The Transition From Player To Coach

Today's blog was written by Sarah Voigt.  Sarah is a senior English major at Notre Dame and a student in the Social Foundations of Coaching course taught by Play Like a Champion founder Professor Clark Power and Kristin Sheehan.  Sarah is also the goalie on the Notre Dame Women's Soccer Team.  

After 18 long, amazingly rewarding years as a soccer player, it finally became time for me to hang up my boots. It was not a decision to divorce myself from the sport that has shaped me as a person and provided me with the opportunity to play in one of the best D-1 programs in the nation, but rather, to change my role in it. When I was a little girl, I had the dream of playing college soccer, and through the my own hard work and the careful guidance of many different coaches, I was able to make that dream a reality. I’m done with my competitive playing career (even though I don’t think I will be able to resist the allure of pick-up games or summer leagues.) However, I cannot see myself not being involved with the sport, so the decision to begin coaching was an obvious one.

This decision is far from unique. I think it’s quite common for athletes, especially athletes who feel that the sport they played shaped who they are today, to want to give back to that community that fostered their growth and allowed their success. That was my motivation, and I am currently about two weeks into coaching my first youth team, U(nder)13 girls. Our season has yet to start, but I feel that I have learned so much already. I felt pretty prepared, having had 6-7 different coaches over the course of my playing career that brought different styles and emphases to the game. But going from playing for a coach to inspiring players to want to play for you was a huge gap. It is taking a lot of evaluation and re-evaluation. I’ve had drills that work for my girls, and I have also designed drills that fall flat and not work at all. I’m learning that patience is key.

The most applicable coaching advice I have received is this: when things get frustrating, just step back and remember with whom you are working. Losing sight of the fact that we are working with kids is something that I have seen coaches do often in my playing experience. For me, it’s a lot more difficult to get upset with athletes for not understanding or being able to execute something the way I want them to when I remember the long game of coaching. The short game, so to speak, is winning the next game, tournament, or even State Cup at the end of the season (which we obviously plan to do). But the long game is to develop good people. To my memory, my best coaches were equally (if not more) invested in my personal development and my skill development. I’m only about two weeks into this coaching thing, and already asking and answering this question each time I do anything with my girls: How is this making them into good people?

Team Spirit Team Service

The University of Notre Dame is on fall break this week.  Campus is quiet, and many students have gone home for the week, missing the first snow of the season.  Most student-athletes, however, have stayed on campus as practices and games continue.  As there are no classes this week, several teams have taken some time to serve the community.

On Monday, the Notre Dame Football team had spent the evening at South Bend's Center for the Homeless. In an event that was spearheaded by tight-end Troy Niklas, the players were able to spend a few hours with the guests, having dinner and getting to know the guests at the Center.  As Niklas said at the end of the event "“I hate to say it, but we’ve almost gotten more out of this than (the guests). Sometimes you don’t know how much you have until you see someone who doesn’t have anything. Being here at Notre Dame, we’re so blessed".  Over dinner, the football players and the guests exchanged stories--and inspiration.  As part of the team's preparation for the evening, the players committed to fundraising $2000 to give to the Center, a goal which they surpassed when Niklas presented Steve Camilleri with a gift of $4700.  

Troy Niklas talks to a young guest at the Center for the Homeless

The Notre Dame Women's Soccer Team plays its final home game of the season this evening, and will be auctioning off jerseys as a fundraiser for the SEGway Project, a non-profit founded by a former Notre Dame soccer player that uses soccer to empower girls worldwide.  Proceed's from Thursday's auction will be used by the Project at the Kibera Girls Soccer Academy in Kenya. The Men's Soccer Team also took some time this week to work with local children.  On Tuesday, members of the team spent a few hours with a local youth soccer club--with coaches and players leading drills, demonstrating skills, and mentoring the young athletes.  

Play Like a Champion Today teaches that a key to character development is the transformation of the team into a moral community whose members are committed to certain values e.g. caring, fairness, and trust.  By learning the virtues of community on a team, team members are then able to become leaders in larger communities later in life.  Community service done as a team is an excellent way to build a moral community and Play Like Champions.