Running header: MORE THAN WINNING

More than Winning:

Making a Difference in Athletes and Their Lives
Kellen Beckwith
Ohio University

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Abstract

At the end of a season a team is looked at based on their record, a coach can be evaluated by
wins and losses, but there is more to athletics the wins and losses. This essay will discuss the
importance and foundation of an athlete-centered coaching philosophy through studies of elite
high school football coaches, Canadian national team coaches, foundational tools to creating a
athlete-centered philosophy, and the example Coach John Wooden.

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More than Winning:

Making a Difference in Athletes and Their Lives

What is a coach? What does it mean for a coach to be successful? Year in and year out,
coaches across all levels, high school to professional, are let got or part ways because their team
has not produced winning results. Are athletics all about winning records or is there a bigger
picture in grand scheme of an athletes experience through sports? Many times coaches are
evaluated on how well their team preforms and if they bring home championships. With these
expectations, coaches have started to develop a focus on winning and whatever it takes to have
their team win. The National Association for Sport coaching and Physical Education has set forth
National Standards for Sports Coaching, giving all coaches important areas of concentration as
they formulate who they are as a coach and what their goals are. There is a reason the NASPE
(2006) listed philosophy and athlete-centered focus as the first standard in Domain 1: Philosophy
and Ethics. Having a strong coaching philosophy rooted in ethical behavior and having an
athletes best interest at the forefront of a coaches program is the foundation to a great team,
successful coach, and outweighs any winning record.
The first steps of creating a coaching philosophy starts with a personal self-evaluation of
goals as a coach and the experience for the athletes. In 2005 the Citizenship Through Sports
Alliance did an national report card on how coaches were doing, two areas of concern were the
focus on kids and coaching (McGladrey et al., 2010, p. 4). McGladrey, B. W., Murray, M. A.,
Hannon, J. C. (2010) complied blue prints and reflective questions to help coaches develop their
own athlete- centered philosophy that they can live out. One step the article mentions is having
the players be a part of the discussion as a coach formulates team goals. Ask the players if
theyre interested more in winning as a primary objective, or in playing to simply to have fun

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(McGladrey et al., 2010, p. 5) Knowing this information will help a coach figure out what
direction to take the team. It will allow them to formulate training and how they handle game
situations according to what the team hopes to get out of the experience. If a teams goal is to
have fun, then a coachs philosophy should be directed towards aiding the team in having fun,
but at the same time instilling life values. Additionally, coaches need to help athletes understand
that practice is the place for them to explore, try their skills, learn, and grow. This means that
they need to feel comfortable to be able to take risks and sometimes fail (McGladrey et al., 2010,
p. 6). They need to be able to take the chance, otherwise it will be difficult for them to continue
and make further improvement. Coaches need to give athletes opportunities to challenge
themselves, but at the same time know what they can handle without going overboard. Part of a
coaching philosophy also includes how a coach carries themselves. This means standing by an
ethical manner, setting an example for the athletes, using appropriate language and tone with the
athletes, handling officials appropriately, and being a role model for the team (McGladrey et al.,
2010, p. 7). The team looks up to its coach for guidance and leadership for them to follow. A
coach needs to lead.
Coaching is not always about winning, but it is an indirect achievement of having set
forth a program routed in the athletes of the team. In a 2009 study done by Collins et al., they
looked at 10 high school coaches who were a top the country and surveyed the coaches about
their coaching philosophy. In the first part of the research, they asked the coaches to rank what is
the most important motivation of coaching between having fun, personal growth for athletes
mentally and socially, physical/skill growth, and winning (Collins et al., 2009, p.37). The data
the study brought back was very interesting, showing the half of the coaches who were seen as
great coaches placed their athletes psychological and social advancement ahead of winning. To

