**Too easy to make coach a scapegoat**
Phil Gould
August 11 2013
What do we want from a coach? What do we expect from a coach? How can people tell a good coach from a not-so-good coach if they have never themselves been coached by this person?
Are players the best judge of a coach? Is it their job to sit in judgement of a coach? Should they be the ones who decide the fate of the coach?
Well, in actual fact, the players do determine the fate of a coach, simply by their performances on the field. Ultimately, results decide how long a coach will last. However, there is a growing trend in professional sport where today's players have become very judgmental on a coach's ability and very powerful when it comes to having the coach replaced.
So what is it that players expect from a coach? What do they see as the difference between a very good coach and a bloke who just has to be sacked? The International Institute of Coaching defines coaching as a: "simple yet effective from of personal development where the 'Client' and 'Coach' create an alliance that promotes and sustains the 'Client's personal growth and competence. This powerful relationship enables the 'Client' to give up who they are, for who they want to become.''
Let me repeat that last line again. "This powerful relationship enables the 'Client' to give up who they are, for who they want to become".
Wow! That's a statement worth exploring right there.
What does it say? It says - if I want to achieve something, or make something of myself in a chosen field of expertise, my coach is someone who can help me become that person. The coach has the knowledge, the experience, the expertise and the communication skills that will help me achieve my goals. How much I will get from my coach will depend not only on the coach's experience, knowledge and expertise; it will depend greatly on the ''relationship'' I forge with my coach. It will also depend on how well I am prepared to accept his advice, his counsel; and how hard I am prepared to work at the things I need to do.
A player's trust or belief in a coach will also be influenced by how they see him as a leader, his confidence, his work ethic, communication skills and demeanour when under pressure. Now, who is responsible for forging this relationship; the player or the coach? Or is this a collaborative effort?
You see, I don't think coaching football is all that difficult. But coaching footballers? That's a different story altogether. I think a lot of people could coach the football being played in the NRL today. However, the football is only a small part of the assignment.
Remember too, this is a team game. Each NRL club might have over 120 players on contract at any one time from junior rep teams all the way through to the star player in the NRL side. All of these players at some time or another will want a piece of the head man. That is a lot of relationships for one man to cultivate. The player only has to look after one relationship. Which leads me to the opinion that the strength of a relationship between any one player and the coach, really comes down to the motivation and willingness of that player to develop such a relationship.
A relationship doesn't mean you have to be best mates. However, the coach/player relationship, the level of respect and trust between the two, will have a huge bearing on the level of success achieved. In football, it can make or break a team.
I love coaching. I love the science of the game. I watch every game, every week, as though I was a coach. I think I have a pretty fair idea what a well-prepared or poorly prepared football team looks like.
If I compare all the teams in the competition, I can see a real difference in ability between the teams. The playing rosters at some clubs are clearly superior to the rosters at other clubs. Supposedly all clubs are spending the same amount of money on their players, so maybe it's just the luck of the draw which clubs draw the better talent.
However, I don't see a huge difference in the way the top teams are being coached , to the way the bottom teams are being prepared.
They all look physically well prepared. They all pretty much play the same style of football these days. If you gave say Steve Price the South Sydney roster, would he do less of a job than Michael Maguire? If we gave Trent Robinson the Parramatta players, would they still be in last position, or does Robinson have some kind of magic wand?
Where am I going with all these questions? I really don't know. I may be well out of line here, but I just can't get my head around what is happening with the Wests Tigers and their position of head coach.
Last year the club sacked long-term coach Tim Sheens, even though he had a couple of years to run on his newly signed contract. Reports at the time suggested the magic had dried up and players had become a little stale. I get that. Tim had been at the club for a healthy stint so I can understand how these things happen. If marriages can lose their lustre after a while, then the relationship between footballers and their coach will be tested from time to time.
If we read the smoke signals billowing from this inner-city meets Western Sydney club, it would appear their current head coach Mick Potter is about to be ditched. Replacements are already lining up at the front gate with resumes in hand.
I have no idea if Mick Potter is a good coach or not. He was a mighty good player. He was coached by some of the best coaches the game has produced. He obviously has a passion for it. He sounds articulate and there is a quite determination behind every word he speaks.
