Being a coach is a privilege that comes with responsibility. When I started coaching, I strived to be the best I could be. I worked hard to understand my players, their strengths and their weaknesses. I trained the team to play structured hockey and we beat teams that were better than us. I was a successful coach if success is measured by winning matches and it was only in later years that I reflected on how much I had failed.



As a coach you need to be clear about your philosophy and purpose for coaching. You need to be confident and secure as a person, so you are truly coaching to serve your players. My identity as an athlete was coming to an end and I wanted to prove I could be the best coach. My ego meant I forgot that I was coaching young people who have different motivations, different personalities, and different life pressures from my own and these needed to be central in my decision making. I did not allow my students balance.



Secondary school students need balance in their lives so they can concentrate, listen, think clearly, and learn to develop holistic life skills. Sport plays a big part in developing young people, but it is only one small part of an already full curriculum. Students are pulled in many directions by well-meaning adults and it is easy to get some aspects out of balance. As a coach of school students, we have a responsibility to help manage students stress levels and ensure we are not over scheduling training's and games. If you think of the different curriculum areas of a student's life they will have many different “section leaders” all wanting their students to be the lead performer. The sports coach should not be the conductor of the entire orchestra but rather one of many section leaders. When the coach thinks they are the conductor and demand more time or energy, they are denying the opportunity for students to have far richer lives. Adults coaching in secondary schools must allow students to have fun and explore other things, so they do not get burnt out, and are left with a love of the game, to have lifelong involvement. 



Some simple reminders for ensuring your students have balance.

 

• Balance means that Physical, Social, Mental/Emotional, and Spiritual well being are all considered. 
• Time management is critical – We all have the same number of hours in a day so be organised and stick to time. Start and finish on time so students can plan other activities around their sport commitment with confidence. 
• Plan ahead – Know what other things are happening in your students lives and have flexibility with the schedule so they can attend their school ball, study for exams, be in the Kapa Haka group and play in your team.
• Listen to your students – Talk to the students about their goals and ambition and decide together what it will take to reach their goals.
• Team culture matters – Hold open discussions so everyone knows who is at what training's, what is negotiable and what is compulsory, so you are consistent and fair

 

As a passionate educator and hockey coach I know that students who are regularly engaged in team sports will do better academically and socially. They will have more self confidence and a positive outlook on life but only when coaches allow growth and development of students through experimentation and decision making. As a coach you set up the framework and guide students, but allowing them choices and the freedom to make mistakes is a greater gift than the competition title. Students must learn how to have balance to achieve their goals and to understand that actions have consequences. This type of coaching requires a partnership between the coach and the players with coaches giving students more responsibility and freedom.