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What Makes a Good Coach
Fuzzy Levane, a Port Washington resident who has
been involved with basketball since 1945, describes
his father's reaction to his basketball career as
shock that one could assure success in life
"bouncing a ball." His father, a musician with the
Metropolitan Opera, is in contrast to many parents
today who think staring in a sport is the way to
their child's future success.
Fuzzy Levane, who is in the Basketball Hall of
Fame and a former Knicks coach, was one of four
panelists, who along with a moderator discussed how
far to push your athletic child. The event took
place Sept. 28, at the Jeanne Rimsky Theater as
part of the conversation series under the auspices
of the Landmark on Main Street. The other panelists
were PYA President Billy Omeltchenko, Psychologist
Dr. Susan Lipkins, and Sports Editor of The Long
Island Press Josh Stewart. The moderator was MSG
Sportscaster Al Trautwig.
One of the main ideas that came out of this one
and a half hour discussion, which also included
questions and comments from the audience of about
30 people, was that a parent's main responsibility
is to make sure that the child's coach is
competent. It was stated that the coach has
tremendous power over a child and often will push
talented athletes to perform even better than they
thought they could and that a coach who is
detrimental to a child is not acceptable. Dr. Susan
Lipkin's handout states, "Most coaches are honest
and positive role models, but not all are. As
parents you have the responsibility to question
them when their behavior is inappropriate. Do this
as a group so that no individual will be subject to
retaliation. By doing so you are modeling important
group dynamics to your child."
PYA President Bill Omeltchenko emphasized the
importance of training coaches for his
organization. (A list of qualities of a good coach
according to the president of the National
Federation of High Schools is at the end of this
article.)
Dr. Lipkins said that being pushed by a great
coach is different than by a parent, saying that a
parent's role needs to be much more subtle than a
coach's. Although many famous athletes had parents
who pushed them, such as Tiger Woods and Shaquel
O'Neal, the panelists seem to agree that
encouragement is the best route for parents. A
member of the audience actually suggested using the
word "encourage" as opposed to the word "push." It
was expressed that the key is to observe if the
child is enjoying himself or herself and that
parents should be on the lookout to see if the
sport activity is becoming too exhausting and
time-consuming so other more important activities
such as school work are not being short-changed.
Dr. Lipkins made the point that if a child likes
something they will push themselves.
Panelists stated that success in sports is not
nearly as important as parents think. It was noted
that while athletic scholarships help pay expensive
college tuition, there are state colleges and many
cheaper ways of getting a college degree, as well
as financial aid for people who need it and that
athletic ability can also help students get
accepted to elite colleges. But the panelists agree
in the end it is academic achievement that really
is the most important part of a child's school
career.
They said that sports, though, can teach you
important lessons-team working, how it feels to
win, to lose, in addition to providing the
opportunity for exercise. However, only one in 13
million people ever gets a pay check from a
pro-sport according to Parade magazine. All the
panelists seem to be in agreement that pushing a
child in athletics so that they can get into an
elite college or get a scholarship is making many
children's lives unnecessarily difficult.
"I was very impressed with the panel members,"
said Larry Tietz, a Landmark board member who was
in the audience. "The moderator asked good
questions and got the audience involved."
Characteristics of a Good Coach
1. understands the age group that is being
coached (their physical and emotional
capabilities)
2. establishes rapport with the athletes, their
parents and assistants
3. sets appropriate rules, and applies them fairly
and consistently
4. has realistic expectations/goals for the
team
5. is a good role model (in terms of ethics,
sportsmanship, their own emotional reactions)
6. is open to communication/suggestions from the
athletes and support staff
7. knows how to teach the sport
8. is organized, and makes realistic demands on the
team and their families
9. disciplines appropriately
Source: By Peggy Maslow,
www.antonnews.com/.../
10/14/news/sports.html
Related Issue:
Notable
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