My Coaching Philosophy
Several years ago, I read "Flow" by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi and one section really resonated with me. It was on what he calls the effects of family on the autotelic (flow) personality and what could be called the 5 Cs of the promotion of optimal experience in parenting, and I modified them slightly to apply to coaching.
Clarity: unambiguous goals on feedback in team interactions
Centering: athlete's perception that their coaches are interested in what they're doing NOW, rather than being preoccupied with getting into college (winning a game/title) or into a well-paying job (or the coach's own self-promotion)
Choice: instilling a sense of autonomy in decision-making and an understanding of the responsibility of consequence
Commitment: the trust that allows an athlete to feel comfortable enough to set aside his/her shield of defensiveness and become unselfconsciously involved in whatever he/she is interested in
Challenge: coaches' dedication to provide increasingly complex opportunities for action to their athletes
If you are a coach or parent, applying these principles to your practice is sure to provide your athletes/kids with a much richer experience in sport and in your relationship with them.