Reflecting On My Experiences In The Master Program
Synthesizing Essay
Introduction
As a young coach, I never expected to further my education. Learning and retaining information at school has never been something that I was very strong at or enjoyed. My main focus was always the game of volleyball. My goal in high school was to always further my playing career, by getting a scholarship to play volleyball. I was able to accomplish that goal and was able to gain life experiences that I never could have imagined. Michigan State volleyball gave me more than I ever could’ve asked for, and the state of Michigan gave me a place to grow both as a player and a coach. As a young adult, the Lansing community built into me, while I built into them by coaching throughout the community. I gained experience as a youth coach and was encouraged to further my career in collegiate coaching. As a student assistant, I was able to gain some knowledge of what going on behind the scenes of being a collegiate coach. As the year progressed, I found out that most collegiate coaches get their masters in order to coach at the highest level. I was discouraged to find this out knowing how difficult school could be for me.
The fear of going back to school overwhelmed me because it was a world of unknown. Knowing that school never came easy to me was something that discouraged me from choosing to further my education sooner. I became fearful of the change it would bring to my coaching style. My identity as a coach was based on the experiences I had as a player and my worry was losing sight of the life lessons I had learned and the importance of building relationships with my athletes. My overall coaching style is based on providing an environment where athletes are able to express themselves as individuals, work with their teammates, and provide them with support and love.
After a few months of debating my options, I chose to further my education in coaching, by going toward my Masters in Education at Michigan State. Choosing to further my education was never my original goal but I am thankful I pursued further my education because it has opened my eyes to a new world of coaching. Several courses I chose to take have given me insight into the lives of the players I work with, and how to encourage them to be the best version of themselves. The program has not taken away from my coaching style, but heightened it and elevated it to the next level.
Positive Attitudes
One of the ways my master’s degree enhanced my coaching style was by providing me with different ways to motivate my players through learning. In CEP 802 Developing Positive Attitudes Toward Learning, we read and discussed the book, Motivating Students to Learn (2014). Throughout this text I was able to improve my understanding of Maslow’s Hierarchy of Human Needs, and what strategies would best suit me as a coach to provide an environment that encouraged positive motivation toward learning. This course made me aware of several different types of motivational approaches where I could motivate my players through an intrinsic and extrinsic way. As a coach you tend to reward players for understanding the knowledge of the game, this course pushed my way of thinking and changed the way I see giving rewards.
Our final project in the course discussed the needs of one of the students we worked with. I chose a player who I had worked with for the past two years and I was able to come to the conclusion of what motivational strategies would work best for her to succeed on and off the court. The player I worked with struggled with failure syndrome symptoms, meaning she lost motivation to persist with learning efforts and chose to give up quickly in situations. In order to get to the bottom of this, I had to change the way I motivated her and incorporated a more intrinsic approach. Providing this intrinsic approach to my coaching style helped me understand the importance of providing an environment that is enjoyable, meaningful, and fulfilling for the athletes I work with.
Youth Development
Another course that helped me provide a more supportive learning environment for my athletes was KIN 857 Promoting Positive Youth Development through Sport. Throughout this course I was able to understand why providing positive youth development (PYD) into my coaching could change the success of my program. Gaining insight into the physical needs of athletes, while also providing them with an environment that encourages them to build relationships. Lener’s 5 Cs set up the groundwork for positive youth development that would be discussed throughout the class while gaining insight into how you could successfully integrate PYD into your coaching. The are several different frameworks that encompass PYD, one of those main frameworks being, A Model of Coaching Life Skills through Team Sport. This framework became a new way of coaching for me by, providing an environment based on, Lener’s 5 C’s, Sport Context, the Process, and the transfer of these life skills to the sport.
Throughout this course, we were also able to be introduced to Joe Ehrmann’s book, InsideOut Coaching. This text uncovers the dos and don’ts of coaching through a player’s eyes as he starts his journey as a coach. Ehrmann discusses throughout the book the importance of a transformative coach, which builds into their athletes and creates authentic relationships with them. Ehrmann believed that “transformational coaching occurs only when people believe in you and choose to follow because they know that you believe in them,” (Ehrmann, J. (2014)). He discusses how this type of coaching is the start of PYD, and how programs can grow to become successful. Building authentic relationships with your athletics plays a primitive role in creating a program that promotes PYD.
Creativity
During my time in the master’s program, I made it a point to structure my classes for coaching, administrative, and creative. Choosing classes that provided me with an array of knowledge that could elevate my coaching, while still providing a positive environment for my athletes. Out of all the courses, I have had a chance to be a part of, my favorite course and most influential was CEP 818 Creativity in Teaching and Learning. This course opened my eyes to a new way of learning and finding a new way to reinvent the sport I loved most. This course gave me a chance to play into my creative strengths outside of the gym, while incorporating the sport I love. I was able to reimagine the way that I see the game of volleyball, and it put my knowledge of the game to the test. For this course I was asked to create lesson plans that provided a fun, encouraging, and creative environment. One way I was able to reimagine the sport of volleyball was making it relatable to people who aren’t familiar with the sport. I made it a point to relate the three contacts to either daily activities or movements that are well known. Before this course I struggled to teach the game at a more novice level. This course has given me a chance to connect with a younger, less experienced crowd of athletes who are encouraged by the relatableness of the game to their daily lives.
Throughout this course, I was able to perceive my sport in a different light and reimagine it from the point of view that someone who has never played. Reimagining volleyball pushed me outside of my comfort zone and gave me new ways to teach the game. This course gave me a safe space, to explore and push my creative limits. Being a part of this course I uncovered a new perspective on learning, and how to incorporate fun activities for my athletes in the gym. I was able to reimagine passing, setting, and attacking and to bring a new way of learning to the gym where my athletes leave with a smile on their faces.
Conclusion
Since being a part of this Masters’s program I have gained further insight into what it takes to be a strong coach. My definition at the beginning of this journey would have been someone who provides an environment where their athletes can be successful. After going through the master’s program my view on coaching has grown to new heights. I now understand that sports are like living things and they are always growing and evolving on a regular basis. To be a coach who can provide a space where athletes can experience gaining new knowledge of the game but growing as a person outside of the gym as well. To continue to be a strong coach for young female athletes, I need to continue to develop my skills and learn new ways I can provide a fun environment for my athletes.
I am an advocate for positive youth development and look for new ways to motivate the athletes that I am working with. It is important to provide an environment where young athletes can be successful but where they can most importantly have fun. This winter, I started a new season with a new group of young athletes where I have had the opportunity to provide them with this new way of coaching. I can say that so far, the success of the season has been great but the relationships that the players have built have been the most rewarding.
As I leave the Masters in Education, Sport Coaching and Leadership program, I leave knowing what I can provide to my athletes. I can provide my athletes with a new style of coaching that touches on the importance of building relationships, positive youth development, and encouraging athletes to bring in new creative ideas toward volleyball. As discussed above every sport is like a living organism, it is constantly changing. I will make it a point to develop my skills each season, so I can provide my athletes with the best coaching possible. Growing with the sport and staying up to date on new ways to learn skills can continue to make a difference in who I am as a leaner. As stated on my home page, I am always going to be creating lifetime creations. A person who was fearful of what this program would do to her coaching, came to understand how it impacted her in a positive way. Currently, I am applying for a few different coaching positions and they have said being a part of this program is special. Two years ago, I would have said that this program is only so I can coach collegiate athletes. Now this program has become my most prized degree that I can be proud of. Again, I am so thankful for this experience and I am leaving this program a more well rounded and successful coach.
