The technical and tactical part of coaching is the easy
part. For some reason coaches early in their career tend to focus on these
areas to the exclusion of all else. Just as we want to develop and build
complete athletes we must be complete coaches. Being a complete coach means
attending to all elements of the job. The administrative aspect of coaching is
the most onerous, but in many ways most important. You must master it and
master it early. You can’t compete in the track meet if you were so disorganized
you forgot to order the bus. Communication skills or lack thereof can be the
coaches undoing. Ability to communicate with the athlete is obvious, but
communication with other professionals and your colleagues is just as
important. Talk less, listen more, respect those who have opened the doors for you. My advice is to take a step back and look at where you are and do a
thorough assessment of your entire skill set and abilities. Above all make sure
you have a balance, don’t forget your family and relationships. There is life
outside of coaching; I know it took me too many years to figure that out.