Coach Dawn Writes

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Let me tell you what I think about coaches: we’re crazy in our preparation and dedication, we work long hours and love it, we give up our nights and weekends, we mentor our student-athletes, we demand big things from them and even more from ourselves, we’re passionate in our belief in our team and our love for our sport, we believe in the power of sport to have a positive and long-lasting impact in our athlete’s lives.  I also believe we should always assess ourselves and our careers.  So here are:

7 questions we should ask ourselves to make sure we’re on the right track

Yell or self-control?
A yeller isn’t necessarily more passionate than a non-yeller…we non-yellers have the quiet confidence that comes from knowing our stuff and believing in our approach.  To Yell Or Not To Yell, That Is The Question.  I think there is a time and place for all coaching techniques, but before you start hollering at your team, read this post.

Great or average?
I don’t know about you, but I want to be great.  I certainly don’t think I’ve achieved greatness, but I’m going to do everything within my power to get there!  I would assume that’s why most of us do what we do…because we want to leave our mark.  10 Things Great Coaches Do talks about the hallmarks of greatness that we should all be striving for.

Crushed or bounce back?
This is the very obvious pink elephant in the room that no coach likes to talk about:  losing.  The post Losing Is Lonely: Encouraging Yourself In Tough Times is about what we can do once our team falls to losing ways.  I’ve had seasons when success eluded me.  Those are frustrating times, but more powerfully, they are lonely times.  Most folks are afraid to broach the subject of losing with a loser.  So what’s a winner to do when she’s losing?  Check out this post to find out.

Accept or ask?
My sister-in-law is a corporate big shot in charge of handling raises and salary negotiations and she let me know that women rarely ask for more salary than they’re offered, while men always do.  Often we hear that there’s a glass ceiling and women just can’t get ahead, but what if we females aren’t helping our own cause?  Here’s a quote from my post:  “If women were to negotiate on behalf of themselves as much as men do, they would advance as quickly as men and eliminate the under-representation of women in the top ranks of the organization.”  If you’d like to read more, check out What Are You Worth? How To Negotiate Salary.

Free or charge?
The next one is along the lines of the previous point.  When folks ask to pick your brain, what they’re really asking is for you to give them something freely…even though you paid a high price for it!  I think it’s hard for coaches to think in this manner, but we charge for lessons, camps, clinics, etc.  They may have different names, but they all come down to our knowledge and we seem to be okay charging for that knowledge.  Check out What Are You Worth? Valuing What You Know for a link to a great article that will challenge you to truly value yourself.

Head or assistant?
Being a head coach is fun, it’s awesome, and it’s fulfilling…it’s also a lot of work!  I’ve always said that each coach in an athletic department is like the CEO of their sport, responsible for all aspects of the program.  If you’d like to know exactly what that would entail, check out 11 Things You Should Be Doing If You Are The Head Honcho for more info.

Introvert or extrovert?
I used to think that all coaches were naturally out-going with big, huge personalities…then I became a coach.  I am most definitely an introvert who enjoys time by myself.  I’ve made it work with my teams and in my athletic department, but what about those schmoozy events where we’ve got to chat and make small talk?  Check out this post that I wanted to call “4 reasons that networking is better than a hot poker in the eye”, but settled on Networking For Introverts: It’s Not As Bad As You Think.

One more question: visit or subscribe?  Click here and you can get Coach Dawn Writes articles emailed directly to your inbox!  It’s free and easy…and I promise I won’t give your email to anyone else.

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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 I mentioned in the intro up above, I was an English major in college.  So hopefully you won’t find it weird that I mention I’m using the adjective version of “accomplished” and not the verb.  It’s not an action, but a description.  Also, I most certainly don’t see myself as highly skilled or an expert…one definition of accomplished.  And since I plan to coach for many years to come, I haven’t completed my coaching aspirations…another definition of accomplished.

I’ve been to a few retirement dinners in my time and am always impressed by what is said about the retiree.  Of course, that leads me to wonder what will be said about me once I hang up the whistle.  When it’s all said and done, I want to look back on my career and regard it as “accomplished”.

