New Coaches: Importance of Being a Role Model

Throughout any given week, a coach can spend anywhere from ten to twenty plus hours with an athlete. Many times a coach will end up spending more time with an athlete than an athlete’s parents will. This goes to show that a coach must be a positive role model for their team.  Angela Lumpkin¹ says it best, “Individuals in leadership roles have the opportunities and responsibilities to teach about and model the moral courage required to live a principled life.” Coaches have to step up to the plate and set a positive example for these young minds.

Bloom, Bush, Schinke, and Salemla found that athletes were more likely to have advice from their mentors instilled in them, as compared to students who are not athletes. The behaviors they see from their coach, in practice and in games, are likely to influence their actions at some point in their future.

In the time coaches spend with their athletes, they must set a positive example. They must lead with their actions. These are the people that student athletes are looking up to, and it should not be a job that is taken lightly.

 

¹Lumpkin, A. (2010). Teachers and coaches as leaders demonstrating character and competence. Journal of Physical Education, Recreation, and Dance, 81(8), 49-52. Retrieved from http://search/proquest.com/docview/847440700?accountid=7078