Anne Tamporello's 5 Point List

We each have our own unique experiences as Athletic Performance coaches.  Some of our experiences are etched in our minds as the most exciting and memorable of moments, while others are used as lessons learned for the future.  Over the years I have catalogued the advice of veteran coaches combined with proven business methods to formulate a five point list of some of the most important concepts commonly encountered in our field.

1.       Do a great job where you are.

                During the summer of 2011, planning strategies for a looming Big XII conference realignment had Baylor University bracing for what would be a major financial setback within our athletic department.  While formulating plans for a drastic shift in resources for athletic performance, I consulted the advice of a former mentor, Coach Mike Clark.  The first piece of advice Coach Clark shared was to “continue to do a great job with your current responsibilities.”  He mentioned that universities will always be apprehensive of letting go employees that have great rapport and a direct impact on its students.

                It is vital that individual coaches understand their title, role, and responsibilities within a staff.  People rarely get promoted to higher level positions without first demonstrating the ability to be a great steward of the resources currently entrusted to them.

2.       Be flexible with sport coaches.

                Because of NCAA time constraints, it is likely that over the course of a year no other coach spends as much hands-on time with student-athletes as the Athletic Performance coach.  Despite the inevitable athlete to coach bond that formulates over hours of hard work and sacrifice, we must always remember the sport teams we work with are not ours.  The bottom line always begins and ends with the head coach; your agreement or disagreement with their philosophies is irrelevant.  As a supporting branch of a team, it is your duty and responsibility to echo the message of your head coach to their athletes. 

                Most sport coaches will present a workout or exercise to the athletic performance coach that they believe will help their team compete.  It is also likely that this request is against everything you would prescribe as a professional in this field.  Perform this request with energy and belief to gain the trust of your sport coach, and then get your money exercises in another training session.  Trust is a two way street and in order to receive you must first give.

3.       You are always interviewing.

                Many coaches believe they are only being interviewed when they are flown to campus with resume in hand.  This is a dangerous mindset that could stunt your professional growth almost immediately.  To call a spade a spade, Athletic Performance is a “who you know” profession.  The moment you accept any position on a staff, you are interviewing for a future position.  Sport coaches and Athletic Performance directors understand how quickly moves are made in this field; therefore they consistently observe other strength coaches, formulating a hypothetical “dream team” in the case they ever need to quickly put together a crew. 

                Your conduct with all athletes, how you support or do not support the message of the head coach, your conduct at meetings and conferences, the ability to be loyal to the mission of the department, your reputation in social settings, the ability to be proactive on the job, and a score of other scenarios all affect your own professional perception.  Any time you are in the presence of other Athletic Performance directors you are being interviewed, and seasoned directors know within thirty seconds of laying eyes on you if you are on their short list.        

4.       B.L.U.F. first.

                In a profession dominated by male mindsets, it is important for females to learn effective communication skills that can help get our points across to coworkers and supervisors.  One of the worst, although natural, tendencies for females is to unnecessarily over communicate thoughts and feelings to a group of men.  The single most effective skill I have learned and utilize on a daily basis when speaking with men is Bottom Line Up Front.  If a man asks a question, answer in as few words as possible, typically “yes sir” or “no sir.”  Then, if asked to elaborate, we can explain outside circumstances or thought patterns.  All too often, men ask a simple question only to get an over detailed and emotional explanation.  If you do not want to be ignored amongst a group of men, answer directly and firmly, remembering to elaborate only when prompted.

Note: When asking a number of coaches to proofread this article, 100% of our male colleagues indicated mastering this point would solve the majority of miscommunications between men and women.

5.       Be Positive.           

                This might be the most overlooked and underrated characteristic for those looking to advance within our profession.  As coaches, we must develop the mental resiliency to consistently respond productively to negative situations.  An unwritten truth lies within each of our job descriptions demanding us to solve the inevitable problems that arise on a daily basis and not point fingers or pass the blame.  When choosing to keep a positive mindset despite a potentially negative environment, one may be surprised that what seemed like the worst possible situation was really not so bad after all.   

                I often recall the following “Doomsday Report” from a former colleague when utilizing this mindset before speaking with sport coaches… 

The head coach from a major university was asking the strength coach about one of his star athletes.  Fresh off a disappointing training session, the strength coach let his emotions get the best of him and began telling the head coach the athlete had a terrible day, would not listen, and did not have any passion or energy during the session.  The head coach then looked the strength coach directly in the eye, let a few seconds pass, and sarcastically stated in front of the whole staff, “Well I guess we just did a terrible job recruiting, didn’t we?  We should all pack our bags right now and turn in our keys because our strength coach can’t get our top recruits to do what he says.  Why do they even call us ‘Coach’ anyway?”   

                To help avoid embarrassing learning lessons such as this, remember to always speak to sport coaches about their team in a positive light.