Culture Developer

I believe that it is a coachs job to work towards creating a culture that embodies the following values : Service ,Grit
,Agape Love ,Community, Authenticity, Passion, Growth mindset, Excellence, Integrity, Competition. I believe that
the coach should develop these values, mission statements and the overall culture as part of a team of other coaches,
captains, leaders and players. In order for a team to embrace the culture they must feel ownership over it, therefore
intentional group development and input in the development of the culture is critical. The coach is therefore not the
culture creator or even the sole culture keeper; instead they are part of the development team and process. Creating a
culture that is purpose driven, empowering, ethical and inclusive and process orientated is vital to a teams success
both on and off the field.
Leadership Developer
Leaders are made not born. I truly buy into this concept, and therefore believe it is our responsibility to intentionally
and actively develop leaders whenever we can. The sporting arena and environment is a prime location for this. As
the players learn skills for sport, they must also learn skills for life. I believe it is a coachs role to develop a
leadership curriculum and implement it within the confines of their program. I believe that leadership development
should take place within every member of the team, and with the person at the center of that development. Instead of
implementing a one size fits all curriculums I think it is vital to meet the players where they are at, and develop them
from there.
Learner
I embrace the notion of a growth mindset, in that talents and intelligence are not fixed traits and that we can all
continually develop and learn. I think this is crucial for a coach in all facets of their development, on and off the
field. Continually yearning to learn, improve and grow allows a coach to stay relevant and in touch with their
athletes as they too develop. It also enables the coach to continually get better and not remain stagnant or satisfied.
Admitting that I do not know everything and that I am constantly eager to learn allows me to expose myself
consistently to new information, ideas and research, thus I am constantly learning. I believe a vital by product of
this is the modelling of this notion and idea to my players. I want to inspire them to continuously love learning in all
facets of their life.
Servant leader
As a coach there will be times that the team needs a different type of leader based on the personnel and situation. I
believe that being grounded in the heart and notion of a servant leader allows for this constant adaptation to take
place. The desire to serve the needs, not the wants, or the program and its individuals challenges the coach to adapt
and be the best version of them however that may need to look at that particular moment. I believe that a coach
must be willing to sacrifice time, energy and effort in order to serve the needs of their players. Additionally, the
grounding of the leadership approach in love and service I believe is crucial for a coach in order to connect, inspire
and develop their players; as well as hold them accountable in the toughest of situations. This approach allows the
players to see , hear and feel how much you care and in turn cultivate trust in the relationship between the coach
and player.
Mentor/Advisor
A coach who is able to be available to guide, challenge and advise a player is critical to their holistic development,
in my opinion. Providing a space and environment in which a player can approach you, ask you for advice and
guidance as well as be receiving to what you reply to them is a crucial piece of the player-coach relationship.

Creating an intentional space (through player meetings, lunches, breakfast etc) for players to have intentional and
significant conversations with the coach is something i continually strive to do. Ensuring that a player is being
guided and nudged in the right direction academically, socially, athletically and leadership wise is of upmost
importance. An opportunity to share and be listened to is something a mentor should strive to provide for their
players in order to support and aid in their overall development.
Teacher
This is a role I believe a coach needs to embody on and off the field. As a continuous learner , a coach can gather
and deconstruct information in a way that they can then provide and give to their players. A teaching style that
guides the players to discovering answers and asking more questions themselves is imperative to successful
development. Striving to provide information, challenges and opportunities for learning is pivotal to being a
successful coach.
Facilitator
While it is often tempting as a coach to jump in and lead from the center I believe a key role is for the coach to look
for opportunities to stand on the sideline and facilitate experiences. As a facilitator the coach looks to create and
provide an experience and then encourage reflection upon that experience. If its on the field; reflecting upon
training habits and performances or off the field in community service opportunities how those lessons apply to life.
Additionally facilitating tough conversations or team meetings. Allowing the players to learn and experience life
like situations and then encouraging them to learn from them and apply them to real life is a central piece to being a
facilitator. I believe a good facilitator would utilize the following model , where truth refers to the programs core
values and mission statement.

Truth

Experince

Reflection

Communicator
I believe the role of a good communicator is one who is especially skilled at conveying information, ideas, as well as
someone who practices and looks to perfect the art of active listening. Learning and gathering information is one
thing, and having the will to distribute it effectively is also another. Nonetheless do so successfully is critical to
successful coaching. Being aware of different learning styles and being able to adapt the delivering of information to
those styles is certainly a talent a successful coach must focus on. Additionally, in order to be successful in the art of
mentoring, advising and facilitating a coach must also practice good active listening skills; taking in information and
ideas with passion and a purpose. A good communicator is able to develop deep and positive relationships with their
players.
Advocate
A coach who is willing to love, serve and sacrifice for the players, should also be willing to do so on their behalf. I
believe a coach who is willing to fight and advocate for their team in a variety of different forums, does so for their
best interests. A coach should be prepared to take on the role of advocate in an assortment of ways and issues ;
gender , race, social economic constructs, sexual orientation etc. I believe combining the roles of a learner,
communicator and mentor in these situations are critical. Being educated on current issues, learning from the

individuals and speaking out on their behalf when at time they may not have a voice, is a way to lead and serve the
players.
Example
While I believe there are numerous different ways to successfully lead, I think it is critical for a coach to always
embrace the role of being an example to follow. A coach should be modelling the culture and behaviors expected of
the players. On and off the field the coach should look to set an example of behavior and how to hold oneself
accountable to high standards at all times. While some players may learn through auditory examples, many others
will learn by visually seeing what is expected of them. A coachs example should seek to guide and inspire the
players on how to act and interact. Modelling leadership traits, good listening skills and accountability are core
pieces to this. While a coach may not be able to model the exact expectation on the field: running a 120 in a given
time, a coach can certainly model the behaviors that would make one successful in achieving such a goal;
discipline, dedication and commitment.
Conclusion
I believe my identification of the roles of a coach is very congruent with me identifying my coaching style as a
shared/co-operative one. I am confident that the roles I identified are athlete centered and guided by a coach, with
most of the decision making being shared across all the roles of the program. My focus on developing the players
holistically and inclusively is very reflective of this coaching style.