What is yours?

Specifically, have you thought about the how's and why's of everything you will do as a coach? What basis or reasons do you have for your approach? This is a critical step for all new coaches. For that matter, even experienced coaches may want to reevaluate their philosophy.

The thought of developing a coaching philosophy is a fairly daunting prospect. How do you actually start developing your philosophy of coaching? That's easy. For most of us, our coaching philosophy begins with our own playing experience. Providing we had a good, positive experience, most of our basic philosophy probably emanates from our high school and college coaches. This is a very natural start, because this is the approach with which you are most familiar and comfortable.

However, in order to grow, mature and advance in the profession, you really should expand your horizons. The following questions may help you in your effort to formulate or analyze your own philosophy of coaching:

1. Is your approach educationally sound? Several things should be considered as you analyze your coaching techniques and methods.

Ask yourself the following questions.

• Do your drills serve a purpose? For example, do they teach a part of your offense, defense or appropriate skills which are needed?
• Do you use drills merely for the enjoyment or entertainment of the athletes and coaching staff?
• Are your drills structured to provide the necessary repetition for each athlete?

Are your drills and the skills they teach relative to your athletes' ability level? Since coaching definitely involves teaching and athletics should have educational value, answering these questions is extremely important to develop a coaching philosophy.

2. Is your approach appropriate for your players? For example, many soccer coaches imitate the system employed by the last World Cup Champion. But do their players have the ball control and skills to implement it? Probably not. It may be an excellent system, but not suited to their high school players.

As another example, a basketball coach attended a clinic and came away with what seemed to be a great new man-man offense. When practice began for the season, the coach immediately installed it. However, the players struggled with the offense and it took the coach almost half a season to realize that the talent differential from the college squad to his was the real difference. While the offense was outstanding for the college team, it was not the answer for the high school team.

The ultimate answer is to use an approach which is developmentally appropriate for your players. How does your system stack up?

3. Is your philosophy ethical? In basketball, for example, many coaches who are losing in the waning minutes of a close game instruct their players to foul in order to stop the clock. While this tactic may be annoying to some fans, it is certainly within the limits of the rules. However, can the same be said for faking an injury in order to stop the clock? No, this is unethical.

Consider what you do in all aspects of your coaching. Is it ethical? It should be and, if not, your philosophy should change. Considering that there is great educational value involved in athletics, coaching from an ethical standpoint is extremely important as a model for the athletes.

4. Will your approach last over the years or is it based on a one or two-year fad? Successful programs and the systems that they employ are usually perpetual, continuing efforts. Whereas, fads will disappear after a few brief years. Analyze your approach.

• How many other programs use the offense or defense which you use?
• How long have other programs used their approach?

How successful (and success has to first be defined) have they been using their system? Remember, that imitation is, after all, a real indicator of success. If no one else is using the offense, defense or other elements of your approach, this should give you a real hint. Also, using a system year after year is another very good indicator of its success and soundness.

5. Do you stick with your philosophy and insert your players into it, or do your adapt to the players who are available? Unlike colleges, in most high schools, you cannot recruit players. A college coach can, therefore, obviously find players to insert into his system and philosophy.

Most high school coaches have to develop the talent on hand. Realistically, there may be some years in which the athletes may not possess the ability or skills to fit into your philosophy. You cannot change the players, but you can alter your approach.

6. Is there a better way of doing what you are doing? Apply this question to all aspects of your coaching philosophy - the offense, defense, motivation of your athletes, conditioning, etc. Keep an open mind.

For example, if an opponent successfully attacks your defense, can you adapt their offense for your own use? Or does the success of your opponent's offense prove that your defense simply isn't effective?

Therefore, it is extremely important to constantly analyze everything you do. After all, learning should be a life-long pursuit and this should definitely apply to your coaching philosophy.

7. Can you explain why you use or do something? In order to instruct and to motivate your athletes, you have to be able to justify what you do. Can you? It is no longer good enough to simply say, "Well, this is the way we are going to do it," and stop at that.

You also have to be able to explain why. There is no way that you can justify anything associated with your program to athletes and parents without being able to explain it.

8. Is what you do in practice sessions and games safe? There is certainly considerable information available concerning proper techniques and skills. Staying abreast and aware of risk management aspects is, therefore, vital. After all, unsafe approaches can lead to injuries and potential lawsuits.

Some of the areas that need particular attention by coaches are:

• Weather-related conditions such as lightning and heat/temperatures
• Injuries and their treatment
• Equipment
• Methods of training or conditioning

Teaching proper skill techniquesAnything unsafe needs to be immediately eliminated from your coaching philosophy. The safety of the athletes must be paramount.

9. Is your coaching philosophy compatible with your personality? For example, are you normally:

• Cautious or a risk taker?
• A control freak or laid back?
• Patient or impatient?
• An analytical planner or impulsive?

Deliberate or aggressive?You will probably be more successful in coaching if your philosophy and personality are both compatible and in sync. Is your approach with coaching in line with your personality or does your philosophy go against your basic nature? How do your compare?

10. Is there anything unsportsmanlike involved with your philosophy? There are certainly situations in some games which could be considered unsportsmanlike by your opponent, officials or fans. One needs to consider how everything is perceived, such as:

• Running up the score
• Playing starters long after the outcome has been determined
• Allowing taunting

While these are just a few examples, they need to be seriously considered. If any of these exist within your approach to coaching, you may have to make some changes, because they certainly do not exhibit good sportsmanship.

After analyzing all the factors involved in coaching and developing your own philosophy, another very good exercise is to put it into written form. As mentioned previously, it is extremely important to be able to express and to explain your approach to athletes, parents and supervisors. A written document can also give you something concrete to reexamine and to evaluate annually. In this way, you can easily update and improve your coaching philosophy.

The 10 questions listed above are intended to promote thought, introspection and, hopefully, some revelation. They are not obviously intended to provide the complete or definitive answers to developing your coaching philosophy. Only you, with time and honest effort, can you develop your own coaching philosophy.