Sometimes your coach is going to do something you don’t agree with. Maybe he’ll take a timeout at an inopportune time. Or maybe she’ll single you out even though you think a mistake on the court wasn’t entirely your fault.
Heck, perhaps a coach is just going to make a mistake. Many times, he or she will own up to it. I don’t know how many coaches have told me throughout my career as a sportswriter, “That’s on me. That was a bad coaching decision.”
Regardless of what happens on or off the court, coaches deserve respect. First of all, coaches are your elders, so it’s just the polite thing to do. Secondly, he or she has likely been in your shoes. They’ve almost certainly played the sport they’re coaching, and they’ve learned from their mistakes as a player.
Most importantly, though, your coaches have your back. Your coach wants to see you succeed. Whether that translates into wins or losses may not be controllable, but a coach doesn’t want her players to fail.
A lot of times if a player isn’t getting enough time on the court or is benched midway through the season, you’ll hear parents say, “Well, the coach just doesn’t like my kid.” I’ve never seen a coach actively dislike a player he or she is coaching. A coach may not always agree with a player’s decision or he may get frustrated when he can’t seem to get a certain message across to a student-athlete.
But actually disliking a player? I doubt that’s ever been the case.
It’s true sometimes coaches are hard on players. I’ve walked many football sidelines and been at many baseball practices and know emotions are high, competitive juices are flowing and sometimes things are said that may not have been otherwise.
I’m not saying there can’t be exceptions to the rules. Of course there are times when coaches take things too far. But that being said, coaches are supposed to be hard on players. Coaches are teaching student-athletes about more than just a sport. They’re teaching them life lessons — how to not give up even when it seems like all the chips are against you, how to be there for your teammates and how to work toward a goal and how to achieve it. Every coach will tell you when his or her student-athletes graduate, they want them to be not only better athletes but better people.
And I guarantee coaches aren’t benching people because of personal feelings. Maybe a starter isn’t playing that night because he didn’t show up to practice the day before. Maybe a kid isn’t getting as much playing time anymore because another kid beat him out for a starting job. Whether coaches are making decisions because they are trying to set a standard or because they are trying to win, I can tell you they’re not making them based on how much they like or dislike a player off the court.
Lastly, coaches put in a lot of work. They’re usually not paid much, and they’re sacrificing a lot of time away from their own kids to help yours become better. While it’s the players who execute on the court, coaches put in a lot of sweat, tears and hard work getting there too. They deserve to be treated as such.
And one more thought on that note: If you’re not a starter, please stay engaged. I was so proud of the Central Coosa boys basketball bench Thursday night. The Cougars’ five starters played 95 percent of the game, but never once did the bench look bored or disinterested. Those players were cheering and chanting and seemed just as hyped as the ones on the court when a Cougar would swish a 3-pointer or drain a hard layup.
As a “benchwarmer,” you never know when your moment may come, and I’m sure your coach will tell you you’re just as much a part of the team as anyone else.
Lizi Arbogast is the sports editor of The Herald.
