Many coaches don’t get into coaching just because they like the feeling of winning or the trophies. Coaches do it because they love the sport, and because their goal is to inspire upcoming athletes. They coach to help others succeed; watching others succeed is the best thing for a coach.

Behind every team there is a coach who once had a dream. Something special that pushed and inspired them to start their career in coaching. Whatever the reason is for a coach to start coaching, it is usually about passing down the passion and love for the sport they had onto students who want to either become a coach or play a sport. Coaching can change a student’s life, making every practice, game, and consultation worth it for them and their team. At the end of the day, a good coach didn’t just decide they wanted to coach one day when they woke up. They had inspiration that they wanted to pass on to build a better player and team.

The relationship between a coach and their little self can have a lot to do with why they decided to start coaching. For Coach Maysuch, this is what inspired her to start coaching: “I have always been around sports my whole life and loved playing them and being a part of a team. I want to create that same positive environment for athletes and help them learn and grow as athletes and as young women.”

Good coaches are shaped by mentors who show them how to lead a team, how to build a strong team, and how to deal with tough situations. Mentors like these in a coach’s life can inspire coaches today to focus on winning games and helping their players to improve their skills and grow as individuals. ” I became a tennis coach because my high school tennis coach was one of my role models. He was tough on us, equally fun, and a great player himself. The friendships and team atmosphere are not easily matched, so I wanted to create a similar environment for other high school students to enjoy. I love playing tennis, and coaching is one of my passions. At first, I was a little nervous, but I drew on examples from my high school coach and the role models around me to build the program I run today,” said Coach Liddle.

Playing a sport is the best way someone can build strong character. A sport can also teach a player life lessons that build them into the person they are today. It teaches resilience, which gives a coach the ability to get back up and recover from a loss or mistake their team had in a game. Coaches try to pass their positive mindset down to the athletes on their team so they too can learn how to handle mistakes and how to cope with hard times on the field and off.

While participating in a sport can build strong character in a coach/athlete, it also provides a supportive community within the team. It boosts self-esteem, and it teaches coaches the value of hard work. Sports push young athletes and coaches to set personal goals and overcome hard challenges, which forms a confident leader. ” Sports teach athletes how to be resilient, how to be good teammates, how to have confidence, and if they make a mistake, how to come back from that mistake and try harder for next time,” said Mrs. Hamrock

The journey it took a coach to where they are today is very different for each coach at OHS. Whether it is because they have a passion for the sport, or if they are wanting to teach life lessons, it leaves a big impact on an athlete’s development in their sport. From transforming their own love for the game to watching their team succeed, coaches are the best mentors an athlete could have. They help their team mentally and physically, and share their story on how they became a coach, with their team uplifting them to win their game. “I think soccer is great mentally for athletes because it teaches them how to be good winners and good losers,” said Mrs. Hamrock

Would you want to be a coach? Tell us in the comments!