Coaching Philosophy

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When it comes to the structure of the culture in the gym, I make sure it sets the tone for our season. My beliefs of coaching stem from the coaches I had in my life as a player. The coaches in my life believed in not only helping me on the court but helping me become a strong woman outside of the gym. I believe in doing exactly that while incorporating life lessons in my practices along the way. My main coaching philosophy stems from encouraging young women to believe in themselves, give them an opportunity to lead, and encourage them to have empathy. 

Instilling confidence in these young women is important to me because it can set the tone for the rest of their life. I want to be able to be a mentor for the athletes that I work with and to show them what a great example of a strong woman looks like. Building confidence amongst my athletes leads into the next large part of my coaching philosophy which is leadership. 

Encouraging the athletes I work with the importance of leading by example is something that is very important to me. I know the difficulties of deciding between being a good teammate or taking the selfish road. As a coach, it is my responsibility to help the athletes I work with to make the right choice of being selfless during those tough times. Creating a team culture that is surrounding by being selfless and a good teammate has helped the teams I have worked with become closer. Overall the environment and the player’s experience are positive ones because of the selfless attitude that is in place. As I encourage my players to act this way, they later on in life are able to apply this selfless leadership skill to their lives. 

The most important piece to my coaching philosophy is empathy. A year ago, I was told I would never be a great coach because of the empathy I have for my players. I have found that to be the exact opposite, providing an environment where coaches take the time to understand how their players are feeling has a positive impact on both the team and the player. Providing my athletes with a safe and understanding environment has given me the chance to get to know my players on a personal level. The biggest positive of having an empathy-based environment is the fact that the entire team has now learned to empathize with others around them. Everyone is different and everyone is going through something, reminding them of this creates a safe space to be themselves.