After seven years at the helm of Gilroy High School football,
Head Coach Darren Yafai has decided it’s time to take a break from
coaching the varsity team. Now that Mr. Yafai has stepped aside,
the search for his replacement has begun.
After seven years at the helm of Gilroy High School football, Head Coach Darren Yafai has decided it’s time to take a break from coaching the varsity team. Now that Mr. Yafai has stepped aside, the search for his replacement has begun. Although student-athletes are not directly involved in the hiring process, based on our firsthand experiences, both on and off the field, we are in a unique position to offer advice as to what makes a winning coach.
I started playing organized sports when I was five years old. I’ve played soccer, basketball, hockey, and baseball. I’ve run Cross Country and Track for Brownell Middle School and swam a few seasons for the Gilroy Gators. Like most of the varsity athletes at GHS, I played for dozens of coaches before I got to high school. Players know what motivates and what deflates, what inspires and what discourages, what works and what does not.
Great coaching begins with rock solid knowledge of the game. This seems like an obvious point, but the importance of understanding all aspects of the sport cannot be overemphasized. If a coach doesn’t know the subtle and not so subtle nuances of the game, it’s unlikely the players will grow or learn in their sport. Although most varsity athletes know the basics, they rely on their coaches to teach them what they don’t know. Coaches’ skill and expertise is needed to help players correct reoccurring mistakes and learn the finer points of the game.
On winning teams every player contributes in a valuable way. Effective coaches know how to use each player to his or her full potential. They do this by capitalizing on players’ strengths, while minimizing their weaknesses. They consistently seek to set up scenarios where players will be able to produce most successfully in order to help themselves and the team.
During the 2004 baseball playoffs, the Boston Red Sox’s Manager, Terry Francona, highlighted the importance of utilizing your players to the best of their ability. In the bottom of the ninth inning of the League Championship Series versus the New York Yankees, Francona used Dave Roberts as a pinch runner. Trailing by one run, Francona knew he needed to use a faster runner who would have a better chance to score. After Roberts entered the game, he stole second and found himself in scoring position. Eventually he did score, giving the Red Sox all the momentum they would need to eventually win the World Series. Francona’s decision was a prime example of using his players the best way possible. He knew what Roberts’ strength was and used it to perfection.
The third key to a great coach is the ability to balance the need to push players with an acceptance of their limitations. Coaches must have high expectations for all players. They must challenge them to work harder, concentrate more, and to set higher goals. Yet at the same time, it becomes counterproductive to push to the point of frustration.
This balancing act is not an easy task. The line separating the two is razor thin. High school athletes can easily be overwhelmed by their coaches’ demands. The best coaches recognize that it is possible to push too hard and know when to lower the intensity. Tommy Lasorda, the former LA Dodger manager explained it best, ” I believe managing is like holding a dove in your hand. If you hold it too tightly you kill it, but if you hold it too loosely, you lose it.”
So there you have it- A Student-Athlete’s Guide to Becoming a Perfect Coach. Know your sport, know your players, and know when to push and when to pull.
