Chapter 1 - Developing Your
Coaching Philosophy
I.
Why philosophy?
–
–
Reasons to have a well-developed coaching
philosophy
The story of an old man, a boy, and a donkey
II. Developing your philosophy
• Components of a philosophy
– Major objectives
– Your beliefs or principles that help you achieve your
objectives
• How life events can affect your coaching
philosophy (see figure 1.1, p. 6)
• John Wooden’s philosophy of coaching:
emphasis on teaching and performing
• How your philosophy of life should shape your
philosophy of coaching
III. Self-Awareness
A. Knowing who you are in order to help your
athletes know who they are
B. Why your athletes are much more likely to
become what you are than what you want them
to be
C. Ways to increase self-awareness
– Reflecting on your own beliefs and assumptions
– Requesting feedback from other people on how they
see you and how they react to you
– “Who Am I?” questions for thought and reflection
on p. 9
D. The three selves
- The ideal self
- The public self
- The real self
E. Knowing your three selves (see table 1.1, p. 11)
- Rate yourself and review
- Remembering that others only know your public
self
IV. Self-Esteem
• Your inner conviction about your competency
and worth as a human being
• Consequences of basing your self-esteem on
winning and losing
• Using confidence to develop confidence in
those around you
• The effect of how we relate to ourselves on how
we relate to others
V. Self-Disclosure
• The significance of self-disclosure
– What Olympic basketball coach Tara VanDerveer
learned from assistants
– Athletic director and football coach Jim Bouche’s
philosophy
• Keeping self-disclosure relevant to your
relationship and appropriate to the situation
VI. Conclusion
• Philosophy is a key to pursuing your career as a coach.
• Learn about yourself and think about important issues
to guide your actions.
• Appropriate self-disclosure to athletes helps establish
trusting relationships.
• Sharing your philosophy helps athletes develop their
own philosophies.
• The most important ingredient of a philosophy is that
you own it.
• A philosophy is not expressed by what you say, but by
what you do
Conclusion - continued
• Sharing your philosophy helps athletes develop
their own philosophies.
• The most important ingredient of a philosophy
is that you own it.
• A philosophy is not expressed by what you say,
but by what you do.