I saw an interview with former NFL coach Bill Parcells today on ESPN. He was asked what the difference was between athletes now and, let’s say, 20 years ago.
Of course he was speaking on the professional level, but he said there’s no real real difference between athletes. The difference is the people surrounding them like the agents, handlers, financial advisors and so called “support people,” most of whom have a personal agenda of their own.
I think you can carry that down to the high school and college level as well. I’ve had high school coaches tell me they have a hard time with their athletes hiring personal trainers.
“That’s not the way my trainer wants me to do it!” is something they hear more and more, especially from the elite athletes. And don’t most parents, who can afford it, think their child is “elite”?
What’s a coach to do?
April 3, 2008 at 4:32 pm |
With more and more parents living vicariously through their children, coaches are caught in a tremendous conflict of molding skills while molding character. If a coach tries to reshape a skill, he must have a place of respectability in the eyes of the athlete. If an athlete is unwilling to change then the coach has lost that place. It is the same with character. Respect is the common denominator and outside influences can interfere with that position of respect.