Why do you want to be a coach?
“Start with why.” That’s the primary piece of advice Adam Smotherman, director of football performance at the University of Virginia, has for anyone who wants to be a coach. He shared his insights at the 2023 Hammer Strength Clinic.
“Start with why.” That’s the primary piece of advice Adam Smotherman, director of football performance at the University of Virginia, has for anyone who wants to be a coach. He shared his insights at the 2023 Hammer Strength Clinic.
“My why is to love God, love people and have a positive effect on the life of every person I encounter,” Smotherman says. “I want to provide for my family financially as well as with love, support, structure, and discipline. And I strive to be my best and help others do that.”
“Maximize every opportunity that you have with the young men or young women that you coach. Remember what we're a part of. Core values for our program are heart, humility, effort, accountability, respect and toughness. We try to build that into everything that we do. It's about loving the student-athletes that we get to coach and loving our opportunity to be with them every day.”
Culture precedes results, so don’t treat it as an afterthought. “Your culture is the things that people say, the things that people do, the norms and standards within your program that are upheld every day.”
The word ‘coach’ originally meant a covered carriage responsible for conveying a person of importance from where they are to where they need to go. “That’s what we do every day,” Smotherman says. “You are the coach, and they are a person of importance. We need to get them where they need to go physically, mentally, emotionally, socially and spiritually. That is a tremendous opportunity.”
You owe it to your athletes to be your best self every day. Show up prepared. “Have a plan; know your plan; and execute your plan.”
Set a good example. “We’ve got to model what we want for our student-athletes. I can't be out of shape if I'm telling them to eat healthy.” Bring your family around so they can experience what a healthy family dynamic looks like.
Don’t underestimate the power of relationships. “Have great relationships with the student-athletes and the people you work with.” Focus on nurturing those relationships, dedicate yourself to your work and stay up to date with industry developments. That’s a sure-fire recipe for personal success that will build a strong program.
“Use catapult data to build a plan and follow the guidelines, [especially] if you’re coming off a period of inactivity.” Teach the staff how to spot and lift and build intensity back safely after breaks.
If you’re looking to build strong teams, you need to reinforce the culture standards of the program in everything you do. Don’t just tell coaches what to do. “They’ve got to learn to lead each other. Bad teams don’t have any leadership. Good teams are led by the coaches, but great teams have good locker room leadership.”
To achieve that, Smotherman recommends training individuals in ways that enhance their performance and improve the entire unit. “Begin with the end in mind and work your way back, allowing for some room for adjustment.” And do a needs analysis of the team so you have a better understanding of the gaps you need to fill.
Remember, you don’t immediately become champions. First, you need a strong foundation of leadership, a solid support base built on sports medicine and nutrition, and then a steady stream of culture to nurture and strengthen what you’ve built.
Ask yourself, Why do I want to be a coach?
Knowing your “why” is important because that will carry you through the toughest of times. “Last year, four men on the team were shot,” Smotherman says. “Three died. The fourth is back training. There’s no chapter in the certification handbook to teach you how to deal with something like that. You just lean on your faith and each other.” The resiliency and unity of the team, program and the people comprising it helped them all move forward.“My why is to love God, love people and have a positive effect on the life of every person I encounter,” Smotherman says. “I want to provide for my family financially as well as with love, support, structure, and discipline. And I strive to be my best and help others do that.”
Why is being a coach important?
As a coach, you’re not only building great athletes, but you’re nurturing young human beings. How you show up impacts their development. That’s why it’s important that you build your program around positive core values.“Maximize every opportunity that you have with the young men or young women that you coach. Remember what we're a part of. Core values for our program are heart, humility, effort, accountability, respect and toughness. We try to build that into everything that we do. It's about loving the student-athletes that we get to coach and loving our opportunity to be with them every day.”
Culture precedes results, so don’t treat it as an afterthought. “Your culture is the things that people say, the things that people do, the norms and standards within your program that are upheld every day.”
It’s about the athletes, not you
“We call our young men and women ‘scholar athletes’ because we expect them to go above and beyond in the classroom,” Smotherman says. “It's important that we know, as strength conditioning coaches, that we're part of a chain. It's not about us, the strength coach or me building my brand. It's 100% about those guys. We are just a part of all the influences and impacts in their life.”The word ‘coach’ originally meant a covered carriage responsible for conveying a person of importance from where they are to where they need to go. “That’s what we do every day,” Smotherman says. “You are the coach, and they are a person of importance. We need to get them where they need to go physically, mentally, emotionally, socially and spiritually. That is a tremendous opportunity.”
6 tips for being the best coach you can be
If you want athletes to do their best, you also need to model what that looks like with your own behavior. Smotherman offers these six tips for continuous self-improvement.- If it isn’t broke, don't fix it.
- Be consistent.
- Model the behavior you expect from them.
- Build and strengthen relationships daily.
- Fight for your job every single day.
- Be a lifelong learner.
You owe it to your athletes to be your best self every day. Show up prepared. “Have a plan; know your plan; and execute your plan.”
Set a good example. “We’ve got to model what we want for our student-athletes. I can't be out of shape if I'm telling them to eat healthy.” Bring your family around so they can experience what a healthy family dynamic looks like.
Don’t underestimate the power of relationships. “Have great relationships with the student-athletes and the people you work with.” Focus on nurturing those relationships, dedicate yourself to your work and stay up to date with industry developments. That’s a sure-fire recipe for personal success that will build a strong program.
3 essential strength and conditioning program priorities
Smotherman recommends making the following three pillars the foundation of your strength and conditioning program.- Safety & technique
- Opportunities for leadership development and accountability
- Individual performance enhancement
“Use catapult data to build a plan and follow the guidelines, [especially] if you’re coming off a period of inactivity.” Teach the staff how to spot and lift and build intensity back safely after breaks.
If you’re looking to build strong teams, you need to reinforce the culture standards of the program in everything you do. Don’t just tell coaches what to do. “They’ve got to learn to lead each other. Bad teams don’t have any leadership. Good teams are led by the coaches, but great teams have good locker room leadership.”
To achieve that, Smotherman recommends training individuals in ways that enhance their performance and improve the entire unit. “Begin with the end in mind and work your way back, allowing for some room for adjustment.” And do a needs analysis of the team so you have a better understanding of the gaps you need to fill.
Remember, you don’t immediately become champions. First, you need a strong foundation of leadership, a solid support base built on sports medicine and nutrition, and then a steady stream of culture to nurture and strengthen what you’ve built.