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take the data a step further, ninety percent of the coaches listed psychological and social growth
of their athletes as their number one or two top choices, showing how important this piece of
coaching truly is (Collins et al., 2009, p.37). In addition to ranking, each of the ten coaches gave
a personal account of their own take on their coaching philosophy. There was a resounding
mention of a connection to the athletes, being there for them, having a relationship with them,
caring for their life outside of the sports, setting a standard and living it out as an example too
(Collins et al., 2009, p.41). Showing the athletes that they care and how they can lead them not
just in the sport but in their outside life too. Collins et al. (2009) mentions that the coaches used
their sport as a vehicle for developing personal skills and attributes and then encourage and help
their players to apply these attributes off the field (p.49). These coaches put their team and the
athletes first and in turn saw success on the field and off, showing with the foundation and focus
on the individual, not performance, is what it takes to be a great coach and leader.
The pervious study looked at how highly decorated high school football coaches viewed
coaching philosophy and being athlete-centered. In 2011, Headley-Cooper took a look into how
Canadian national team coaches of female team sports viewed athlete-centered coaching
philosophy. The study gathered multiple focuses of what the coaches viewed as aspects of what it
means for there to be athlete-centered coaching. Headley-Cooper (2011) noted the coaches
surveyed worked with the team as a whole, but also spent lots of time focusing on the individual
and their focus on being the best they could for the team (p. 18). Similarly with the research of
top level high school coaches, the Canadian national level coaches found importance in fun
being part of the athlete experience (Headley-Cooper, 2011, p.18). Coaches should take value in
investing time outside of practice with athletes. Helping coaches show they are people too and
that they care by getting to know their athletes by more than just an athlete, getting to know the

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whole person. One of the focal points the coaches mentioned was the connection between a
coach and athlete is a partnership, with both sides working together for the larger picture and not
one sided (Headley-Cooper, 2011, p.19). A player and coach must work together as a team with
communication that is open, honest, fair, and based on the needs of the athlete (HeadleyCooper, 2011, p.19). This is key to be able to work with and be able to approach an athlete or
coach to help them. Being able to talk to each other opens the ability for the fullest potential of
growth for both coach and athlete.
In a recent article by Jenkins, S. (2014) he took a look at how the well respected and well
known coach John Wooden handled his coaching philosophy. Wooden at the college level from
1948- 1975 and is one of the most decorated and well respected college basketball coaches ever.
Some talk of his championships and teams, but many talk about his coaching style. Wooden was
respected as a coach because of his focus on educational approach and work to develop his
players character (Jenkin, 2014, p. 15). Wooden cared; he wanted the best for his athletes. He
got to know his athletes on a personal level, always standing around prior to the start of practice
asking people as they came in about their day, their family, their life (Jenkin, 2014, p. 17). Paying
attention to the athlete and showing interest in them more than just an athlete, but a person.
Creating an environment of care deepens the bond of a team and the coach-player partnership.
Jenkins (2014) mentioned Wooden cared and loved all of his players, he may have not always
been very fond of them, but he loved them and wanted the best for them (p.16). Coaches who
have an athlete-centered philosophy put the athletes needs at the forefront and show that they
care for the person, not just the athlete. Coach John Wooden is a great example of what it means
to implement coaching philosophy with has the athletes best interest in hand and in doing so he
was able to take his teams to the highest of levels.

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This past week I had the opportunity to attend the memorial service for a well-respected
coach and administrator at Denison University, Coach Ted Barcaly. He coached almost every
sport during his time as a coach at Denison and served as the Athletic Director for 12 years. I
found it amazing during the speeches that people gave at his service, no one talked about the
amounts of wins or championships he had achieved. Every single person talked about the
growth, life lessons, passion, and love he had for the athletes he coached. Ted was a coach who
had an athlete-centered philosophy. The coaches who focus on the bigger picture of the sport that
lead have a longer lasting impact than any trophy. An athlete-centered coaching philosophy
makes a sport more than a physical experience. Coaches should strive to put their athletes and
their athletes goals ahead of winning, because in the end that is all that matters. Winning will
come in time, whether it is on the score board or in the lives of the athletes a coach works with.

References

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Collins, K., Gould, D., Lauer, L., & Yongchul, C. (2009). Coaching Life Skills through Football:
Philosophical Beliefs of Outstanding High School Football Coaches. International
Journal of Coaching Science, 3(1), 29-54
Headley-Cooper, K. (2011). Athlete-Centered Coaching: What Does it Mean to You? Coaches
Plan, 12(4), 18-20.
Jenkins, S. (2014). John R Wooden, Stephen R. Covery and Servant Leadership. International
Journal of Sports Science & Coaching, 9(1), 1-24
McGladrey, B. W., Murray, M. A., Hannon, J. C. (2010). Developing and Practicing and AthleteCentered Coaching Philosophy. Journal of Youth Sports, 5(2), 4-8.
National Association for Sport & Physical Education. (2006). Quality coaches quality sports:
National standards for coaches (2nd ed.). Reston, VA: Author