“To unearth and develop individual talents by providing them with tools so that they can get the best, out of themselves” – Macky Singh
When you are in a conversation with a prospective student-athlete, their parents; in a social setting or in an educational environment with other coaches or instructors, applying for a coaching position or in an interview for a coaching position - the question of “what is your coaching philosophy” comes up.
Why is that? Its to gauge who you are as a person, your values, and beliefs and if it’s the right fit for the student-athlete to commit to your institution, or the organization hiring you or establishing a potential connection with other coaching peers. Your coaching philosophy will also be important in potentially leading a shift/change in an organization’s or team’s culture if a change is needed in pursuit of excellence.
According to SPORT COACHES’ HANDBOOK BY INTERNATIONAL COUNCIL FOR COACHING EXCELLENCE (by Karen Collins), an except on Human Kinetics, you can develop your coaching philosophy by following these five steps:
· Understand yourself and determine what is important to you.
· Prioritize your values.
· Identify your coaching objectives.
· Express your coaching philosophy publicly.
· Link your coaching philosophy to your coaching style.
In the last 15 years or so, I went through the process of articulating my own coaching philosophy, reflecting on my previous 15 years of coaching to help me shape my coaching philosophy. When reading my own Coaching Philosophy statement, it looks fairly simple and straightforward, however before articulating it, in words, I had to understand who I am, what I stand for and why do I do what I do, to be able to add context to my statement.
Following are the steps I took in creating my own Coaching Philosophy.
The first step in answering the following question:
“Why – What is my Purpose, my Reason and my Belief”.
So, what is my PURPOSE for coaching? – I really enjoy the act of coaching, to be able to share my knowledge and understanding of the game by teaching. It was a way for me to stay in the sport and carve up a professional career for myself.
My REASON for coaching? – to have the opportunity to support, develop and improve an individual and watch them grow, in the p
resent and the future. The ability to make a positive impact in someone’s life and to chart their development and growth journey in both sport and life.
My BELIEFS in Coaching? – this defines who I am and my values that shapes my behaviours that influences my coaching style.
I completed a DISC (Dominant, Inspiring, Supportive & Cautious) Profile Assessment (free version) to further provide clarity of personality traits. Here is a summary of the results from the assessment:
“You have a blend of Supportive, Cautious, and Dominant traits. Your Supportive traits are probably a little stronger than your Cautious or Dominant traits.
Some words that describe you are:
• Helpful,
• Kind,
• Problem solving, and
• Careful
You have both people-oriented and task-oriented traits, although you may tend a little towards a task-oriented perspective. You can either be reserved or outgoing. You probably like to get things done in a way that protects other people's feelings. It is likely that you are supportive and careful, but you can get moving and make things happen if necessary.”
These traits can also be seen in Testimonials from former athletes that I coached and developed over the years.
Going through the above process led me to finally creating my coaching philosophy that is built around three coaching pillars:
· Character
· Mentorship
· Excellence
Character – Is based on my own values that I subscribe to and are very important to my coaching behaviours. The values are: Hard Work, Commitment, Honesty, and Work Ethic. For me to be successful everyday, I need to constantly demonstrate and live these four values in everything I do, be it coaching, working, family life, etc.
Mentorship – For me mentorship is the ability to teach/coach and educate individuals by sharing my knowledge, empowering, and inspiring the individual in their own personal development, be supportive yet challenging their behaviours and norms in a positive way while pushing them outside their comfort zone.
Excellence - In everything I do, whether it’s a big or small task, I am always in pursuit of excellence. Its not about results orientated, but performance output. Doing my best, at the highest level.
The three coaching pillars offered depth and context to my Coaching Philosophy statement. Hence when someone ask me what my Coaching Philosophy is, I am able to articulate and explain my statement further and highlight my PURPOSE, REASON and BELIEF for why I coach.
If you are trying to create your own Coaching Philosophy, hopefully the process I when through could give you some ideas or approach to crafting a Coaching Philosophy for yourself.
Note: Following is a link to the DISC online assessment (Free version) - Link