Thursday, May 14, 2009

Picking Your Coach

Is it better to pick your coach, or "get who you get" in a league?

Obviously, it depends on the coach.  Assuming the known (picking your coach) is usually better than the unknown, you should know why you're picking the coach.  

There are many reasons to pick, or not pick, a particular coach.  Hopefully the "good" reasons involve reputation, experience, knowledge of the game, the coaches' demeanor with kids...  Any or all of these would be excellent reasons to try and get on a team with a particular coach.  But what if you're picking your coach because they're your neighbor, or your kid plays with their kid?

Although it may be comfortable to choose a coach based on a relationship (vs. coaching credentials), consider if this choice is accomplishing your goals - and your child's goals.  I haven't talked a lot about goals yet, but I'm a huge believer in setting out and doing things for a particular goal.  If your goal is to get your kid involved, have them run around and have some fun with friends - then there's likely little harm in selecting a coach you know - regardless of their coaching resume.  But if you're more interested in the instruction, and having your child learn the game and learn skills, pick a coach carefully.

Despite being a friend, the inexperienced but familiar coach might not be right for your goals in this case.  It might be better to ask around at school or work to see if anyone knows an experienced coach who could teach your son or daughter the game and the skills required more ably.  Of course, this decision could strain relationships and hurt feelings.  It might not be right for everyone.

There's no right or wrong answer here, but your child's coach is an important key to their success (and potentially your happiness) in a sport.  Keep your goals in mind when choosing to join a team...

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