Teaching and Coaching

Today's blog was written by Maria Murphy.  Maria is a senior Political Science major and Education Schooling and Society minor at the University of Notre Dame and a student in the Social Foundations of Coaching course taught by Play Like a Champion Founder and Director Professor Clark Power and Program Director Kristin Sheehan.

In just over a month, I will graduate from Notre Dame. I will leave South Bend, my home of twenty-two years, and move to a place I have never even visited. I will trade the comfort and ease of life on this beautiful campus for adult responsibilities like cooking, cleaning, and paying bills. While I will continue to be a student, I will also take on the unfamiliar role of teacher. Come August, I will be teaching Social Studies, Language Arts, and Computers at a middle school in Corpus Christi, Texas, through the Alliance for Catholic Education’s Teaching Fellowship. I am also excited to take on other roles in the school community including mentor, role model, club moderator, tutor, and coach. While I expect that my life will never again be as carefree and easy as it is right now (except perhaps when I retire), I am excited for new adventures and responsibilities.

           

I have not yet learned how to be an effective teacher—that part will begin during my classes this summer. What I know, however, is that I am not just there to teach subject matter. My goals, above all, are to teach the kids in my classroom that they matter, to instill in them hope for their futures, and to promote, by example, faith and virtue.

This is remarkably similar to coaching. Coaches, hopefully, are not just there to teach kids how to play a specific sport. They should have higher goals—to instill certain values in their team that they will remember long after they have stopped playing the sport. Through sports, I learned (with help from my coaches) discipline, dedication to something larger than myself, and the importance of encouragement. These lessons have shaped me as a person and stay with me even though I have not competed in years. 

While reading through the Play Like a Champion Today Coach Manual, I am struck by how similar coaching and teaching truly are. The following are practical tips from the manual that I particularly enjoyed:

• “It is essential that you organize your thoughts and establish an idea of what you want to accomplish during your practice. Most importantly, write it down.”
• “Enthusiasm is contagious! … Creating a sense of excitement at every practice will increase your players’ interest, commitment, focus, and overall enjoyment.”
• “It is essential for you to be positive, to speak clearly and loudly, and to use an appropriate tone of voice. Monitor the length of instruction, as too much information can lead to inattention and overload.”
• “Your players should leave practice as excited and as enthusiastic as they came.”

These, seamlessly, apply to both coaching and teaching. I am excited to use the skills I learn for teaching as a coach, and vice versa. Because of the similarities, I think that my performance in both roles will improve greatly as I use the lessons I learn in one to help improve the other.

Overall, I cannot wait to get into the classroom and onto the field to work with these middle school kids. While I have a lot to learn about being a teacher and coach, I feel that I will have enough resources available through ACE and Play Like a Champion Today to be effective. The similarities between the two roles, as well as my experience on the receiving end as a student and athlete, also help me feel more comfortable with taking on these important roles.

           

Coaching will not only give me more time to spend with my students, but also another space with which to interact with them. The more relaxed, fun, playful nature of sport can help me strengthen my relationships with them while still working toward my ultimate goals—to teach the kids that they matter, to instill in them hope for their futures, and to promote, by example, faith and virtue. Simply, I want to leave both Corpus Christi and my school better places than when I found them. I think that coaching will play an instrumental role in achieving this.