Training Session 6
Personnel: Coaches and Staff

OBJECTIVES
  1. To understand why the Coach is the primary door to service to a team
  2. To understand opportunities to serve the administration, coaches, and support staff
  3. To appreciate the life stressors that are unique to coaches and support staff
  4. To understand best practices in ministering to administration, coaches, and staff based on their unique attributes and stressors.
  5. To be competent and confident in a first meeting with a coach
EQUIPMENT
Have a notebook ready to take notes.  

WORKOUT
Watch the following videos and reflect on the questions.  You will discuss them with your coach.

Ali is an FCA College Director, but spent years as a coach- many of which were on the collegiate level.  Listen to his guidance regarding coaches.
  • What are some key points that Ali made that stuck out to you?
  • How can you equip yourself better to serve the coaches on your campus?  Be specific.
If you are a collegiate rep, hear from two current college coaches.  What would they have to say to someone entering your position?



If you are not a collegiate rep, please hear from these two coaches who have experience coaching in middle schools, high schools and community sports.

In the above interviews you heard from coaches.  
  • What is something that stuck out to you? Why? 
  • What are some practical ways you can serve a coach or an athletic director?
And it's not just the coach, but also the support staff that we serve!  There is such value in forming relationships with them.  Hear from an Athletic Trainer and Video Coordinator.  What would they have to say to someone entering your position?
Consider how you can serve the following groups of people staffing the athletic department: compliance, sports information, academic advisers, nutrition coaches, strength and conditioning staff, graduate assistants, interns, administrative assistants, recruiting coordinators, directors of operations, custodial personnel, etc.
  • What is the value in forming a great relationship with the support staff? Can you give some examples of how that relationship could be mutually beneficial? 
  • What are some practical ways you can serve the Athletic Trainer and/or other support staff? 
REPLAY
A coach impacts the lives of much more than just their players!  They impact their staff, Athletic Directors, other coaches, support staff, alumni, boosters, fans, etc.  We are wise to serve them well.  Support staff such as Athletic Trainers, Strength Coaches, Academic Advisors, SID, Marketing, Compliance, Video Coordinators, Grad Assistants, etc are also leaders within the athletic department that have a sphere of influence that is unique as well.  May we humbly see each one of them and serve them too.

Ali walks us through first steps when trying to meet a coach, how to engage them for the first time, best practices and what they need from us as Sports Chaplains and Character Coaches.  Two college coaches, an athletic trainer, and a video coordinator share their perspectives regarding how a Sports Chaplain/Character Coach has served them and wisdom for you as you begin your journey of service to people like themselves.

PRACTICE
Have a colleague or friend help you role play a first meeting with a coach.  Pick someone who understands the world of college coaching if at all possible.  This rubric is provided so that you both know what success looks like.  

To make this practice as applicable as possible, consider your campus- pray and seek the Lord regarding which coach to prepare for.  Don't reach out or set up a meeting yet.  We want to feel as prepared as possible before we do that.  Do your research on the coach and prepare for a first conversation with them.  Draft a sample email asking for an initial meeting and then practice the face-to-face meeting with your colleague/friend.  Repeat this activity until you have confidence and competence - then feel free to send the email and meet your coach!

DEBRIEF
Write a debrief that includes:
1 - summary of what you learned from the videos and discussion questions. 
2 - how your role play went. Include content from the rubric in your explanation. 
3 - outline your next steps in preparation and prayer for building relationships with coaches and staff
Turn in below.

OVERTIME
  1. Experience: Find a colleague who is seasoned in coaches ministry. Interview them. Alternatively, you can shadow them as they go to meet coaches. If appropriate, you can even seek specific mentoring and/or feedback from your colleague or the coach to which you are introduced.
  2. Website: 3 Dimensional Coaching Institute
  3. Website: 3D Coaching (faith based edition)
  4. Video: How to Set Up a Coaches Huddle (2:10)
  5. Video: Resources for a Coaches Huddle (2:38)
  6. Video: Ministry in Coaching Transitions (51:03) - interview regarding ministry in transitions with Roger Adams of "Nations of Coaches"
  7. Resource: R12 Coach - Bible study for Coaches walking through Romans 12
  8. Resource: FCA Coach's Bible - has 365 devotions in the back

Debrief Turn in