coach

[kōCH]

VERB

coaching (present participle

train or instruct (a team or player)

“He has coached the Edmeston Panthers for six years”

give (someone) extra or private teaching.

synonyms:

instruct · teach · tutor · school · educate · upskill · guide · drill · prime · cram · put someone through their paces · train

This month’s blog is, again, based off conversations I have had with a few team owners and captains as of late.  The topic is centered around coaching, or rather more specifically, how to be a good, better, or just simply a coach.  It’s often an overlooked position and one that, in the sport of paintball, doesn’t get as much attention from teams as it should.  I truly believe that several teams or programs could benefit from having a dedicated individual who can help the players grow as well as allow them to focus on playing. But first, I think there needs to be a little context or background on where I am coming from.

There was a time I believed coaching in paintball was just an empty title.  More than likely, the “coach” was the guy who called a line or maybe he managed logistical issues. Or he was the guy who was yelling from the sidelines when in game “coaching” was legal in paintball.  He was anything but a coach by the very definition of the word or what most of us think of when we hear the term.  There was no Vince Lombardi, Bear Bryant, or John Wooden of paintball.  And I never really thought there would be.  Sure, there have been several great leaders in paintball, Shane Pestana (LA Ironmen), Alex Martinez ( San Antonio X-Factor), Bart Yachimec  (Edmonton Impact), Mike Hinman (San Diego Aftermath/Dynasty), and Rusty Glaze (Dynasty) to name just a few.  Please do not get me wrong, they all are incredibly talented leaders and a coach must be a good leader.  But I guess I never really looked at them as “coaches” per say back then (I would now).  Maybe I was hanging onto images or memories of my grade school and high school wrestling, boxing, baseball, and football coaches?  Possibly.  But “paintball coach” never really seemed practical.  Sure, there were talented individuals who knew how to up a players skill set, or motivate a team, or suggest approaches but no definitive coaching role.

That all changed when I met Paul Richards.

Baca, or Top as I affectionately called him during our time together, was my introduction to what a paintball coach could and should be.  He was the whole package of what one would think of when using the term coach.  He was a leader but also the offensive and defensive coordinator with managerial capabilities who had an eye for talent.  He not only recognized who the potential talented players were but also specific talents in each player.  Sure, he knew the Xs and Os.  But his greatest superpower, in my opinion, was his recognition of a player’s abilities and how those abilities could be leveraged to win matches.  He was truly talented in that way.  He could take the weakest link on a roster and make them an asset simply by using the one or two things they were good at and mixing that in with the other tools on the team to meet the needs of the point.  He made it look and seem so easy.

It isn’t.

If you read any books on coaching, sports psychology, or biographies about famous coaches in professional sports, you will see that almost all of them have similar themes.  We covered the psychological approach to them here – https://zenandtheartofpaintball.com/2016/08/21/dodge-duck-dip-dive-and-dodge/

(Or look to your right on the page and click the link for past blogs on the topic of coaching – might I suggest the following:

Who’s with me?!

What’s in a name?

Lightning In a Bottle?

Touche’ Cliche’

(trigger warning on “touche’ cliche”)

Most successful coaches recognize that, besides the importance of the Xs and Os, there is another element that is just as significant.  A solid relationship between the player and coach is paramount to a successful process.  It must be symbiotic (mutually beneficial).  At its core, its very foundation, there must be, there has to be, the element of trust.  The player has to trust the coach to identify what will make them better.  The coach must trust that the player has the capability of meeting that level of improvement.

It is worth noting however that the relationship must be in the best interest of the team while still fulfilling the needs of the player.  This includes, but should not be limited to, benching/cutting that player or replacing that coach. 

Here are some things I have learned over the years, whether from those great leaders I mentioned earlier or from other walks of life and sports.

