What makes a good coach?

It’s a question that simply cannot be answered by just one or two points. A good coach must be able to access a wide variety of characteristics to cater for every single person studying under them and be able to adapt accordingly. A “one style fits all” policy will not work when dealing with aspects of life, such as our likes and hobbies. Sport is no different.

You have some coaches, such as Rafa Benitez (the current Newcastle United manager in the English Premier League) who are renowned for their disciplinarian approach to dealing with players and athletes. While this can be an extremely successful method for certain players, others may require more attention and nurturing to enhance their game. With these athletes rather than being an autocratic leader, you may need a coach who is happy to take onboard the opinions of those around them, and beneath them. Take for instance, another iconic figure, Sir Alex Ferguson. Many stories have come out since his retirement from players who played under him at Manchester United, stating that his man management was the best they had ever seen. He knew who he could scream at to trigger reactions from a bad performance, and who he would have to “put his arm around” so to speak. There’s nothing to say that you cannot have all of these qualities to be a great coach, and in fact, many of the world of sports’ best coaches are those who are able to jump between personalities – only when necessary – which helps guide the athlete/s to success.

Orienteering task

During my first orienteering session at university, the coach was particularly mindful to keep everyone engaged in the activity. To do this, he used humour numerous times, and was eager to asks questions of the group, knowing that the rapport would keep us interested in the session. This was to prevent members of the group from losing focus and have everyone successfully complete the task. Overall, I would say that the coach was successful at keeping everyone on board with the orienteering task, and was effective in his methods of coaching.