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Blogs by Jon P Dahlborg
Without the Horses You Can't Win the Race! Part 14 7/30/2016 2:25:03 PM
Hypothesis proven in my situation. As a coach of a high school tennis team I was fortunate to have a gifted "horse" join the group! This player came to me with incredible credentials...high rankings in the state, region and nationally!
At first, his presence was intimidating to the other team members because his playing ability which was superior to the others. As the team got to know him as person, that soon changed. Here was a super athlete with a wonderful character.
He changed the team dynamics immensely. Suddenly, the whole team was playing better and wanting to improve their own level of play.
Consequently, the team had a very good season, coming in 2nd in the league and qualifying for the state tournament. He then played individually for the state title, coming in 2nd.
From a coaching standpoint, my efforts weren't much different from the past ten years but, the team's accomplishments were vastly improved. Was I a better coach? If my "horse" decides or cannot play next season will my coaching be less successful? My philosophy remains the same...my main job is to develop young men with good character, who will be good citizens representing their community
That , in my opinion, characterises what a good coach is all about, not just wins and losses.
