“How does a coach teach values and character through sport?”
“How does our coaching style and practices impact an athlete’s character?”
Had a chat with a fellow coach educator about these two related questions, and although it is commonly acknowledged that the coach plays a vital role in the teaching and formation of values in their athlete’s character, some of us may not understand how this is done…
“Sport participation by itself does not develop character, it takes a coach to model and intentionally teach it.” – Dr. Ralph Pim
I thought I would draw up a general mind-map using Excellence (it can be any other values) to illustrate this.
Note that this is how I was taught, and how I understand values ought to be taught. There are many factors to consider when teaching values such as the age and personality of the athletes, whether you are coaching them over a whole season, or over just a few sessions. We also need to take our own personality into consideration and decide for ourselves what works best for us…
p.s. I reckon the mind-map will make sense not only to coaches but to parents and educators as well.
Coach Hansen
Coach Hansen 