Put your money where your mouth is – write a coaching philosophy!

Traveling without a map is risky business. Not impossible, but you get to your desired destination much more quickly when you have accurate directions in front of you. For this reason I ask if you have a formal, written coaching philosophy?  If you answered “No,” you’re not alone.  I ask this question at every coaching workshop I lead, and perhaps one or two hands may go up.  So my question, “Do you have a coaching philosophy?” is an important one.  If you’ve coached more than one day in your life, you do. Every coach has a coaching philosophy, whether it’s written succinctly or not. Every coach demonstrates their philosophy each time they run a practice or coach a game. Whether intentional or not, their actions and words embody their philosophy, and given the attention it deserves, it can lead you in the direction you want to go and grow in.

So you ask, “If I have one, then why write it down?”  Good question.  Coaches are well served to have a written coaching philosophy that functions as a de facto “mission statement.” Writing it down requires you to clarify your values and consider how you want to proactively shape your coaching legacy. Most significantly, having a carefully considered philosophy informs decision-making whenever you are faced with difficult decisions that inevitably arise during a season, such as how to respond to a star player who yells at a teammate or whether to play an athlete who hasn’t been working hard in practice. Rather than react to such issues on a case-by-case basis, you can make simple, consistent decisions that align with your philosophy.

A written coaching philosophy is the cornerstone to developing one’s art as a coach.  It guides your on- and off-field actions. Your philosophy creates the context for everything you do as a coach.  Here’s a powerful question to ponder on a regular basis: “Does my behavior, my actions and words, align with what’s most important to me as a coach?

Ready to write?  Here’s a powerful 4-part exercise to develop your coaching philosophy. This exercise was developed in association with the Positive Coaching Alliance (www.positivecoach.org) as part of their Mentor Coach program.  Start articulating the map you intend to follow. It will take you about 30 minutes to complete and a lifetime to master!

Developing Your Coaching Philosophy

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