• Failure is not always bad. We can all learn from our mistakes.  They can make us better.  Failure is “fertilizer”. It creates the healthy environment in which a player and coach can grow.  If you can eliminate future mistakes by learning from them, you are on the right path to growing into a great player or coach.
• Knowledge and discipline are indispensable. But without truly caring for a player, genuinely wanting what is best for them, those two traits won’t matter.  See, if the player knows I am real, I can let them have it and then we can share a beer and joke about it later.
  • If you don’t see yourself becoming or utilizing this method, it doesn’t mean you can’t be a successful coach.  It just means you will have to use something else to gain that trust and confidence.
• Piggy backing on the bullet point above, I have seen my most success when I treat the players like family. As Rocky Cagnoni said in PUSH, “It’s like a big family… I mean, people see us fightin’ and everything but that’s what a real family does. I think anyways. I mean, fightin’ one second and the next second it’s all cool. It’s the heat of the moment.  I think that that’s what gets the passion.  I’m Italian, I like the passion…”
• Coach Paul taught me that the key to coaching is taking players and truly analyzing their ability. Then putting them in a position where they can improve not only the effectiveness of the TEAM but gain individual improvement for the benefit of the team. Getting players to play better than they think they can is a superpower.
• Coaching can be complex or it can be simple. It depends on the assets in front of you.  It’s like a tool box.  You need the right tool for the job (simple) or it can be like a puzzle and you have to find the right pieces then put them together to make things work (complex).

I can’t remember where I read it, but the comment stuck with me. “All coaching is, is taking a player where he can’t take himself.”  (I just looked it up – Bill McCartney – head football coach at the University of Boulder Colorado from 82’ to 94’).  How profound… and yet how astoundingly true.  A coach is a guide.  He can show you the way, but the player has to commit and follow the path laid out before him.  It is ultimately the player’s choice.  Coaches can’t execute for you on the field.  You have to do that as a player.  But what if the coach has chosen the wrong path or doesn’t really know or recognize what a player needs?

As a coach you have to recognize the power you wield when the player trusts you.  In other words, as a coach, you have to know the WHY behind each instruction.  I have seen it a hundred times.  A “coach” shows a player something but doesn’t explain the why.  “Just do it this way.”  Or worse, makes players run a drill that is teaching them the wrong thing or maybe emphasizing the wrong thing.  This can cause regression, delay growth, or just plain teach a bad habit.  Understand the why before implementing the how. You better know how to implement said how. (That was a fun sentence to write.)  Ultimately the key to gaining and building trust is simple.  Be honest.  An honest coach is a successful coach.  If you don’t know, so say.  But if you do, explain why…

Another key factor I have learned from the great paintball leaders I mentioned earlier (some I call friends and others I just know from meeting in pits and short conversations) also happens to be one of the 4 C’s mentioned in that blog post from 2016.  It is confidence. But not confidence from a player’s perspective or a champion’s perspective, from a coaching perspective.  I think one of the key elements about being a successful coach is that you have to have a sense of confidence about what you are doing. You are essentially selling a process, a concept, a vision of the future.  Anyone who comes in trying to show me something that seems unsure of what they are doing, I may not have checked out the moment you opened your mouth, but I was most certainly skeptical.  So be confident.  Now I didn’t say smug. There is a difference.  I often tell my players, “Let your game speak for you… no need to make anything personal through words.  Your game will speak much louder than anything your mouth says.”   This should apply to coaching as well.  They either see the results from what you have implemented or they don’t.  Your actions and the results should speak for you.

A good coach has to be able to fill multiple roles.  They must be a good communicator, motivator, teacher, goal identifier, confidence builder, organizer, manager, politician, physicist, wizard, cat herder, and mentor.  (okay, some of those I made up)  They must recognize the strengths, the weaknesses, the opportunities, and the threats to the team and plan accordingly.  A coach takes action anticipating the outcome based off data he sees and knows.  He creates a culture that will benefit all the players, not just a few.  But he can’t do it alone.  He has to have buy in from the players.

I guess, in the end, coaching is all about “the process”.  One of my favorite moments as a coach is when I see that light bulb go off in a player’s head when they “get it”.  I love when players begin to recognize their potential and see it come to fruition in a match.  I love when teams see the hard work pay off by making Sunday or winning those tough matches.  I love the practices where you see players dig deep and really give you 150%, the ones who want to be there, the ones who believe… that’s good stuff man.  At least, I think so… that’s why I do it.

Be water my friends.