Potter is 21 weeks into a two-year deal. He was appointed late last season after the Sheens matter was finally resolved. Initial reports suggested Sheens was going to mentor Potter through his debut stint as an NRL coach. I assume that relationship never eventuated.
Potter inherited the playing roster that had been developed by Sheens. He inherited pretty much Tim's staff and facilities. He also inherited the culture.
In the three years prior to Potter's arrival, the Wests Tigers had finished 3rd in 2010, 4th in 2011 and 10th in 2012\. I think we can see a pattern forming here. In 2013 the Tigers currently sit in 15th place. An argument could be made that they were always headed towards the bottom end of the ladder, regardless of who coached the team. Sheens was simply replaced before the team bottomed out.
Potter is not the one who got the club headed in this downward spiral. But he is the man assigned the task of determining why their results were headed south in such a hurry. Once that is determined, Potter would then be put to the test of making the tough calls he deems necessary to halt the slide. Once the reason or reasons for the losing mentality has been identified and removed, (and losing mentality can come in many forms and resonate from many sources), it is up to the Head Coach to establish the new culture or regime that will get the club headed in the right direction. With this comes the task of promoting those players within and perhaps outside the club, who represent and who can assist in the development of this new philosophy.
From the outside looking in, it kind of looks like that's what Potter is doing. If the club recognised the Sheens era was over and they wanted someone to make the tough calls to change the club, then I'm not so sure 21 weeks is sufficient time for the new man to be judged.
Maybe they are right. Maybe Potter is not the right man for the job. That's for those closer to the action to decide. However, a little self-analysis for those sitting in judgement might not go astray.
How hard has everyone else in the place worked on their relationships, their work ethic, their professionalism, their sacrifices and knowledge?
The Coach can't do it all, you know. If that's what you are expecting from a coach, you will be a long time trying to find the perfect fit.
http://www.smh.com.au/rugby-league/league-news/too-easy-to-make-coach-a-scapegoat-20130810-2row1.html
Phil Gould
August 11 2013
What do we want from a coach? What do we expect from a coach? How can people tell a good coach from a not-so-good coach if they have never themselves been coached by this person?
Are players the best judge of a coach? Is it their job to sit in judgement of a coach? Should they be the ones who decide the fate of the coach?
Well, in actual fact, the players do determine the fate of a coach, simply by their performances on the field. Ultimately, results decide how long a coach will last. However, there is a growing trend in professional sport where today's players have become very judgmental on a coach's ability and very powerful when it comes to having the coach replaced.
So what is it that players expect from a coach? What do they see as the difference between a very good coach and a bloke who just has to be sacked? The International Institute of Coaching defines coaching as a: "simple yet effective from of personal development where the 'Client' and 'Coach' create an alliance that promotes and sustains the 'Client's personal growth and competence. This powerful relationship enables the 'Client' to give up who they are, for who they want to become.''
Let me repeat that last line again. "This powerful relationship enables the 'Client' to give up who they are, for who they want to become".
Wow! That's a statement worth exploring right there.
What does it say? It says - if I want to achieve something, or make something of myself in a chosen field of expertise, my coach is someone who can help me become that person. The coach has the knowledge, the experience, the expertise and the communication skills that will help me achieve my goals. How much I will get from my coach will depend not only on the coach's experience, knowledge and expertise; it will depend greatly on the ''relationship'' I forge with my coach. It will also depend on how well I am prepared to accept his advice, his counsel; and how hard I am prepared to work at the things I need to do.
A player's trust or belief in a coach will also be influenced by how they see him as a leader, his confidence, his work ethic, communication skills and demeanour when under pressure. Now, who is responsible for forging this relationship; the player or the coach? Or is this a collaborative effort?
You see, I don't think coaching football is all that difficult. But coaching footballers? That's a different story altogether. I think a lot of people could coach the football being played in the NRL today. However, the football is only a small part of the assignment.
