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C h a p t e r 1
A Philosophy for Coaching High School Athletes
than a good reputation.
– Adapted from Dr. Rick McQuire's contribution to the AAD Track & Field
Coaching Manual
High School Sports as an Extended Classroom
Our schools have interscholastic sports programs because they provide students
with unique learning experiences that are not offered in other parts of the school
curriculum. Through participation in interscholastic sports, athletes improve strength,
speed, endurance and acquire the complex skills and poise needed to perform at their
best in athletic competition.
Few educators have the opportunity to affect the lives of their students more than a
coach. The best coaches use their practices and competitions as extended classrooms
and strive to inspire athletes to reach for their best both athletically and academically.
High school students are young adults who look to their coaches for leadership,
knowledge, instruction and direction. Many lessons can be taught and learned
through participation in competitive interscholastic sports such as how to set goals,
how to compete, how to take risks, how to deal with success and failure and how
to maintain emotional self-control. Important values and attitudes such as sacrifice,
dedication, accountability and self-confidence can be learned along with such virtues
as good sportsmanship, teamwork, camaraderie, respect for opponents, mental
toughness and persistence in the face of adversity. Those experiences and character
traits will lead young athletes toward successful, fulfilling lives long after their high
school athletic careers are over.
The benefits that can be derived from participating in sports, however, do not result
from participation alone. Research indicates it is the quality of adult leadership that
determines whether youngsters have a good or bad experience in competitive sports.
An effective high school coach will be an inspirational leader, a knowledgeable teacher
and an appropriate role model. More than just a teacher of skills and strategies, the high
school coach is a significant adult force in the life of a student-athlete. You will have
a great impact on the psychological growth and personal development of athletes you
coach. What you say to your athletes, and how you go about saying it, will have a great
impact on your athlete's experiences in sport.
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