Make no mistake about it… I had to look that word up too.  But I find reading a new word a day helps in the development of my vocabulary (duh).  You will see what I did there in a moment…

In last month’s blog, we did a quick dive into depth charts of rosters and the difference between recognizing potential talent and simply picking obvious talent.
This month, I wanted to continue along those lines and discuss something that happens whether you chose door number one or door number two (recognizing potential or picking obvious). No matter which you chose, you now have another duty… will you manage the player or develop the player?  This is usually based off the first decision you made.  Although, I believe all players still have room to develop.

“All growth depends upon activity. There is no development physically or intellectually without effort, and effort means work.” – Calvin Coolidge

As with many of my blogs, this topic developed out of a conversation. I was speaking with a semi pro player I have come to know over the past year. We were discussing our opinions on what a “paintball coach” really is or should be. I, personally, believe it is the role of the coach to create an environment where the players can be just that… a player. The coach needs to remove all external factors to make sure the player’s focus is on getting better and performing well. In other words, create an environment where they can be their best. If I keep bringing issues to the players, if I bring drama, I am putting roadblocks in their progress. Why? Because I am distracting from the number one goal of being a coach… helping and guiding the players so they perform at their peak. The coach needs to recognize the strengths and weaknesses of each player, and leverage them against the layout. Then, during a match, leverage those same strengths and weaknesses against the opponent within the parameters of the layout.

If you can recognize how a player responds or rather how they learn, then you can “coach” them more effectively. One size fits all works with some teams but most teams are pretty diverse. You have to know how to approach each player individually and know what motivates them. So let’s focus on DEVELOPING a player.

In my experience, there are three things that cause teams to fall short or adversely affect their performance:

1. Not clearly communicating expectations
2. Ineffective/infrequent/inappropriate feedback
3. Lack of accountability

So if the above is bad it makes sense that the following would be better:

1. Clearly established expectations
2. Continually coaching (environment of always learning)
3. Creating accountability

“Ever since I was a child I have had this instinctive urge for expansion and growth. To me, the function and duty of a quality human being is the sincere and honest development of one’s potential.” – Bruce Lee

These are the 3 most important steps in developing a player, as well. From this base line, all goodness will spring… which means you need to establish a good base line. Without a good base line, all badness will spring and now you’re in a pickle.

EXPECTATIONS

How do we effectively manage expectations? I believe when you establish an expectation and/or a goal with a player (and the team for that matter) there needs to be the understanding that they currently have the capability of achieving it but that it is challenging enough to push them.
As a coach, you and the player or team, should understand that these expectations should have a “cadence”, and recognize which are priorities. Develop a consensus on that and you should be off to the races.
I have found that teams perform better and learn quicker when the players are responsible for both individual AND team goals. In other words, the focus of the individual player should be to improve something about themselves that leads to the overall strength of the team. If the betterment of the individual doesn’t increase team capability, we’re wasting time.

COACHING

Another 3 pack for you to consider. Coaching should have a minimum of 3 components. And this shouldn’t just apply to paintball but all aspects of life. The three “F’s”:

1. Frequency
2. Focus
3. Fairness

Always engage. Always look for ways to improve. Now this doesn’t mean rag a player over and over every point and every drill. You have to find the balance. When you see an opportunity to create an improvement, say something. If they ASK you, respond. You should WANT the engagement. Most players WANT to get better. And this doesn’t have to just be the coach. Players can make players better. Steel sharpens steel.

No matter how frequently you engage, if there isn’t a purpose behind the engagement, if there isn’t a focus on what is or was the issue, then you are simply creating static. This can lead to a nagging relationship or a stressed player who is afraid to be engaged.  They will usually shut down. Make sure there is a point.

Finally, be fair with criticism and praise. If you compliment a player on an accomplishment make sure others are receiving similar positive reinforcement. Same with criticism. If someone’s doing something wrong, call it out but not just when THAT person does it. When ANYONE does it.

