What Makes a great Coach?

What makes a great coach? Results!! 
While we could list all the points such as knowledge of the sport, leadership skills,…etc. the answer is really simple. As a great American weightlifting coach, Joe Mills, used to say, “I can explain weightlifting in 5 minutes, but it will take you 5 years to understand.”
After 15 years of experience, I have to conclude that coaching is much more art than science. While a good coach is always trying to learn more, the only real measure of a coach is not what he or she knows, but what they can get their athlete to do. Preparation is  an important aspect of coaching, but most of all a coach needs to know and care about his athletes. Developing a “program” is certainly an essential point, but the success comes in adapting the program to individual characteristics and circumstances. The best coaches are not those who make you dependent on them, but who develop athletes who can coach themselves.  


Rob