In today’s post I want to share with you some qualities and characteristics that make a good high school coach. I will be giving you my thoughts plus what I found when I did a little research.

Everyone in the stands believes they are a better coach than the one standing on the sideline, on the court, or in the dugout. All fans will second guess a sequence of plays or personnel decisions when it doesn’t lead to points, a turnover or a win. They scream even louder when their child is not playing (that’s another story).

As a high school coach, we have to have thick skin, take nothing personal, and go to bed each night knowing that we did best we could with the talent we had and got the most out of them.

So what are the qualities and characteristics of a good high school coach?

My Thoughts

1. Get the most out of the players and make them believe

2. Coach the coaches and set high expectations

3. Stay disciplined no matter what

4. Coach hard and don’t back down

5. Prepare with the “will” to win and find a way to equalize the talent vs the opponents

6. Treat everyone with respect

7. Be organized and take input from others

8. Get the community involved and Have fun

Research Hit #1

Coach Tony Price (@tonypricead) states these are qualities in no particular order:

1. The coach is committed to the school community and knows the student dynamic.

2. The coach genuinely and deeply cares about the athletes he or she coaches.

3. The coach is educated in the sport they teach and can effectively communicate their ideas to their athletes.

4. The coach is organized and has a practice plan they execute on a daily basis.

5. The coach is committed to values of education, family and maintaining integrity and diversity.

Above all, he advises that coaches "should push their athletes to their limits but support them in every way they can along the way."

Research Hit #2

Research Hit #3

In Summary

Based on my own professional experience and through a little research the qualities and characteristics of a good high school coach are: someone who is knowledgeable about the sport, cares about the students, promotes and engages the team with the community, and gets the most out of the talent available while teaching life lessons along the way.

Do your best with the talent you have!

Coach them up: make the bad players good, make the good players better, and make the best players better than they every imagined.

Never give up on your team.

If they show up - coach them!

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