“The key to growth is the introduction of higher dimensions of consciousness into our awareness.” – Lao Tzu

ACCOUNTABILITY

This one is easy. Recognize success, celebrate it, but do NOT ever ignore failure. Identify it and embrace it with the understanding it must be fixed or improved. Or over strengthen a strength. If you create a positive environment, the players will usually hold THEMSELVES accountable recognizing things they need to work on. THAT is a great thing unless that’s all they are doing and they become Eeyore from Winnie the Pooh (okay, some of you just went… “What??”. Google him.)

Be careful though. Measuring performance can be subjective, especially in paintball players. Set individual goals, develop some metrics, and observe. Base it on the data you have and can read/see.

All three of those components can be summed up in the following analogy – The report card!

Remember when you used to bring your report card home to your parents? (Do they still do that or does the new generation not get held accountable? Perhaps grades are a micro-aggression… I don’t know these days…I digress) Let’s say you bring home 3 A’s, 2 B’s, and a C. Where does the conversation with your parents start? Usually around that C, yes? If not, maybe it starts with the A’s and then the C? Either way, they both should be discussed.

I will leave you with this. Ask yourself these three (there’s that number again) questions in conjunction with everything stated above:

1. What’s the goal?
2. What does success in reaching that goal look like?
3. Always align a player’s goals with those of the team’s needs.

Remember, you can create your own truth when you don’t hear the truth…

Be water my friends

Happy New Year!  The season is soon to begin and in some instances, has already begun.  Coaches, captains, and players alike are all getting in on the “grind”, preparing for what could be their most challenging season yet.  Preparation, as we have discussed several times in the past, is multi faceted.  There are several elements that go into preparing, training, creating, in order to roster a winning team.  Just like in other sports, it is critical to have the right mix of talent on your paintball team.  I thought, since it is the beginning of the year, we should look at a specific aspect of team building.

A team/coach needs to understand not just the fundamental level of talent but how that talent is spread out and in what areas.  In other words, what is the depth of your roster?  This is the topic of this months blog – roster depth and recognizing talent.

In all team sports, every serious team looks at their “depth chart”.  This is usually a list identifying the starter in each position.  So, a starting player would be listed first or at the top of said list, while back up or second string is listed after or lower on the list.  The list is developed and based off capabilities or who is better at what when.

Now, before I go any further I want to explain my stance on paintball players and their positions.  I’ve had this conversation several times lately but I feel it bears mentioning due to our topic.

Yes, I believe in developing a paintball player versus a snake player or a dorito player.  If you identify as a snake player, dorito player, or as a cat, you have already limited your abilities on the field and my ability to utilize you in a game setting.  I prefer to use the terms 1’s, 2’s, and 3’s.  In its most simple form, it would go like this; if you are a “snake player” – you’re usually fast and a good gun fighter (hopefully).  These basic precepts apply to dorito players too (I would hope).  So if I have a fast gun fighter, why shouldn’t he train for both environments?  Playing from your feet, knees, stomach, should all have the same basic principles, yes?  Take into account the field layout and how a player does based off its shown opportunities…well…

I believe that it’s solid for players to cross train anyway, to try different positions on field, especially given layout changes.  This is in hopes to better understand what the opponent can and cannot see.  It also gives the player a better perspective and understanding of how their opponent may act in certain circumstances.  I also am a firm believer that layouts will dictate player’s capabilities by highlighting strengths and exposing weaknesses.

Couple this with the fact 2’s (mid players) should be able to play both front and back and that 3’s have to be able to take the 2’s spot and clean games up, that means they should be familiar with the 1’s and 2’s capabilities/knowledge set too.  Translation?  Everyone needs to know how to play everywhere.  Does that mean you don’t have “specialists”?  Not at all.  Can you have specialists?  Certainly.  Especially at higher levels.  So it’s not an outright disregard or disposal of the thought process.  Simply a different look or approach to training and improving ones skill.

Okay… moving on.

When we look at roster depth, at least in paintball, we should be looking at several factors.

• Experience – How have they learned/grown from their experience? Are they knowledgeable. Can they articulate it?  Just because someone has played a long time doesn’t instantly make them “experienced” by the way.
• Physicality – Are they physically fit?  Are they durable, have good cardio, think clearly when tired? Injury prone?  Are they fast, slow?
• Skill set(s) – What are the players strengths over all from a fundamental perspective?  Good laner, snap shooter, gunfighter, communicator, head for the game?
• Character – Are they coachable, do they listen, are the respectful, are they loyal, are they a team player, do they get along, fit in the culture?

