Winning
Be honest with yourself about winning. Ask yourself these questions:
- Do you at times overemphasize winning?
- Do you sometimes make decisions that reflect more about winning the game than developing the athletes?
Many coaches face the issue of winning when developing their coaching objectives. Society clearly places great emphasis on winning. However, society also looks to sport as a means to help young and old athletes alike build character and develop leadership skills. The balance is in not evaluating yourself or your athletes on the win-loss record. You, the coach, must resist trying to win and encouraging your athletes to win at all costs. How do you overcome this temptation? Place your athletes first — athletes first at practice, athletes first at competition.
Striving to Win
Placing athletes first does not mean that winning is not important. Striving to win within the rules of sport and the competition is an important objective for both athlete and coach. Striving to win is essential for an enjoyable competition. Athletes do not train to lose or perform poorly. The emphasis should not be on winning itself but on striving to win. It is the pursuit of victory, the dream of achieving the goal, that matters most.
