What Makes A Good Coach?

What makes a good coach? I have been thinking about this question a lot the past two years as I wrote two books with Coach Bob as the hero. In my life there have been many coaches who influenced me, taught me
and showed me how to be better. Some coaches worked in athletics - football, basketball, hockey and baseball were the passions of my youth. Other coaches had business careers and some were friends from school or work, and a long time ago the Catholic Church. Each of them left an impression on me when I listened and heeded their advice, whether spoken or shown. 

There are many common traits in a good coach. He (or she) commands respect, teaches through behaviors more than words and instills discipline, humility and character in students. A good coach brings diverse talents together into a team with common goals. A great coach inspires his pupils to achieve more than they thought possible. The best coaches impact the trajectory of a student’s life whether they realize it or not, at the time.

I decided to build Coach Bob around these themes and chose two attributes to define him. Coach Bob shows others how to “earn it” and he helps players define a “path in life” after the last whistle has blown. These two attributes are my best attempt at describing what constitutes a good coach and they are drawn from the many men and women who have helped shape the person I have become. To all you coaches who have impacted me, I say thank you!