Pictures of Gideon's Basketball Team in Practice. Look at all the running Mr. Walker makes them do!
This semester Gideon and I have both been coaching a sport. I have continued to coach 3rd-5th grade soccer and Gideon is coaching 3rd-5th grade basketball. We only practice or a have a game once a week. Basically the same kids are playing both soccer on Wednesdays and basketball on Thursdays with a few that only play one or the other.
For me this is my first year as a coach and it has been somewhat stressful at times. Sometimes the stress comes from the lack of communication between me and the upper grade coaches about who gets to use the field when, but mostly it comes from trying to engage and motivate these students into working hard with out them complaining. This is how a practice has usually gone .
We run three laps which takes a whole three minutes in which maybe 5 players run the whole time, even with me constantly encouraging them. After we run they are in dire need of a water break. I tell them they will get one after we stretch. Once it is time for a water break instead of filling up their water bottles and drinking they decide to play on the playground. Once I call them back on the field for the next drill they complain about not drinking their water yet. We all get gathered up so I can explain the next drill. We do the next drill which requires barely any running at all, but just because they have been standing out in the sun for 10 minutes of course they need a water break! At the beginning of last semester all they asked at practice was when are we going to scrimmage. At least now that question has subsided. At practice once we start scrimmaging they forget about the water they need and we scrimmage until the end of practice. Games are not much better. They all want to win. When we don't win they complain about the positions we placed them in, they are mean and discouraging to their teams mates, and by half time most of them are so exhausted they are walking to the ball instead of running. They want the reward of the win without putting in the hard work.
Last week, I went to watch one of Gideon's practices and the kids were engaged, listening, working hard, focused, and not complaining. Well, Gideon is a much tougher coach than I, and his kids that had been doing all the complaining had consequences of running more and doing more push ups than the others.
Gideon and I have a much different view of how elementary sports should look. I think elementary sports should be used as a time of exploration and encouragement. They should try all the sports and see which one they like or even if they like sports at all. At the same time they need to be encouraged to continue because playing a sport and getting exercise is healthy. I try to give all of my soccer players equal playing time. Gideon, he might put this a little different but, he sees this as a time to teach them what competitive sports really look like. It is about working hard, and if you are not willing to put in the effort then it means the coach will see that and will not play you as much. It is about learning to listen to the coach and know he/she has more experience. Its a time when they need to individually decide if they are willing to go through the hard work of getting in shape to continuing to push themselves to be a better athlete.
I don't think one of us is right and one of us is wrong.I think there needs to be a little give and take of both opinions. I have realized, after being stressed out at soccer games because I can't think with every student asking me to switch him/her to different position and refusing to take no for an answer; after being stressed out because after practicing proper throw ins the last 3 practices one of the students in the game says "Oh, I didn't know you have to keep both feet on the ground," that just encouraging them is not going to get their attention. So Gideon has started coaching me how to be a tough coach. It is hard for me. It doesn't come natural. This last practice I laid down some laws and now I just have to stick with them once game time comes around. If any of them ask me to switch them to a different position they are sitting out the rest of the game. At practice if any one decides to walk when we are doing our laps they have earned another lap around the field for the whole team!
Even though practice and games are pretty much chaos it has been a lot of fun. I enjoy getting to know and hang out with some of Gideon's 5th grade students. I did referee a game once and I vow never to do that again. I'm a horrible referee. We will see if I can succeed as a tough coach!
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