On Being An Athletic Coach
I revere being called this by the children placed under my charge in athletics. It’s an honor being a coach. I love being around kids to teach them the benefits of being healthy. Training kids to be physically active is very inspiring. My work offers me the opportunity to be part of youth development particularly in helping them acquire skills that are beneficial in other domains (e.g., school, family, work) that leads to better adaptive skills.
There is more to being a “coach” in sports than meets the eye. If you ask people who took part in athletics to name an adult other than a family member who influenced their childhood or teenage years, chances are they will name a coach.
Passing on your knowledge concerning a particular sport and fostering the talent of a promising athlete is very inspiring. I recognize that as a coach, in addition to knowledge about the sport that I teach, I need to be a strong leader to be able to influence the players under my charge in improving and producing performances.
Being called a “coach” can generate lifelong rewards. It is very heartwarming to see children succeed and hear them talk about the positive influence you have on them through your teaching. A sports coach plays a significant role in the lives of young people by teaching far more than reaching the finish line ahead or the most efficient way to perform a hurdle. He or she can be a source of effective work habits such as initiative, perseverance, self-control, persistence, resilience and responsibility as well as values associated with social-cohesion and sense of self-esteem.
Teaching is all about nurturing and passing on knowledge to students, and an athletic coach is in an unusual position in that the proof of his or her success doesn’t come through exam results, but in the improving abilities of kids in gym class or out in the playing field where children learn to safely navigate and negotiate between right and wrong as they learn to interact with peers and adults.
Despite the many downsides of being a coach such as games are often scheduled after classes or on evenings, weekends, holidays, exposure to inclement weather for those whose work involves outdoor sports like mine, coaching offers the chance to stay abreast of new developments in sports. Rex Juel S. Mero