching. That coach is Dennis Lorio, who Graduated from LSU (Louisiana State University) with an economic degree and played baseball. “I love the intensity and the relationship in football” Coach Lorio explaining with a passionate expression. I can see it in his eyes that he is very dedicated and hardworking coach. As of now he is 62 years old and still willing to coach. “It’s not the same without coaching. The joy and the sorrow I feel during the season has been addicted to me. I’ve been in this game almost all my life and that is a very long time.”

An example of this connection is presented when Williamson describes how “Indiana’s Bobby Knight, seeking to clean house after a disappointing 1996-97 season, drove starting point guard Neil Reed out of town with one year of eligibility remaining. Reed left, but not before accusing Knight of physical and emotional abuse.” This example helps Williamson to show the reader that coaches, driven by hunger for victory and money, now are succumbing to the desire for wealth. Bobby Knight drove Niel Reed out of his team because Niel Reed wasn’t “up to par” and didn’t help the team enough for them to have a successful season. This makes the reader understand the harm and pain caused by Knight’s actions, and presents a situation that the reader could possibly relate to and subsequently feel more connected to; thus persuading the reader to obey the call to action used by Williamson in the last paragraph.

“At practice, Coach was always shouting the word Dig!” (Ehrmann 2011, pg. 53)What coach doesn’t ask for their players to work harder, dig deeper, or strive? We all do. “But to Coach it always meant: Dignity, Integrity, and Grace.” (Ehrmann 2011, pg. 53). Joe Ehrmann’s book InSideOut Coaching is an amazing look into why coaches coach. My mind was blown. My book looks like a firework display of highlights, underlines, and notes. There are so many ideas in this short book my head swam. The book really made me question the what, why, and how I am coaching. His ideas and opinions are a game changer for me. I can relate to Parade Magazine’s assessment; Joe Ehrmann is “The most important coach in America.” upon completing the book. For me the D.I.G.

Having a coach in life will positively influence your character and your skills. Also, having a coach doesn’t necessarily mean that your playing on a field. A coach can be anyone from a role model to a parent or guardian, a teacher, a pastor, a mentor, or sometimes even a best friend. One of the most important things for a coach to have is influence, and more important than that is that the influence he has on his players must be positive. As a leader, a coaches job is to better his players on and off of the field. This is done by developing the character of his players through encouragement and helping them understand that the game is more than just about winning. A good coach will always put the needs of his players first before he considers himself as a factor. If a coach is successful his players will develop a strong sense of self-motivation. This helps by allowing the player to

Charles Barkley once said, “I am not a role model. I am not paid to be a role model. I am paid to wreak havoc on the basketball court. Parents should be role models. Just because I can dunk a basketball does not mean I should raise your kids.” No adult has a choice as to whether a child looks up to him or her, but parents are responsible for raising their children as best they can. The first role models or leaders in most children’s lives are in fact their parents; although they may not be the best role models, they are often the figures that children first learn from. Even if there was a perfect parent, that should not limit a child from observing other leaders. John Wooden, considerably the most successful basketball coach in NCAA history, led the UCLA Bruins to 10 NCAA championships with an all-time win-loss coaching record 885-203 (UCLA site). A Game Plane for Life: The Power of Mentoring, is a collection Wooden’s anecdotes related to leadership and the applications of those methods to his coaching practices. Observing leaders from the past allowed Wooden to envision clarity in the future; a clarified vision of the future gave Wooden more power in the present. John Wooden was a consistent and prepared leader who fostered a community of trust and knew his values.

The coach sees himself as preparing people not only for achievement in sport, but through sport for a life of personal fulfilment and for the enrichment of community.

Taking the time to reflect on why it is someone coaches is beneficial for personal growth, and for creating an awareness of one’s changes in motivation, which affects behavior. Therefore, changes in motivation can be reflected in someone’s behavior and his or her well-being. Those who feel that they are coaching because they want to, will be successful, and feel that coaching allows them to acquire relationships with their players, and display more motivation for coaching. Being aware of why someone coaches their sport is an important part of reflective practice. One person’s

I have always enjoyed school. I enjoy learning new topics as well as helping others understand those topics. I want to teach children to take an interest in school even if it is in only one subject area. By getting them interested I hope to give them the reason they need to get up every morning and put an effort into what they do. The more a student puts into school, the more they will get out of it.