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COACHING PHILOSOPHY

Coaching Philosophy

Olivia Seddon

University of Northern Colorado

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COACHING PHILOSOPHY
Coaching Philosophy

When I was younger I dreamt that I would become a professional soccer player; however,

as I grew older, I realized this was very difficult to accomplish. I couldn’t imagine leaving the

game behind so I decided I was going to become a soccer coach. After years of playing and

being around different types of coaches, I realized coaching is far from easy. The best coaches

not only love the game, but they have knowledge and experience in life and in the game. After

taking the first step of deciding to become a coach, I had to evaluate what was important to me.

What are my goals in life?

My goals in life have changed throughout the years. As I grew older and matured I

realized that I want to inspire the people around me, in sport, the workplace and in my social life.

I want to make a difference and positively impact the people who cross my life’s path. I strive to

be happy in all that I do and I surround myself with people who positively impact my life. I work

hard every day so that I set myself up to reach my ultimate goals: enjoy my job as a coach, raise

a family and live a fun and exciting life as a positive influence. I want to be able to be the friend,

daughter, and mother that is loving and kind no matter the circumstances. A big goal of mine is

to follow in my mothers footsteps because the way she treated me growing up as well as the way

she loved my family is something I have always admired and strived to be like.

Who am I?

Being a positive influence begins with attitude and how I carry myself every day. One

way I accomplish this is by being happy and seeking plenty of laughter. I am naturally a goofy

person and take pride in working hard to remain optimistic in every situation. I am a sensitive

person which allows me to be able to connect on an emotional level with individuals who need
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my help. No matter what I do in life, I strive to be the best I can be because I am a very dedicated

person. I am loyal to my sport, school, friends and family and would do anything for the people I

surround myself with. I am a hardworking and determined person in everything that I do. Life is

going to throw a lot of things at you that you may not be ready for but I see it as a challenge and

seek to accomplish anything I put my mind to.

What do I represent?

I represent God. He has always been a strong part of my life and he has taught me how to

be the best version of myself. He has allowed me to see the good in people which I think has

shaped my morals and growth. Christianity plays a huge role in my life which I feel I can

implement into my coaching philosophy. My relationship with God has gotten me through the

toughest times and his light shines through my actions everyday- the way I treat people, the way

I go about situations, and the way I carry myself.

What do I believe in?

I believe in equality for all genders, races and cultures. A motto that I like to live by is “If

you work for it, then you earned it.” It shouldn’t matter who you are or where you come from,

hard work and dedication are what earns things in life and I apply this to my coaching. Working

hard and showing dedication may have to be shown over long periods of time, but I do not

believe in having to get to the top as fast as possible. I believe success comes with being patient

and enjoying every moment of the process, each stepping stone is a new battle that makes you

stronger. I believe in God and that he has a special path for me. He created me with a certain

road in mind. It is my duty to live my best life for him.

Is my behavior appropriate in my life’s goals?

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In order to achieve the goals I have set for myself it’s important to make sure that my

behaviors line up with them. I treat everyone with kindness; however, I know balance and when

to be firm but fair. I am an optimistic and supportive person which makes me a good role model.

I am an upbeat person, so my can-do attitude will inspire others and the athletes that play for me.

My work ethic and persistence will impact other people’s lives by teaching them to never give up

and work hard for the goals we set for ourselves. My happy and fun- loving behavior will make

me a great mother and someone who can turn around a bad day, practice or performance.

After sitting down and further thinking about what is important to me, I was able to

evaluate whether my life, behavior and goals would be suitable for my profession. I believe that I

bring some very good qualities and experience that makes me suitable to be a coach in the future.

Next, I started to ask myself questions that dealt with coaching more directly.

“Why do I coach?”

I remember when I first started playing soccer and what it felt like to have the curiosity,

competitiveness, and love I felt for the game. I want to coach little kids so that one day they can

feel the same love and passion for soccer as I do to this day. This correlates with my goals of

being a positive and committed individual. I had a terrible experience with coaching growing up

and I believe that is another reason why I coach. As a coach, I seek for them to never feel the

way I did. As much as I loved the game of soccer, a coach can make or break the athlete’s

experience, and this can further lead to losing interest. I have been around coaches who focused

on winning rather than development. I was told by coaches I wasn’t good enough or I was too

small. This hurt my confidence and belief in my skill level because my superiors weren’t

positively speaking to me or trying to help me develop. I sought out coaching because I do not

want kids to be put in the same situation as me when I was a younger player. I coach to promote
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a good mental health within my players and to make sure that my players are playing for the

right reasons and are enjoying themselves.

