As an athlete, there is one thing that is looked forward to, and that is advancing to the next level. The thought of reaching the next level is almost a certainty for athletes deemed superior and highly recruitable. However, when there aren’t any levels left to reach for those “superior” athletes, what are they left to do? Many athletes decide to quit their sports careers altogether, while others test the waters of becoming a coach. Unfortunately, sometimes the athletic prowess these athletes once showed on the court, field, or ice doesn’t always translate over to the coaching realm. For the athletes that don’t have a story that goes the way they plan, it leads to my question: Why don’t good athletes always make good coaches?

As a strong athlete the coach once was as a high school or college athlete, moving on to coach other talent is not the only thing that should be considered. Picture a young child playing teeball for the first time with a former high school superstar; this could go one of two ways. The athlete turned coach could be an encouraging, kind, and understanding mentor who realizes that the child is still learning. It could also go the opposite way that unfortunately happens more than it should; the coach could have a lack of patience and become impatient that the child does not understand or progress quick enough, or he or she becomes angry that his or her coaching methods are not working in the way that he or she was taught.

Every year, a new set of kids, eager to learn and play a sport need a good leader to help them love the game and love the way the game should be played instead of nitpicking the little details at a young age.

Advancing to a higher level does not change the fact that a coach is not as important anymore because that former high school or college athlete does not understand that players, regardless of age, are still learning the ways of the game and aren’t magically made into professional athletes immediately.

If you’re coaching your local high school team, of if a child wants to play a game of touch football in the backyard, or even if you are just helping out a group of neighborhood kids in their super intense game of capture the flag, being a dependable and level-headed coach who understands the skill level the players are at is going to help everything go so much smoother. Being a coach is more than just skill; it’s about being there for the new family of players that participates every season and helping that family be the best it can be.