4 areas that coaches should address for an accomplished career

1. Team.  I’d love for my teams to develop quality skills (tangible and intangible) over the course of their years with me.  I’d love for them to look forward to competition, always play hard, and be good teammates.  I want our opponents to respect the way we coach and play the game of volleyball.
2. Alumni.  I want my alums to see me as accessible, knowledgeable, and interested in keeping them connected to the institution.  Hopefully I’ve done a good enough job when they were student-athletes to create an easy transition into their post-competition days.
3. Recruits.  I want my fellow coaches to always know that I recruit with integrity.  I don’t believe that I’ve got to put other coaches or teams down in order to lift myself up.  Quick story: Years ago, when I’d first started coaching, I was recruiting against a conference coach.  Yada, yada, yada, the girl decided to go to the other school.  I saw that coach a few months later and she wanted to thank me for the nice things I said about her to this recruit.  Once the young lady told me where she was going, I complimented the other coach as a class act…who knew that the recruit would actually tell her?  Good thing I’d said good things!
4. Administration.  I hope that I bring value to my administration.  Of course I’m speaking in terms of my sport knowledge, my program’s success, the positive experience my athletes have with me.  But also in terms of understanding how to write an appropriate budget…and stay within it, responding to requests in a timely and professional manner, managing my staff effectively, and having a fundraising strategy for my program.

That’s a lot to strive for…and there’s so much more that I didn’t write!  God willing, I have a long time before I have to attend my own retirement dinner.  And God willing, I hope to be able to call myself “accomplished”.

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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.

I believe in coaching.  I think it’s a great profession that enables me to be around young people who aren’t afraid to chase their dreams.  For all of you coaches out there, I believe that what we do makes a difference, that it has an impact, and that our student-athletes are better for their interactions with us.

Lest you think I’m as altruistic as Mother Teresa, I receive a lot from coaching as well!  What is it that propels me to action in the morning even though I’m dog tired and worn out?  The love of coaching!  In fact, I spent all of July talking about how much I love it…check it out here.

Here are the 6 reasons I can’t get enough of the coaching profession

1. Female athletes.  What a great opportunity to give our young ladies a leg up for their future lives after they’re finished playing!  They learn leadership, team building, managing different personality types, winning and losing with grace…and all sorts of other things that will help them in their future.  As a sidenote for the moms out there *stepping onto soapbox*:  I think you’re doing a great thing!  You’re showing your athletes (and your kids) that they can coach and still maintain a family.  That’s a relatively new thing and I think it’s invaluable.  *stepping off of soapbox*
2. Impacting lives.  During my TEDtalk series, I wrote about a Tony Robbins talk called, Why We Do What We Do, where he spoke about the six human needs.  Basically, they’re the six things that everyone requires to feel whole and happy.  The sixth need is “the ability to contribute beyond ourselves” and I believe that’s what the coaching profession provides…and it’s pretty awesome!
3. Like-minded coworkers.  How many people get to go into the office each day knowing that they’re surrounded with people who value what they value?  I’d guess, not many!  Whether you’re at the highest levels of collegiate Division I or a middle school coach, you know that preparing students for the future is everyone’s number one goal.
4. Motivation to stay fit.  While I know that I can’t perform at the level I did as a collegiate athlete, I can find ways to stay in shape so that my athletes know that everything doesn’t fall apart after your competition days are finished.  Besides, the fact that I can workout when I go to work prohibits a lot of the excuses I’d like to use (too busy, too tired, out of the way, no time) to skip a workout session.
5. Game day!  I wrote about it during the I Love Coaching month series…check it out.  Here’s a taste:  After the warmup music is turned off, lineups are announced, and the teams tell each other good luck…it’s time to see if it all worked.  If the preparation was adequate and if we can respond to the moves being made by our opponent.  I love watching my team execute the game plan, and seeing their faces when things goes well, and their fortitude when they don’t.
6. Success.  Building teams, giving them the tools they need to be successful now and in the future, winning on the court, advocating for my student-athletes, a commitment to lifelong learning (for myself), good working relationships with my coworkers and administration, collaborating with campus folks outside of the athletics department, alumni who are proud of their experience with me and like to come back to visit, being a helpful member of the greater community.  All of those things sound like success to me!

I’m sure you love coaching too…or you wouldn’t read this blog!  Don’t forget why you do what you do and hold your head high.  The coaching profession is a wonderful thing!

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• How much have you spent on professional development in the last couple of years? (Clinics, seminars, conventions)
• Are you a member of any groups designed to make yourself a better professional? (AVCA, NACWAA, ToastMasters)
• Do you pore over leadership and team chemistry books so that you can be the best possible coach that you can be?
• Have you attained any certifications that make you more marketable?