“Am I coaching for the right reasons?”

I believe that I am coaching for the right reasons because I look out for what is best for

the athlete and their overall experience and development. As coaches, we have the potential to

impact people’s lives. A coach concerned with winning over development, and uses winning as

the gage for success, is not setting their athletes up for the best chances at success. Focusing on

winning can bring out frustration, bad attitudes and a stressful atmosphere for the athletes. My

sole concern is player improvement and enjoyment. The players’ and their experience are the

reason I am coaching. I believe that as long as coaches adhere to athlete needs and push them to

their highest potential, they are coaching for the proper reasons.

“What are my goals as a coach?”

My goals as a coach is player development and for them to have a positive experience. I

want my players to love the game and have discipline and perseverance to push themselves

throughout their careers. I want to provide an environment that motivates my players to show up

each day and give their best effort. One way that I can help my players develop is to have them

set goals. In the position of a coach, I will do everything in my power to help them reach their

goals to optimize their experience. I want to set an example and inspire my players with my

dedication not only to them but to the sport. Another way I can optimize their experiences is by

creating a sense of family amongst the team. My life goals show that I am a very family oriented

person, and I want the same on a team that I am coaching. Trust paired with a good relationship

is something I strive to accomplish in team chemistry. I believe that an athlete to athlete, athlete
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to coach and coach to athlete trust will improve the team bond and will further push them to play

harder and for each other. I want to have the equal responsibility as well. I want to be able to

watch, make notes, and enjoy when at practice or games. I say this because I want to coach my

athletes to not only be a family but also have their own identity and find their independence. If I

can impact their confidence and desire for responsibility I believe that they will be better off not

only in their sport but in life as well. It is all dependent on the age level how much leeway I can

give them but it is my duty as a coach to help them develop as a person as well. I don’t want ot

be the coach that barks orders. I want to be able to coach but take a step back and see my players

thrive and take responsibility and work on their problem solving without my input. My goal is to

eventually reach the collegiate level of coaching but I do believe in the stepping stones of getting

there. Coaching younger kids will allow me to create the maturity and patience to achieve what it

takes to be successful at the collegiate level.

“Am I a good coach?”

I believe I am a good coach and that I have the potential to be a great coach. I believe

putting athletes first is a big part in taking the step to becoming a great coach. I understand my

role as a coach and will carry out the duties that comes with being a coach. I am willing to go

above and beyond for my players which I think makes me a good coach. I am firm yet fair and

use my past experience to help me understand their feelings and frustrations. I also think my

belief in close relationships helps me be a good coach because there is trust and a mutual

understanding of everyone’s goals and needs. There is always room for improvement as I grow

as a coach. There will always be new obstacles but I think with my ability to problem solve and

do what’s best for my team then I feel I am on the right track to being a great coach.

“What would make me a better coach?”

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One of the memories I will never forget was when I was in high school trying out for the

varsity team, coming off of a broken leg. I had the skill level to be a varsity player but I was a

little rusty, out of shape, and overall, smaller than the other girls. My coach took a chance on me

and put me on the varsity squad. After he made that decision, he spent weekends and post

practices developing me into a better player because he believed in me and saw my potential. I

valued that he went above and beyond to help me reach my potential. Along with improving my

skills, he also boosted my confidence and self-esteem. I believe that this is what makes a good

coach and because of him, I will incorporate the same tactics to make me a better coach. A lot of

coaches will do the bare minimum but still be successful; however, my philosophy revolves

around going the extra mile to develop players fully. I believe this is what separates good

coaches from great coaches and I will work to give players my undivided attention to help them

improve. I will be engaged and aware of what my players need from me, whether that be a

coach, a friend, or an escape from their home life. In order for my players to get the most of their

sport experience, I as a coach have to be flexible.

Answering these questions help me further develop my coaching philosophy. A belief

that I have held during my entire career in athletics is that soccer is not based on who is the most

athletic. There is so much more to a great athlete other than sheer athleticism. In my philosophy,

I look for athletes who display good character, are team players, coachable and adaptable. I have

aspirations to coach at the collegiate level where I want to recruit players who resemble and fit

my philosophy the best. I value players who are knowledgeable and show leadership on and off

the field. You can develop skill and work on athleticism in athletes, but I truly admire these

specific traits in players because it requires maturity and a special eye for the game. Having

players with good attitudes and who are willing to learn makes coaching easier and the team
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more effective. Looking for players with these traits will help reach my goal as a coach to create

a positive and fun environment for the team where I will further focus on the training needed for

their development.