How do you measure these things and how do you develop your own depth chart?  This all begins by understanding the difference between “recognizing talent” and “picking talent”.

Now, most paintball teams happen organically.  What I mean by this is most teams are a group of friends or acquaintances who attend the same field or know each other in some common manner.  It isn’t so much about the “draft” so to speak but working with what you got.  Honesty is a big part here.  But that doesn’t mean you can’t utilize what you have, take a serious look at your roster depth, and plan accordingly.

Where was I?  Oh yes…

Picking talent is easy.  “That guy is a good player.  I just watched him get two consecutive 3 packs and no one has stopped him.  And he seems like a cool guy.  We should pick him up.”  Easy.

Recognizing talent is a little more nuanced.   I would go as far as to say an “art”.  This is the evaluation of how good a player can be based off their existing capabilities.  In other words, you are predicting whether or not a player will grow in the future based off their current physical, technical, and psychological qualities shown.

The major difference between the two is that one will probably get you better results starting day one.  The other will more than likely (if done correctly) build you an elite player for the future of the program/team and get you results down the road.

Several teams I have encountered over the years have the “win at all cost” mentality.  This is usually what leads teams to actively searching out better existing players (picking talent).  Not many have the patience, desire, or even capability to farm talent.  And that is understandable.  When you focus on building a team based off picking existing talent throughout the area (or even more so, outside your area), you are basically picking team members to start the winning process right away.  This, of course, includes  cutting those team members/try outs who do not help with the winning process. This will certainly lead to short-term successes.

However, teams that do this have a tendency to be short-lived or see sporadic success.  They didn’t invest in the culture, they didn’t invest within the team name, all topics we have discussed in past blogs.

Now teams that choose to identify talent and farm it have a tendency towards a little more longevity.  They certainly have a healthier culture (in my opinion) and are usually the greater “team”.  Paintball is, in fact, a team sport so I don’t see why that wouldn’t be an advantage.  Is this always the case?  No.  Same with the paragraph above.  From my experience, it is true more than not.

I will say that I believe this is where solid coaching comes into play.  Not just in recognizing talent but ensuring the creation of an environment in which players can thrive and learn.  The coach must be able to know what that player needs to work on, how they need to work on it, how they learn, and recognizing what motivates them (and not necessarily in that order).  A coach must target the physical, psychological, and technical components of a player then identify if a player does indeed have what it takes to become a great or elite player.

Talent recognition is obviously a long-term approach to player selection and development since it mainly emphasizes training players instead of cutting all but the best ones and finding better players to fill the gaps. Of course, identifying a player who you think has what it takes , investing the time, and then learning you were wrong can be a bummer.  It happens.  But that almost always lies with a misidentification of that players attitude and willingness to learn or the culture that exists around them (environment).

Some teams have farm teams, usually lower divisional teams, that they try to build.  Of course, some programs use these teams to fund the higher level team (I can’t stand this  if it isn’t mutually beneficial.)  One advantage of having farm teams that is often overlooked is, you can transfer players up and down (barring APPA rankings).  A player doesn’t have to be cut if they are just learning at a slower pace.  Its like having  majors and minors in baseball.  We’re not cutting you, we are putting you on this roster until we get you up to the speed we need you to be.  Of course, you have to be careful as sometimes other teams will scoop them up.  You also have the issue of your top players, if the culture isn’t sound, feeling they are not growing, or you surround them with sub par players, you run the risk of them leaving for another team.

The key is balance.  If you help the less skilled ones catch up technically to the proficient ones, you are in a win/win environment.  Your talent book just doubled in size as did your roster depth.

We need better coaches in our sport too.  But that is a blog for another day.  Better and more educated coaches in our sport will lead a better understanding of the difference between picking and growing talent.  Hopefully more decide to teach and encourage players to develop rather than try to win at all costs.  Again, not that there is anything necessarily wrong with the latter…

Be Water My Friends…