Cody Jacobs

Coaching Philosophy

As a teacher candidate I have had the pleasure of learning much of the techniques, and
different styles of coaching used to this day. From my undergraduate career at Suny Cortland, I
have gained enough knowledge to be confident that my style of coaching would be cooperative
and development centered. I have many reasons why I believe this is the ideal way to go about
coaching, but the main reason would be that I believe a focus on character development would
become the stepping stone to valuable success and motivation as a team.

I had a less than desirable Physical Education experience which has inadvertently been
my drive towards this profession and delivering what the students and young athletes deserve.
Because of this I draw much of my beliefs in delivering a program that gives the children exactly
what they are going to need for their future success. I can promote motivation and positive
reactions to the hard work we have to accomplish by focusing on each athlete’s individual
development. A student under a coach that they know cares about their development and growth
will always work harder on any given day than when working under a coach that cares about
winning first. On top of this I would promote cooperation between the team and I by allowing
them to make decisions for the team whenever they are capable. This is an extremely important
piece of the puzzle when talking about character development because it gives students
confidence and purpose. If these students meet a commanding coach they can often learn that
their voice doesn’t matter or to even fear their coach. The sport doesn’t become a source of
enjoyment and friendship anymore and can become depressing and scary for a young child. An
athlete that is taught that their word matters and to be confident in their abilities and decisions
will give it their all because they grow to respect you. This athlete will almost always become a
stronger athlete than the student that has learned from an outcome-focused coach.

My favorite experience being coached was when I competed in Mixed Martial

Arts(MMA) for 2 years. I have always been an avid practitioner of MMA and when I trained
with the intent to compete the atmosphere was very different. One of the most unique things I
experienced that made this experience all worth it was the amount of cooperation and support my
team and I shared. It seems strange for a sport that is based in individual competition, but your
chemistry with your team can make or break an athlete’s success. The amount of positivity and
support the athletes share can be enough to keep them working hard every day. It’s the coach’s
job to make sure this chemistry happens and to encourage your team to believe in each other and
support each other.

A great coach won’t let their teachings become solely outcome based with little character
development because their students will prosper off of great character focus and will likely
become a great athlete in the process. Belonging to a team can be one of the greatest things an
athlete ever experiences and a great coach will make sure this doesn’t only extend as far as
knowing each other and their roles on the team. If you cannot provide your athletes with valuable
experiences like comradery, cooperation, purpose and confidence then you have failed as a
coach. As a future coach I plan to make sure these concepts are not only learnt, but strived for
and experienced by each of my athletes.