In our world the doctor, accountant and chiropractor all experience rigorous training to prepare for their lifes work. Once trained they enter the world or working with and helping people in many ways. Their impact on the world as a whole, while very worthy, is no more than the impact that coaches can have on young people through athletics. Why then are coaches not mandated to gain the same certification to execute their work?
The lack of respect given to the coaching profession has been an ongoing process. Coaches like teachers were once respected and even feared. This process has decreased the control and influence of coaches and increased the power of parents and players. In the end the coaching profession has been watered down to a trickle.
Given this brief history lesson, just about anyone can put a whistle around his or her neck and take the responsibility of the coach. You have to love the time and effort put into helping young people but the quality of their coaching leaves a lot to be desired.
So what is the answer to this undesirable situation?
My challenge to the basketball coaching industry is to push for certification. Officials are certified. Athletic trainers are certified. Almost all professions have some kind of certification and on-going training.
Canada and Europe have mandated coaching certification for their hoop coaches for years. Working with a series of levels of certification, this is a serious matter for these coaches. Improving and sharpening their coaching skills is required of them, not only suggested. Do Canada and the European countries have coaching preparation and training figured out?
As a consultant for coaches I am often asked for my take on certification and the status of our coaching approach in the US. Here is a few of my thoughts on the topic:
1. Each coach must have a philosophy of coaching that is a written, detailed document expressing their believe in how the game should be taught, coached and played.
2. Each coach must have an overall plan to teach a comprehensive list of fundamentals and skills needed by all players at all levels.
3. Each coach must have a plan to implement the training of individual, small group and teams of players.
4. Each coach must demonstrate the ability to create drills and create solid, fundamentally oriented practice plans.
5. Each coach must have knowledge of the communication and technical skills of the game.
6. Each coach must learn-by-doing and be able to teach all aspects of the game.
7. Each coach must demonstrate an ability to teach, listen, instruct and discipline players and deal with outside factors such as parents.
8. Each coach must participate in on-going coach training outside of the occasional attendance at coaches clinics.
9. Each coach must secure and work with a mentor during the entire year.
10. An understanding and appreciation of basketball history is important for all coaches.
Because our country does a poor job of training its coaches, I am pushing, with many other influential basketball people in our country, for a coach certification program.
Not only do we not train our coaches, but do a poor job of on-going training. Other than an occasional clinic, our coaches are not challenged or self-motivated to become better at their trade as other professions. To go a step further, our coaches self-improvement doesn't come close the expectations we put on our players to get better on a daily basis.
So all that being said, I am researching this topic and am asking hundreds of people in the basketball industry to help me adopt a curriculum for coach training.
Some of the questions I ask are; "What parts of the game do players need to master and in what priority?"
I have asked many people provide a list of your top 10 skills in a prioritized list. I would be happy to share the results with you when they are compiled and also share with you the outline I devise for my Coaches Academy and my Coach Certification program.
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