023 - Are You a Teacher or a Coach?

Today’s Quick Tip Is:  Become a good teacher so that you can become a good coach.

Let me just say that teaching and coaching work together.  The main ingredient here is the LEARNING.

Let’s start with teaching.  What is teaching?

Teaching is about the teacher, 

can they explain something clear enough for you to understand?

Teaching is basically a one way interaction between the teacher and the student.

If I were to create a video on how to hit a slice serve, I would basically be teaching you and the rest is up to you.

I sent you the video, you received it, so I taught you something.

I would show you all of the steps, but then you have to go out and hit serves by yourself.

Think about school.  There is a teacher/or professor up in the front taking you through how a certain event took place or how a certain process works, sometimes in from of 100’s of students at one time.

It is then up to you to take great notes and try to understand what was said so that you will pass the test on whatever it was he/she was trying to teach you.

Now think about who your favorite teachers were in school.  They were most likely the ones who interacted with you, watched you and gave you some feedback.

It made you feel good that they paid attention to you and took an interest in who you were.

Which leads us into coaching.

Look at those teachers I just described in my last example.  They were bridging the gap somewhat by not just teaching.  

They were focused on you

So, Coaching is about the student.  

Yes, It requires teaching, but then a coach takes the next steps of watching how you perform and then provides feedback on how you can perform even better, analyzes that and it continues on and on through this cycle.

A coach will help you set goals, come up with an annual plan on where they feel you should be and provide the steps on how you can get there.  There may need to be some adjustment along the way, but coaches definitely understand this.

A teacher is not as concerned about your progress, they teach and then report on how you did.

In the olden days, what was a coach?

It was a vehicle that got you from one place to another.

As a coach, you are a vehicle to get a student from point to another.

Great coaches usually do not come standard, like in the old days.

They have a lot of options included, like knowledge of technique, strategy, nutrition, fitness, the mental game and all of those the dr. Kovacs included in episode 020.

All of these things will help a player get to where they want to go, which is usually being the best player or competitor they can be

As a coach you need to come up with a plan and monitor where your players are by observing them, providing feedback to keep them on track while providing the next steps of the journey.

Your general knowledge of sport science should get you by, will also tell you if you need to bring in an expert, like a nutritionist, or fitness expert, depending on your level of coaching.

And as a coach, like John wooden said, you need to be able to treat all payers differently.

This is because a great coach knows that students learn and are inspired in different ways.  

Coaches know that some students, myself included, like the command style, while some like the cooperative and even the submissive.

Any coach that says one way is the only way has slid back to the teacher role.

So what now?

Should you start with teaching or coaching

Well, if you are new to teaching tennis, you may have some great coaching advice, but you just need to brush upon your tennis knowledge.

Add on as many “Extras” to the vehicle……, you, so that you can become a knowledgeable coach and at least have a basic understanding of the science behind the sport.

While on court, you may just be following a lesson plan that the head pro made up and expects you to stay in line with what he wants to focus on, but there will be a lot of opportunities to start practicing your coaching skills.

Any moment you take to invest personally with a student, you have crossed the bridge into coaching.

It might be something very simple, like after seeing someone struggling in class, you pull them aside at the end and show them a few things they can start doing at home to overcome whatever it was they were struggling with.

Most likely it is something you can relate to.

Even a quick phone call during the week (or email) to see how it is going, puts you in more of a coaching role and that may lead to something more permanent in the future.

But please be genuine about it.

What do you think?

Bottom Line: It’s OK to start in the teaching role.  Absorb all you can from the pros you work with and the pros you admire in the industry.   Take what you like and throw away what you don’t, but if you are a bit uncomfortable, look for those small  “Coaching windows” that will help you become more than just a teacher.

Remember, it is the LEARNING that is important  And this varies. 

All some need is to be told once (or taught) and some may need a little extra (or coached).

In the next few episodes, we will discuss the different types of vehicles, or coaches that may get students from one place to another.

Which one are you? well I hope you will keep listening every Tuesday and Thursday to find out.

Good Luck, 

Coach Mick, USPTA