What Teachers Can Learn from Sports Coaches, by Nathan
Barber
Copyright 2014, Routledge/Eye on Education
Introduction
Copyright 2014, Routledge/Eye on Education
What is a coach? The word coach seems to have originated in Hungary at
some point in the 16th century
and described a large carriage used for transportation. In the early 19th century, coach became an Oxford University slang term
for a tutor who “carried” a student, as in preparation for university exams.
Later in the 19th century, coach at last appeared in the vocabulary of
sports as one who leads a team. An interesting thread runs through these three
examples of coach. Do you
see it yet?
We can deduce that coach morphed into the verb coaching at some point during the 19th century once the associations with
tutoring and leading sports teams became commonplace. Now, in the 21st century, what lies at the heart of
coaching actually can be traced back to its three original, unique, yet related
uses. The all-time winningest high school boys soccer coach in the United
States, Terry Michler,
makes an astute observation about coaching in the modern world. Michler, who
coaches at Christian Brothers College High School in St. Louis, Missouri, says,
“[coaching] involves taking someone where they could not get on their own.”
With one short phrase, Michler sums up and ties together the three original
applications of the word coach.
All three of the original meanings of coach involved taking someone – a passenger,
a student, an athlete – somewhere he couldn’t go on his own – a distant
geographic destination, the Dean’s List, the league championship. A good coach does
the same today.
Coaching is teaching. Who knows who
first said this, but this phrase has been quoted and requoted countless times,
and with good reason. A great coach also is a great teacher, even if the
subject matter is zone defense, the pick and roll, the bunt or the art of
putting. Don’t take my word for it, though. Consider what these great coaches
have to say on the subject:
“The coach is first of all a teacher.” John
Wooden
“They are about as parallel as anything can be.” Terry Michler
“At the end of the day, coaching is teaching.” Brian Boland
“Coaching is teaching. Great coaches/teachers are
good communicators; start with the end in mind; stress the fundamental (little
things) concepts; practice and build on those fundamental concepts daily;
reteach until the concept is mastered; motivate their students; and establish
positive relationships with their students.” Dale
Monsey
“Coaching and teaching are one in the same in that the
educator has one purpose in mind: to share knowledge with the student/athlete
in the hopes of making them smarter both mentally and physically.” Patti Gerckens
“Coaching obviously is synonymous with teaching because I
think great coaching is effective teaching. What you’re trying
to do is to accelerate someone’s growth in the game that you’re an expert in,
and you’re trying to give them the benefit of your experience by sharing with
them what they can do to get to their potential.” Anson Dorrance
Even when the subject matter differs,
great coaches and great teachers have a great deal in common. Great coaches and
teachers communicate effectively, harness the power of teamwork, make work
meaningful, embrace technology, build a winning tradition, teach life lessons
and seek continuous improvement. Drawing on the wisdom of some of the best and
most successful coaches in the business today, this book draws parallels
between great coaches and great teachers, between great coaching and great
teaching. Using examples from the lives and experiences of these great coaches,
this book illustrates the correlation between teaching in the sports world and
teaching in the classroom. As you read through the book, note that coaches
whose names are italicized have
provided direct input for this book. Without their wisdom, this book would not
have come together as such a practical yet meaningful guide to great teaching.
Although this book could be read cover
to cover in a few sittings, each section has been divided into short, easily
digestible pieces to be read and pondered and then applied. Additionally,
because of the way the book has been structured, reading through the sections
in order is not necessary. Browse the sections, find what interests you or what
you need, then read, consider and repeat. Regardless of how you read through
the book, my hope is that you are challenged by the ideas presented here and
that you find many of these ideas relevant and useful in your own teaching
journey.
Nathan Barber
The above information is Copyright 2014 Routledge/Eye on
Education and Nathan Barber