If you can answer yes to any of those questions, then you are a valuable asset to your institution/company.  And not just to your company, but to other folks as well!  Don’t believe me?

• Have you ever had a good friend “casually” mention that their daughter plays your sport and they’d love for you to give their kid some pointers?
• Do coaches come to you with a coaching issue and asking your opinion on how they should proceed?
• Do groups ask you to come speak to their teams because you’ve been successful?

If you can answer yes to any of those questions…and they get their answers for free, then you may not be valuing yourself as highly as you should.  Professional development costs money, as does being a member of professional associations.  You may say, “But Dawn, my college pays for all of my professional development, so it’s not really money out of my pocket.”  To that I’d say, congrats!  You’ve negotiated a wonderful contract for yourself that your employer deems you worthy of…but those are still costs.  You’re working for that “free” money!

When folks ask to pick your brain, what they’re really asking is for you to give them something freely, even though you paid a high price for it!  In a fabulous article, No, You Can’t Pick My Brain. It Costs Too Much, the author talks about protecting her investment: herself.

I think it’s hard for coaches to think in this manner, but we charge for lessons, camps, clinics, etc.  They may have different names, but they all come down to our knowledge. If this is sparking anything in you, then I’d suggest you read the article linked in the paragraph above.  The author has ten ways that will help you value the knowledge you’ve acquired over the years.

Giving things away is good for the soul, I believe it’s why so many people do community service…it just feels good.  But there’s a time and a place for it.  Make sure that you’re in charge of who receives freebies and that you’re not getting bullied or tricked into giving away what you should be charging for.

What’s your knowledge worth?

Like this post?  Check out What Are You Worth? How to Negotiate Salary.

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Doing quiets empty wanting. –In Praise of Doing

“Less talk, more do.” That was the answer I gave to the president of our college when he asked what my personal philosophy was…luckily he’s a doer as well!

So many times we talk about what we want to do, but never end up actually doing anything.  I don’t want to think about the hours of my life that I’ve wasted in pointless meetings that take this path!  So you can understand the sheer giddiness I felt when I read the title from the quotation at the beginning: In Praise of Doing.  Awesome!

As the author states, “Passionate sincere wanting without performance is cheap, easy, and self-deluding.”  In other words, talk is cheap.  Worse than that, when we constantly talk about what we want to do (rather than taking steps to actually do it), we feel like we’re actually doing something.  Crazy huh?

Now, I’m not saying there’s no place for contemplating the next step your life will take, your next career move, or whatever it is that’s in your heart.  But at a certain point, you’ve got to become a doer.

Here are three areas “doing” can have transformative power

Our teams.  As you sit down and think about your upcoming season, do you have goals in mind?  What are the easy to reach goals? What about the ones that will be a stretch for your team to accomplish?  Many times I hear coaches talk about the things that are out of their control as reasons for their lack of success: opponent/conference strength, lack of budget, injuries.  Surely those things can have a significant impact on a team, but in theory, they should affect every team similarly.  Instead focus on the things that you can do today, this week, this season to prepare your team to accomplish their goals.

Our careers.  Rome wasn’t built in a day…and it certainly wasn’t built because the Romans sat down and chatted about it!  If your goal is to be a coach on the Olympic team, then you’d better get to work.  First things first, start coaching.  Then let the right people know that you’re interested in moving up the coaching ranks.  And last, but not least, be good.  If you’re constantly talking about how awesome you are at coaching (without actually being awesome), then you won’t go far.  Results matter.  Whatever your goal is, sit down and figure out a step by step plan to accomplish it.

Our lives.  You’re going to think I’m taking the easy route on this one, but I believe this to my core: I was put on this Earth to coach.  Not because I think I’m God’s gift to coaching, but because it’s my chance to make a difference.  I believe that most folks have a desire to impact the world in some significant manner…for me, it’s coaching.  I don’t think it’s hyperbole to say that athletics can have a life-changing effect on its participants.  They learn to work in teams, to win and lose with grace, to be leaders, to balance multiple important projects…so many things!  As a matter of fact, I devoted the entire month of July to talking about how much I love coaching.  Whatever path you choose to take in order to make your difference, it all begins with taking that first step.

As the author so succinctly puts it, “What you do makes a difference, not what you want to do.”