In President Obama's State of the Union address he "received a standing ovation when he said there should be more prestige in winning the science fair than the super bowl." Too many youngsters are looking up to athletes before they are looking up to a doctor or a teacher. Not that this is a bad thing, but they need to know that those role models got to where they are because they were a student first. The role of sports at the interscholastic level is to teach values, build character and develop the young bodies of these student athletes. Notice the student came before the athlete? That is because it is more important for a student to put their studies before their role as an athlete. Being an athlete is not what will get the students to the next level in their education, but their studies will. Although athletics do contribute to the growth of the individual they are not the most important part of the student's growth. There is a lot that a student may learn in athletics that can be taught in the physical education classroom. Students are encouraged to participate in athletics to enhance their physical skills, compete and grow as young individuals but this is also seperate from their school work and must not be seen as more important. If a student sees that it is OK to let the athlete come before the student through collegiate athletes then at a younger age they may drift from their studies to place athletics first. This will hinder the growth of the student if students are not shown that their studies come first for a reason.
Growing up I have always had coaches telling me that my studies came first and I never really understood why until I was in college but even through GE classes I noticed I could have been such a better student throughout high school if I had only understood why they told me this. Educators not only need to stress the importance of the student before the athlete but they neet to explain and show why this is important.
Although my first priority is to educate through the physical I do plan to coach someday. With this being said I would like to share my coaching philosophy. Enjoy!
My personal coaching philosophy consists of working hard to develop the young minds and bodies of my student athletes into a mature group of individuals with values, character, and advanced and fine tuned skills. Through practice and learning experiences I will also educate them on new profound skills and areas of the sport that they may not have had previous knowledge of. I am willing to coach any student of any age because I believe that every student can be an athlete as well. Although, I am most interested in coaching at the Junior Varsity level because the athletes have already gone through their basic skills at the modified level and have some knowledge of the game. I want to be the one to fill their minds with a more advanced style of the sport. I am driven to make a difference in each student’s life through assisting them with goal setting of their own and educating them on how to become better athletes and individuals through putting them onto that road of success toward achieving their goals. At the Junior Varsity level the athletes have left the modified level and are getting ready for the varsity level. I value being a part of the athlete’s lives as they transition to the highest level in interscholastic athletics because when I look back at my experiences as a student athlete it was the coaches that made a difference in my performance on and off the field (mat, court, etc.) that I remember the most. Transitioning from the Junior Varsity to the varsity level is a stepping stone in any athlete’s career. In this transition I plan to develop my student athletes by educating, motivating, and developing their mind and bodies through sharing my knowledge and demonstrating a responsible, disciplined and positive attitude through pure passion and love of the sport, no matter what sport that may be.
So when your out there in the teaching world don't let one student pass you by that believes they are an athlete before they are a student. Make a difference, it's why were all a part of this profession after all, right?
Take a look at the following links. Why not promote the student athlete more often like this?
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