Coaches – How Important is Recognition to You?

I am very interested in hearing from coaches, about how their work is recognised by others.

There may be a difference between volunteer coaches and those who are paid; however, for some coaches, being paid for works rendered is only a part of the deal. Being publicly recognised as the coach who did good work is also very important.

When it comes to sport, we are obsessed with accomplishment. It is easy to recognise success in athletes. It is a bit harder to recognise coaches – how / what do we value? Success of the athlete you work with? Number of hours worked?

I can think of a couple of good reasons that coaches, even if they are paid to do a job, should be recognised publically. For example:

1. By being recognised for good work, the coach’s horizons may expand and they may be offered new opportunities.
2. Coaches are building a brand, upon which their reputation – and perhaps their livlihood – may depend.

If a coach is working for an organisation, such as Sports Club XYZ, then who should be recognised publicly? Is Sports Club XYZ providing a good experience for the athlete, or is the coach providing the good experience?

For me, to use a football reference, it is the name on the front of the shirt that is more important than the name on the back. When a coach agrees to work for a club, they are agreeing to work towards the organisations goals.

Is knowing that you are doing your best not enough? How important is it that other people see that?

There is a negativity attached to not getting praise. If a coach is working in close proximity to an athlete who is doing well, I understand why they would want that, too.

My concern is that if we continuously highlight the work done by an individual coach, rather than Sport Club XYZ, we may inflate egos; and with accomplishment comes a growing pressure to pretend we know more than we do.

A couple of questions to finish with:

1. If we are highlighting the good work done by individual coaches, how does that affect the reputation of the organisation?

2. From a coach’s perspective, if you are working for a club, how important is it that YOU – rather than the CLUB – are recognised as doing good work?

Take care!

Blair (blaircremin@googlemail.com)