Values

The values I scored highest on were accomplishment, duty/obligation, honesty/integrity,

work, cared for/ freedom. I consider these values most important in the context of my coaching

role. According to the assessment, these are the values I must have and not ones that I want,

prefer or deserve. These values are expressed in my coaching philosophy because I strongly

believe in honesty and integrity. With honesty comes trust which I think is an important

component in creating team unity. I will be honest with my players because it will result in

feedback that can be used to help better themselves. I also use honesty to build relationships with

my athletes and to let them know that I will always tell it to them how it is.

Caring is a value that I think is most important. If you don’t care about your athletes, then

you risk them viewing you strictly as an enforcer rather than a coach who wants them to develop.

I believe you will get more out of your athletes when they know that winning is not the only

goal. The values duty/obligation and work go hand in hand. I take my job as a coach very

seriously and I have always been a very dedicated person. I want to coach at the collegiate level

and I know at this level there is a lot of work and responsibility. Dedication is required in order

to accomplish all the tasks a collegiate head coach has. I take pride in the accomplishment of my

team rather than the overall results of competition and I find success and accomplishment when

my players reach their goals. It is my responsibility to teach them the right components of skill

and tactical decision making in order for them to improve.

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DISC Profile

My DISC profile shows that I ranked highest in the conscientious category for my

adapted style of coaching, and then the influence category for my natural style of coaching style.

I think I rank higher in these categories because I base my coaching success on development. As

a coach, I look to get a feel for where each athlete is at skill wise. From here I can help each

player better develop their weaknesses. I believe I scored high in this category because I am an

outgoing person. I strive to create personal relationships and positive interactions with my

athletes that will result in strong bond with my players. I want the best for my players and I will

go the extra mile to do what is best for them. My adapted style is the conscientious category.

Coaches in this category are organized, assertive and plan their practices from the start to the

end. I try to be organized because it allows practices to be more efficient by having good time

management and getting the most out of my drills. This category helps explain why I am

impulsive and always change my plan to best fit my player’s needs.

Coaches I connected with

I enjoyed being able to learn from other coaches over the course of the year. Ed Thomas

was one of the coaches that I related to the most. He and I share the importance of relationships

and emotional motivation. After hearing his story, I began to understand tactics on how to better

reach my players. During a time of panic and distress, I admire the way he brought the whole

town and team together, when it could have been easier to give up. He had an unbreakable bond

with his players and they respected him so much. This showed by how much the athletes are

willing to do for him, even his previous athletes. I admired the mutual respect that coach Thomas

and his players showed. This is something that I believe develops personal relationships with

players. His positive attitude and passion for the game got the town and team through this
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emotional time. Using emotional motivation is a coaching tactic I try to use throughout my

philosophy because it provides an opportunity to get to know your athletes better and coach them

on a deeper level. I believe that athletes will trust you and the decisions that we make as a coach

when we are on this level. Ed Thomas taught his athletes more than football. He taught his

players good character and skills that will help them in life. Character building is a big part of

my philosophy because having good character will make them more coachable on the field, a

better teammate, and a better person. It sets them up for success on the field as well as success in

the future.

The second coach I connected with was Augie Garrido. He encouraged team chemistry

with his saying, “Never you always us.” This is similar to the saying I apply to coaching, “We

not me.” It shows that the team can’t be successful without the hard work of every athlete on the

team. There will always be frustration when some players don’t play the amount they were

hoping for. It is important to help each individual realize they play a special role on the team, no

matter the amount of playing time they get. Everyone plays a role in the climb to success because

we win and lose as a team. I work to make sure everyone on my team feels wanted and

appreciated. Augie was a selfless coach and always put the team before himself. He talked about

how he will be remembered not by what he knows but by what his players learn and take away

from their experience. I want my players to leave knowing they learned the skills they need to

succeed in soccer and in life.

What I learned from my coaching experience

One thing I learned from observing other coaches in class is that although your players

may be high level athletes they will always need direction and instruction. Even athletes at the

highest levels never stop learning and improving. Successful athletes and coaches know there is
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always something to improve or something new to learn. Athletes may feel bored from going

over previous skills or from being preached at by coaches, but it’s for their own benefit. It is my

job as a coach to explain my intentions and remind them it is in their best interest and

development as an athlete.

Overall, I believe that my values as a person will translate into my coaching philosophy

and make me a very well rounded, successful coach. I coach with the intentions of developing a

player’s skills and character, not for the score at the end of the game. Establishing relationships

with my players is a very important component in my philosophy. A close bond will help

develop trust and honesty to which I hold close to my heart. My coaching philosophy is a

reflection of my morals as a person and can be thoroughly explained in this paper.