Coaching In American Culture

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Introduction The concept of a coach is nothing new in a culture that celebrates sporting events and athletes with religious fervor. In order for sports teams and individual athletes to compete at a high level and to obtain great success, there must be an individual with the ability to bring out the best in the athlete and forge a comprehensive unit that is composed of other like-minded athletes; that individual is referred to as “coach.” Coaching, however, is not just for the realm of sports, but has a place within any organization that seeks to draw out the best qualities in others in order to attain a shared goal. Coaching seeks to partner with an individual to release potential that has been buried, so that the individual may aspire …show more content…

That individual is rewarded after the victory with a five gallon Gatorade bath; at which time, the coach is hurled onto the shoulders of his team and carried off the field in triumph. In the same way, coaching within an organization is very similar to that in the sporting world. Darryl Cross (2016) asserts that coaching is “a partnership—one in which both sides work to reach an agreed-upon destination” (p.1). In other words, coaching is a mutual understanding where both sides come together for a shared goal. In addition, Paul Stanley and Robert Clinton (1992) argue, “Coaching is a relational process in which a mentor, who know how to do something well, imparts those skills to a mentoree who wants to learn them” (p. 79). The basis of Stanley and Clinton’s argument is that the coaching process is centered around a mutual relationship where the coach seeks to give information and knowledge to someone who wants to receive that information and knowledge. The impartation of that information and knowledge, which leads to high performance is the act of …show more content…

Furthermore, “the most important attribute of any coach is that they want to help the person or people they are coaching to learn” (Skill You Need, 2016, para. 2). In other words, a good coach will have a great desire to see individuals learn and grow in the knowledge that is imparted. Marshall Cook and Laura Poole (2011) argue, “A good coach is positive, enthusiastic, trusting, focused, sees the big picture, and is observant, respectful, patient, clear, curious, and objective” (p. 19). The basis of Cook and Poole’s argument is that a good coach must display a wide range of characteristics in order to effectively unleash the hidden potential within an individual. In addition, a good coach identifies the shared goal, encourage the individual to explore the hidden potential within, obtain solutions mutually with the individual, and will hold the team member

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