Assistant Coaches-Guest Blog Shane Smith

Guest Blogger – Shane Smith – 2015-16 BU Bobcats Women’s Assistant Coach

                                                     2016 Cats Club Head/ Assistant Coach

                                                     Canada Womens Senior Team Scout/ Assistant Coach

            It’s a couple of days after Lee Carter and I finished our U18 girl’s club season with the Cats Club from Brandon. We competed in the top division of the National Championship in Edmonton and finished respectably in the third tier, 21^st in the Nation to be exact. It is possible that I led the Nation in DQ Blizzards consumed this weekend at the Saville Center but that stat can’t be confirmed. What was interesting about this season was our coaching situation and that is what sparked me to write this blog post for Lee. The other reason being that his last blog was 7 months ago, so I thought I could help him out and appease his loyal followers until he gets around to writing another one. 

            The story of our coaching situation starts in September 2015. I was asked to come to Brandon and assist Lee with the women’s team at BU. This was a great opportunity for me as Lee is highly respected in Manitoba and across Canada as a volleyball coach. I have had many conversations with Lee over the years at various volleyball and social events and I knew I could learn a lot from being in his gym everyday.  I certainly did learn a lot. More on that in a bit.

            Back in September Lee also asked me to head coach the U18 Cats Club starting in January. I told him I wasn’t sure it would work because I had planned to be away for about a month in March and April, which is a critical time towards the end of the club season. He told me we could make it work. He also told me he had  already announced I would be coaching the team on his Twitter account so I didn’t have a choice. I guess what Lee Carter’s Twitter account says goes. We decided he would assist me for the first part of the season until I went away, then take over while I was gone, then assist me again when I got back for the last few weeks leading up to the National Championship. So for 2015-16 it went like this - I assisted Lee at BU, who then assisted me with the Cats, who then became the head coach of the Cats, who then assisted me who was again the head coach of the Cats. Got all that?  Who’s on first?

            Our change of roles throughout the year gave me some perspective from both sides and got me thinking about the role of an assistant coach. I thought about what I as a head coach want in an assistant coach that makes him or her great. Great assistant coaches are invaluable assets to sports programs. Assistant coaches can have a huge impact on everything from team culture to team communication, to the head coach’s decision making to athlete development. The list goes on and on. I reflected on our season at BU and I hope I was able to provide some of that for Lee and the Bobcats this past CIS season.  Here are five habits I learned along the way I think make a great assistant coach. I hope to be one someday.

THE 5 HABITS OF REALLY EFFECTIVE ASSISTANT COACHES.

1. Challenge the Head Coach

            A great assistant coach challenges the head coach to think critically about his or her decisions. If you, as an assistant coach have an opinion on something it is important that you speak up. It’s even more important that you speak up if your opinion differs from that of the head coach. The worst thing you can do is agree with everything. “Yes men” do not make great assistant coaches. With Lee we had the type of relationship where I could say to him “That’s a terrible idea”, or on a few occasions “Are you crazy?” (with the utmost respect of course). I wouldn’t recommend that unless you know your head coach really well. In most cases challenging the head coach may sound more like “What do you think about this…?”, or “I would like to see us try that…?”. A good head coach will appreciate your honesty and your effort to leave no stone unturned and explore all options. Your team will be much better for it.

2. Have the Coach’s Back

Challenging the coach is something that gets done in an office, or maybe over a pint at the pub, but not in public or in front of players.  As soon as you walk out of that office, or pay the bill at that pub the final decision by the head coach now must become your decision as well, even if you disagree with it. You have to give your complete support to the head coach and make that known. The coaching staff has to be united. If the head coach’s decision should end up going horribly wrong then the worst thing you can do is say “I told you so”, or tell others you didn’t agree with it. This type of behavior tears at the fabric of your team culture. To loosely quote George Costanza “A (coaching staff) divided amongst itself cannot stand!”. The head coach makes the final, often tough decisions and a great assistant coach supports the head coach through thick and thin, right and wrong. Continue to always tell players and others outside the team that you trust the head coach’s decisions and believe in the process of getting better.  Your loyalty to the head coach will not go unnoticed.

3. Bench Your Ego

A great assistant coach can have a huge impact on the enthusiasm and work ethic of a team on a day-to-day basis. Bench your ego, get your hands dirty, go out of your way and do the extra little things. Shag a ball, help to take out or setup equipment, fill in a spot in a drill, greet your team at the door at a 7AM workout. Whatever it takes. I don’t believe an assistant coach, or head coach for that matter is above any team duty. Taking initiative and going the extra mile goes a long way to nurturing that culture of hard work. If you work for a team that insists on a strong work ethic, as most do, then live it yourself everyday. I certainly don’t think you should let your players off the hook by doing the job for them but your extra effort can have a resounding effect.

4. Listen

The number 1 thing I listed that great assistant coaches do is challenge the head coach. I think it’s important that they also know when it’s time to just sit back and listen.  Sometimes head coaches have this need to spit everything out that’s swirling around inside their crazy heads. If the head coach starts talking and doesn’t ask for your opinion then it may be time to just listen. Listening and understanding exactly what a person is trying to say is another great way to build trust in a relationship. Don’t push your point of view on the head coach if the time is not right. I learned a little trick recently that works well. Instead of immediately giving your opinion after someone says something, just repeat the last few words back to him or her, like a parrot would. They’ll continue talking on the subject and it frees you up to keep listening. Try it. Your head coach will really appreciate your newfound listening abilities.

5. Tell Good Jokes

Being a head coach can be a stressful job, especially in high performance sport where every result is scrutinized in the media and by fans. In many cases poor results can cost coaches their jobs. Tensions run high sometimes. The assistant coach is in a great position to know the head coach well and know when his or her stress levels are through the roof. Your team will feel that stress and tension, even if you as coaches don’t realize it’s there. It can have a real negative effect. Know when to tell a joke or poke some fun at each other, after all we are working in a sport we love and it should be fun. It’s good for our health to laugh and smile. Sometimes it helps to be reminded of that.   

There it is! I know there’s always more that can be done but if I could find someone who demonstrates these five habits on a daily basis I would hire them as my assistant coach in a second. Being a Winnipeg Jets fan also helps. The only consolation for that this year was that Carter’s Oilers were worse.

Happy Coaching!