Please join me for a fun series. My mission, and I’ve chosen to accept it, is to write a post based on each letter of the alphabet. The English major inside of me is very excited about this project…and my inner nerd is even more fired up! Keep checking back as I tackle the intangibles of sport…from A to Z.
As coaches, we want to be successful and we want our teams to be successful…but success is hard to define. And once we’ve defined success, how do we make sure our student-athletes grab hold of it? Let’s look at three things that our players will need in order to have a successful athletic career.
3 things our student-athletes need in order to be successful
Academics. Most collegiate players, regardless of sport, will not continue to play professionally after their time on our courts and fields are complete. There are almost four hundred thousand student-athletes in the NCAA throughout Divisions I, II, and III. There are over sixty thousand student-athletes in both the NAIA and the Junior College association. So that’s about a half million student-athletes out there who love their sport, practice hard every day, and who are tough competitors when called upon.
They are also passionate about their academics, focus on their homework every day, and are fierce competitors in the classroom. A desire for learning is key for our athletes, because there will come a time when their intercollegiate competition will come to a close…but learning will last a lifetime.
Acumen. Defined as the ability to make good judgments and quick decisions, acumen is a necessity of any sport! Our players may have to use it in the classroom, being sure to participate in discussions and be an active member of the class. They may have to use it on the weekends when we’re not around. We don’t know what type of shenanigans happen on campus…but we can guess! Hopefully our athletes understand what to do when good judgment is required. And of course, acumen is huge on the court. The ability to execute the game plan while simultaneously responding to one’s environment will separate the good athletes from the great ones.
Advocate. Our athletes need someone to be on their side, to fight for them, to market them…to believe in them. In our role as coach, we should also be an advocate for our athletes whether it’s on campus to make sure our athletes get respect, or if it’s on bigger scale where we nominate them for awards.
At times, our role as advocate for our athletes will have us educating the greater campus community about the importance of athletics in our player’s lives. Other times, it could be to fight for what’s right and equitable in terms of equipment, gym time, or budgets. At all times, we should have our athlete’s best interests at heart.
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