My coaching philosophy is very similar to my educational philosophy in that I see myself as a teacher. Although I am a very competitive person and I strive and live for winning, I feel that athletics is about much more. On the field, individuals have the opportunity to succeed by using their bodies and minds together to work towards individual and team goals. Athletics offer each individual the chance for setting and meeting challenges like no other facet of life can do. For me, sports have been a form of release from the outside pressures of daily life. Because athletics can be so beneficial and rewarding, I feel that it is my job as a coach to provide an environment in which all of my athletes can grow, not only as athletes, but also as people, as they work for and experience the enjoyment of sport.
The education that occurs through participating in physical, competitive competition is in some ways as important, if not more so, than the education that occurs in a formal learning environment. Virtues such as discipline, teamwork, focus, self-confidence, leadership, determination, sacrifice, respect, and the ability to set and achieve goals are all things that will make an individual successful in life after their playing days are over. These lessons are often overlooked due to the direct emphasis on winning, but nonetheless are very important and valuable.
As a player, I've had many different coaches in many different sports, and I would probably classify myself as a player's coach. I want to know my athletes on a personal basis, just as I will expect them to know each other on a personal level. I believe that the coach is just an extension of the team, and this being said; I feel that I have to abide by the same expectations that I set for my players. I feel that yelling and swearing at players and officials is not part of any sport, and I will demand that my athletes play their sport with respect and class. I have been blessed to be involved with programs that have always put a huge importance on character, and I will do the same with my programs. I have a great deal of experience in athletics, and I know what it takes to win, but the lessons that we take from the athletic field are far more important, in the long run, than the outcomes themselves. Dedication to one's teammates and respecting oneself and others has proven to me to be the key to success, but success does not always necessarily arrive in the form of a win. Some of the valuable lessons that I have learned from athletic competition have also come from defeat and learning how to come back from adversity.
I will have certain expectations of myself and of my athletes, but my main focus is on the team. I will play no individual who does not abide by the team concept, and I will make team unity my number one expectation. Regardless of athletic ability, if a team member does not put the team above their individual goals, they will not play for me. Individual goals are very important, but individual success comes from being a team player. I believe that this is what wins championships.
Education comes before sports. I know that athletics do not last forever, and I will have high expectations of my student-athletes in this area. I will not have a player perform for me on the field who does not understand that part of team commitment carries over to the classroom.
The plain joy of actually playing sports is often times overlooked. At the center of attention, whatever I'm coaching, will be placed an emphasis on fun. Sports are supposed to be fun, and that's why they're called games. I have gained so much from athletics, and I want to give back to others the same opportunities and joys that sports and competition have given to me. I want to provide the leadership in an environment that my athletes will have fun and grow both as athletes, and most importantly, as people.
