Here's a summary of this chapter....
Coaching is a demanding and rewarding position. Demands include time and effort. Rewards
include the development of athletes' physical, mental, emotional, and social skills and
the opportunity of participating, having fun, and learning to work together for a common
goal. Coaching requires many technical and personal skills in addition to a sound coaching
philosophy. It involves planning to win and learning from defeat. Coaches teach the skills
of the game and, more importantly, make these learning experiences challenging and
enjoyable for the players and themselves.
Successful coaches do not seem to have any specific type of personality, they are as
individual as the general population. However, all good coaches have certain qualities
that allow them to perform effectively. These qualities include dedication, enthusiasm,
and humor; the ability to teach and lead; the ability to communicate effectively; good
planning and organizational skills; and knowledge of the sport. Coaches will make
mistakes, but with each of these mistakes comes an opportunity to understand what happened
and to learn.
Three Player Development Phases of Roller Hockey
General Rules of the Game
Rules are defined by the sanctioning organization and league which each team plays under.
If you have no rules, then there are no boundaries for the game, and it basically results
in a free-for-all. Rules are not made to impede the game, but to define it. The coach
should obtain a copy of the rules prior to each season, study them, and make sure that
each player has an understanding of them. The rules of the game are actually very simple,
the team with the most goals at the end of the game wins! How your team obtains more goals
than your opponent is the question that keeps all coaches searching for the perfect
system.
Planning for a Successful Season
Team success, which usually reflects coaching success, depends on effective planning. A
good plan eliminates and controls problems that inevitably arise by serving as a reference
point during the season. Developing your plan can be done in a day; improving upon it can
take a whole season. Initially make your plan generalized, with few details. As the season
progresses, revisit the plan and incorporate desired details.
The Coaches Toolbox
The Siller Player And Team Evaluation Profile (TM) is a series of coaching tools
consisting of several checklists and worksheets. These tools are designed to provide
essential quantitative and subjective data that will aid the coach in team planning,
player assessment and improvement, and evaluation of the competition. Several checklists
and worksheets are provided in this and subsequent chapters and each focuses on specific
criteria required to scout, develop, evaluate, and improve player ability. Completed
checklists and worksheets are shown throughout each chapter. The Coaches Toolbox
(TM) contains a blank copy of each checklist and worksheet and is designed to be used by
the coach to help plan and monitor a very effective season.