Remember too, this is a team game. Each NRL club might have over 120 players on contract at any one time from junior rep teams all the way through to the star player in the NRL side. All of these players at some time or another will want a piece of the head man. That is a lot of relationships for one man to cultivate. The player only has to look after one relationship. Which leads me to the opinion that the strength of a relationship between any one player and the coach, really comes down to the motivation and willingness of that player to develop such a relationship.
A relationship doesn't mean you have to be best mates. However, the coach/player relationship, the level of respect and trust between the two, will have a huge bearing on the level of success achieved. In football, it can make or break a team.
I love coaching. I love the science of the game. I watch every game, every week, as though I was a coach. I think I have a pretty fair idea what a well-prepared or poorly prepared football team looks like.
If I compare all the teams in the competition, I can see a real difference in ability between the teams. The playing rosters at some clubs are clearly superior to the rosters at other clubs. Supposedly all clubs are spending the same amount of money on their players, so maybe it's just the luck of the draw which clubs draw the better talent.
However, I don't see a huge difference in the way the top teams are being coached , to the way the bottom teams are being prepared.
They all look physically well prepared. They all pretty much play the same style of football these days. If you gave say Steve Price the South Sydney roster, would he do less of a job than Michael Maguire? If we gave Trent Robinson the Parramatta players, would they still be in last position, or does Robinson have some kind of magic wand?
Where am I going with all these questions? I really don't know. I may be well out of line here, but I just can't get my head around what is happening with the Wests Tigers and their position of head coach.
Last year the club sacked long-term coach Tim Sheens, even though he had a couple of years to run on his newly signed contract. Reports at the time suggested the magic had dried up and players had become a little stale. I get that. Tim had been at the club for a healthy stint so I can understand how these things happen. If marriages can lose their lustre after a while, then the relationship between footballers and their coach will be tested from time to time.
If we read the smoke signals billowing from this inner-city meets Western Sydney club, it would appear their current head coach Mick Potter is about to be ditched. Replacements are already lining up at the front gate with resumes in hand.
I have no idea if Mick Potter is a good coach or not. He was a mighty good player. He was coached by some of the best coaches the game has produced. He obviously has a passion for it. He sounds articulate and there is a quite determination behind every word he speaks.
Potter is 21 weeks into a two-year deal. He was appointed late last season after the Sheens matter was finally resolved. Initial reports suggested Sheens was going to mentor Potter through his debut stint as an NRL coach. I assume that relationship never eventuated.
Potter inherited the playing roster that had been developed by Sheens. He inherited pretty much Tim's staff and facilities. He also inherited the culture.
In the three years prior to Potter's arrival, the Wests Tigers had finished 3rd in 2010, 4th in 2011 and 10th in 2012\. I think we can see a pattern forming here. In 2013 the Tigers currently sit in 15th place. An argument could be made that they were always headed towards the bottom end of the ladder, regardless of who coached the team. Sheens was simply replaced before the team bottomed out.
Potter is not the one who got the club headed in this downward spiral. But he is the man assigned the task of determining why their results were headed south in such a hurry. Once that is determined, Potter would then be put to the test of making the tough calls he deems necessary to halt the slide. Once the reason or reasons for the losing mentality has been identified and removed, (and losing mentality can come in many forms and resonate from many sources), it is up to the Head Coach to establish the new culture or regime that will get the club headed in the right direction. With this comes the task of promoting those players within and perhaps outside the club, who represent and who can assist in the development of this new philosophy.
From the outside looking in, it kind of looks like that's what Potter is doing. If the club recognised the Sheens era was over and they wanted someone to make the tough calls to change the club, then I'm not so sure 21 weeks is sufficient time for the new man to be judged.
Maybe they are right. Maybe Potter is not the right man for the job. That's for those closer to the action to decide. However, a little self-analysis for those sitting in judgement might not go astray.
How hard has everyone else in the place worked on their relationships, their work ethic, their professionalism, their sacrifices and knowledge?
The Coach can't do it all, you know. If that's what you are expecting from a coach, you will be a long time trying to find the perfect fit.
http://www.smh.com.au/rugby-league/league-news/too-easy-to-make-coach-a-scapegoat-20130810-2row1.html
