What Makes a "Good Coach"

Being a coach is not just about teaching kids how to play a sport- it has a lot of other attributes too. So, what makes a good coach?

1. The best coaches COACH THE PERSON, NOT JUST THE ATHLETE- The best coaches get to know their athletes. They take interest in the athlete's life off the field, court, track. They do not let the student's personal, academic, or social life affect their relationship. These coaches are more trusted and respected than those who don't get to know their athletes. 
2. The very best coaches GET THEIR ATHLETES TO BELIEVE in themselves- Good coaches inspire their athletes to do more than they think they can. Part of this has to do with building the athlete up rather than knocking them down. Good coaches always build self-esteem rather than undermine it. Good coaches don't praise mediocre effort, they catch their athletes doing things right. Coaches can't play head games that make their athlete question their abilities.
3. The good coaches do not use HUMILIATION or EMBARRASSMENT to teach- Really bad coaches tend to use humiliation and embarrassment as a way to get their athletes attention and teach them. They think nothing of embarrassing their athlete in front of their peers, teammates, and parents. These abusive techniques are the number one way to emotionally destroy an athlete. There is NOTHING constructive about it and it can destroy an athlete.
4. Great coaches are GREAT LIFE TEACHERS- A good coach understands that what they are teaching the kids goes far beyond X's and O's on the field or court. A good coach looks for valuable opportunities to teach an athlete more important life lessons. A good coach teaches its athletes about rebounding from failure, integrity, good sportsmanship, fairness, sacrificing individual needs for the benefit of an entire group, etc. 
5. The best coaches KEEP THE GAME IN PERSPECTIVE- They do not get distracted by how big any one game is. They understand that sports are just games. They understand that what they teach and how they teach has an impact on their athletes that goes far beyond the sport. Therefore, they keep their sport in perspective.
6. The best coaches are PASSIONATE at what they do- Success in and out of sports comes from a love of what you are doing. As a coach, your passion for the sport and for what you are doing is what ultimately makes you a good coach. Passion inspires others and motivates others to feel the same passion. Passion is infectious. If you don't have passion as a coach, then you should not be coaching. 
7. Good coaches make the sport FUN- It doesn't matter what level you are coaching, sports are games and games are meant to be fun. If athletes aren't having fun, then they are more likely to play tentatively. It is very important for athletes and coaches to remember to have fun because if not, athletes can get too caught up in the seriousness and loose interest. Being loose and relaxed are probably two of the most important ingredients to a peak performance. 

Lancers Girls Varsity Basketball

Over the past three years, the Lady Lancers have certainly made an improvement on the program. Three years ago, they didn't even have enough girls for a junior varsity squad, but things quickly changed when Coach Langmead took over as the varsity coach in the 2012-2013 season. The program has seen an improvement in numbers ever since.
It is just the beginning for the Lancers. They have just completed their tryouts and there will be 12 girls on the varsity team. Captains are Marisa Amato, Ashley Pelletier, and Chloe Gill. Also, Amy Pereira, Jillian Poplawski, Maddie Murphy, Kayla O'Keefe, Christi Brennan, Amy Tessitore, Abbie Kurtzer, Meg Nichols, and Abby Phelan make up the rest of the varsity team.
"Everyone is giving 100% and is coming prepared to fight for something we have wanted for years now, to make it to the tourney" says captain Marisa Amato. "I think we are going to have a "Bounce Back" season. We have great senior leadership and more skill in the program than we've had in the last three seasons" says Coach Langmead.
The girls played in a preseason tournament in November to prepare for the season and have had very intense, hardworking practices on the court the past week. "We are excited for the games to start being played; we have been working very hard and will continue to do so" says Marisa Amato.
The Lancers are ready to forget about the past seasons and start fresh this season. Their first game is in Ashland on December 12 versus the Clockers.

3v3 tournament participants hosted by the Lady Lancers