This article is part 2 of a two part series by Coach Ron Jackson.
The Conflict Within … The Good Coach (part 2)
By Ron Jackson
Ron Jackson is a thirty two year veteran of youth track and field. He has served in various capacities from Club Coach, local USATF Association President and Vice-Chair Operations of the National Youth Athletics Committee of USATF. He is a 9 year veteran Referee of the TAC / USATF National Junior Olympics before retiring in 1991. He currently serves as the Director of the United Age Group Track Coaches Association UAGTCA a long time, non-profit sports organization located in Philadelphia PA advocating for youth development in the sport of track and field.)
Those of us who suffer with separation anxiety really have to be prepared for a hurricane of emotions as our athletes develop in the sport. We must recognize that our role as friend, mentor and trusted advisor will survive any challenge if we are honest with our athlete and with our self. As they move from age group track to high school and possible collegiate programs they will need us more than ever.
They will probably not use us in the same capacity but almost inevitably to the same degree. They will be faced with the very real possibility that they will be exposed to a completely different set of circumstances. They may not be fully prepared for what they are experiencing and they will turn to the one they trust the most. For the first time they may be faced with a different and more compelling mission. They may be asked to place their individual success on a parallel path with team success. They may be asked to sacrifice their individual success for the benefit of the team. That, in and of itself, may not seem significant but if your athlete has always been programmed to believe that hard work in their chosen specialty is their quickest path to success then It may suddenly become an enigma.
If they are suddenly asked to forget all of that they have been taught about self development and do what needs to be done so that the team is successful, how do they cope? If it means that they are not immediately doing what is best for them but what may best for the group where do they turn? It may not be so obvious to them that the mission has changed quickly and they must take the next step in personal growth. Your athlete will now be judged with the collective and all of your previous suggestions of individual achievements to the contrary will be viewed in a different light.
Unfortunately, there is no simple answer but there are ways to prepare for those eventualities. We can remind our athletes that they are not what they do but rather what they prepare to do. They are what they train to be. If I am the best 400 meter runner on my team as well as the best 1500 meter runner and I am asked to run either distance for the team but I am allowed to continue to train for my best event then I will remain a 1500 meter runner who can run the 400 meters. After all I will be what I train to be.
The mission at the high school and collegiate level is significantly different than the mission of the club coach. That is a given and must be respected by all concerned. The conflicts are natural but can be managed. If managed well, everybody benefits, most certainly the athlete. If managed poorly then nobody wins especially the athlete. I believe what is most often forgotten in this equation are the thoughts of the athlete. They will naturally gravitate towards the people they trust, the ones who have demonstrated that they truly have their best long range interests at heart. The anxiety that arises from the thought of losing control of a person that has been created molded and nurtured by them is very frightening to many coaches and one that some choose not to accept. The reality is, however, that control was never theirs to lose. Control belongs to the athlete and is facilitated by the coach. A good coach teaches his or her charge how to take control of their own development, how to make good choices and use all of the resources that are available to them to achieve their goals. The good coach will always be one of those resources.
I conclude by reminding those that have had to answer these difficult questions that they are not alone. Every coach, every person faces these questions at some time in their personal development and how we answer will ultimately determine our measure of success for ourselves and our athletes.
Coach Ron Jackson
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