The qualities in a good coach
We all get star struck when watching our best athletes and sportspeople, but we often forget the hard work that coaches have contributed from the outset. Unfortunately, not all coaches have the full range of skills needed:
Aside from a passion for their chosen field (sorry!), day-to-day enthusiasm is vital. People respond well to a keen, hard-working expert in their field who has great communication and leadership qualities. Basically, as well as the physical aspect of training, the coach has to inspire. It often starts on a part-time, voluntary basis, but to become a qualified coach in a particular sport, you'll need to earn the appropriate qualifications offered by that sport's national governing body. Also, it can take years to build up the coaching skills and experience that will lead to a good reputation, but Sports Coach UK is there to look after the development of coaches at every level.
It's crucial to be aware of yourself, your capabilities, weaknesses, strengths and ambitions. Ask yourself why you want to be a coach. Naturally, the better your understanding of the latest techniques and skills of a sport, then the better equipped you are, but qualities like patience, empathy and praise work a lot better than criticism and shouting, so be prepared to offer emotional support too.
Make training sessions fun and inclusive — try to avoid games where kids have to sit out. Get everyone involved, and if you can’t do something, find someone who can. With this in mind, always make sure there’s enough equipment or kit for all and create small groups rather than one big group.
Actions louder than words, and demonstrating your skills will keep your audience engaged, so body language is important — make sessions interesting with some laughs, while smiles and positive tales will make the lessons memorable. Goal setting, emotional control, concentration skills — all this work on the mindset, as well as the body, contributes to confidence-building. Let’s be realistic here, some children take longer than others to learn, so be flexible and adapt your style with achievable goals, so that children are consistently motivated.
Always employ safe practices to prevent injury and lead by example (with high standards of dress, behaviour, time-keeping and language) in order to gain trust and respect. Coaches of children are role models, and your sense of responsibility will rub off.
Remember that a good reputation can't be built in a day. Start from the bottom and work your way up to the top. Once you gain a little bit of experience, it's time to put yourself out there. There some great tutoring platforms that can help you reach more students interested in your sports — your favourite tutoring platform will certainly be TutorExtra. it's a great place to get introduced into the world of teaching and tutoring, as well as making it easy to reach more students without having to pay any commission. Register today and get started. It's a new beginning for your coaching career.
