I often spend time pondering on the obscure conundrum – What makes a good coach into a great coach ? Sad I know, but I waste hours in the gym while I should be coaching, gazing into space, or sitting on the toilet while the rest of the family are banging on the door in desperation, searching for the X factor that separate the good from the mundane, the excellent from the good and the great from the excellent.
I have looked at all the factors; great knowledge, excellent communication, skills, the ability to motivate, charisma, rapport, determination, attention to details, organizational ability, insight and so on ad nauseam.
The other day I happened to see an excerpt from the film ‘ Close Encounters of the third kind’, I don’t know if you remember the film, in it, Richard Dreyfuss sees an alien spacecraft and proceeds to turn from a good father and upstanding member of society into a driveling idiot obsessed with turning everything he sees into a large mound, etc., the obsession becomes so great that his kids end up scared of him and his wife leaves him.
That’s the way it is for many great coaches.
Formally sane individuals consumed by their desire to scale the mountain, to find the holy Grail ! Galahads, Puteri Gunung Ledang,and Lancelots galloping through the fields of sporting endeavour only to be frustrated by another false lead, another cracked vertebrae in the spinal column of achievement…….
I am reminded of the Greek legend of Sisyphus who was punished by the Gods and doomed in the Underworld to roll a large rock to the top of a mountain, only to see it roll back down again and so have to start his labors afresh into eternity.
To achieve in coaching ( indeed sport ) at the highest level, especially in our under-funded sport, is to give up everything to roll that stone to the top of the mountain, more often than not to see it roll back down again.
The obsession is not for everybody, but we must set our own objectives and feel good about achieving them, even in the presence of the towering ego and tormented and driven soul that is the great coach.
When Professor Smolevsky from Russia prepared a development program for Malaysian Gymnastics, the team in 1998 was a huge success, ending up our team with some medals at the Commonwealth games and leaving some good gymnasts thoroughly modernized Malaysian’s preparation and approach.
It isn’t easy to live in the shadow of these characters, or be given the job of following them. Just ask Mr. Secretary…..
“Genius is one percent inspiration, and ninety percent perspiration” – Thomas Edison.
I have looked at all the factors; great knowledge, excellent communication, skills, the ability to motivate, charisma, rapport, determination, attention to details, organizational ability, insight and so on ad nauseam.
The other day I happened to see an excerpt from the film ‘ Close Encounters of the third kind’, I don’t know if you remember the film, in it, Richard Dreyfuss sees an alien spacecraft and proceeds to turn from a good father and upstanding member of society into a driveling idiot obsessed with turning everything he sees into a large mound, etc., the obsession becomes so great that his kids end up scared of him and his wife leaves him.
That’s the way it is for many great coaches.
Formally sane individuals consumed by their desire to scale the mountain, to find the holy Grail ! Galahads, Puteri Gunung Ledang,and Lancelots galloping through the fields of sporting endeavour only to be frustrated by another false lead, another cracked vertebrae in the spinal column of achievement…….
I am reminded of the Greek legend of Sisyphus who was punished by the Gods and doomed in the Underworld to roll a large rock to the top of a mountain, only to see it roll back down again and so have to start his labors afresh into eternity.
To achieve in coaching ( indeed sport ) at the highest level, especially in our under-funded sport, is to give up everything to roll that stone to the top of the mountain, more often than not to see it roll back down again.
The obsession is not for everybody, but we must set our own objectives and feel good about achieving them, even in the presence of the towering ego and tormented and driven soul that is the great coach.
When Professor Smolevsky from Russia prepared a development program for Malaysian Gymnastics, the team in 1998 was a huge success, ending up our team with some medals at the Commonwealth games and leaving some good gymnasts thoroughly modernized Malaysian’s preparation and approach.
It isn’t easy to live in the shadow of these characters, or be given the job of following them. Just ask Mr. Secretary…..
“Genius is one percent inspiration, and ninety percent perspiration” – Thomas Edison.
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