If you want to be a great coach it is imperative that you know the work of those who have come before you. It is more than being able to answer trivia questions, it a deep understanding of you sport and those who the leaders and innovators in their time were. You will also find that you may think you are plowing new ground, when in fact these folks were doing it 50,60 or 70 years ago.
If you fancy yourself a sport scientist, do you know these names? Jim Hay, Betty Atwater, Chuck Dillman, Jack Wilmore, Bob Nidefer and David Costill
If you are basketball coach do you know who John Bunn is?
If you are sprint coach do know who these coaches are? Ed Temple, Leroy Walker, Bud Winter and Gerard Mach
If you are a hurdle coach, do you know who these coaches are? Alessandro “Sandro” Calvesi, Wilbur Ross
If you are jumps coach, do you know who Tadeuz Stazynski or Witold Kreer is?
If you are a throw coach and/or a strength and conditioning coach, do you know who Chuck Coker or Ken Shannon is?
If you are middle distance or distance coach, do you know who Mihalyi or Franz Stampfl is?
If you coach pole vault, do you know who Dutch Wamerdam is?
If you coach Decathlon, do you know who Friedel Schirmer is?
We could go on forever across a variety of sports, the point being that you MUST know your history to be the best you can possibly be.