5 ways to pick a coach

OK so I am reading this new book by Daniel Coyle called The Little Book of Talent. (great book by the way--first book was the Talent Code and it is also a must read) Anyway, in his new book he talks about "hotbeds" in different areas such as sport, music, etc and one thing I thought was interesting was his tip on picking a high-quality teacher or coach. It is tip #12 of 52.

1st way is to avoid someone who reminds you of a Courteous Waiter--this is the most abundant coach in the world. The one who focuses their efforts on keeping you comfortable and happy, on making things go smoothly, with a minimum of effort. They say often :Don't worry, no problem, we can take care of that later. This is a good person to have as your waiter in a restaurant, but a terrible person to have as your coach, teacher, or mentor.

2. Seek someone who scares you a little:In contrast to encounters with courteous waiters, encounters with a great teacher/coach/mentors tend to be filled with unfamiliar emotion: feelings of respect, admiration, and often a shiver of fear. This is a good sign. Look for someone who:
Watches you closely: is interested in figuring you out-what you want, where you're coming from, what motivates you.
Is action-oriented: They won't spend a lot of time chatting-- instead,they will jump into a few activities immediately, so they can get a feel for you and vice versa. Is honest, sometimes unnervingly so: They will tell you the truth about your performace in clear language. This stings at first. But you'll come to see that it's not personal--it's the information you can use to get better.
You are looking for someone solid, someone you trust, someone with whom you take a journey.
3. Seek Someone who gives short, clear,directions---most great teachers/coaches/mentors do not give long winded speeches. Instead they give short unmistakeably clear directions; they guide you to a target. Example of this John Wooden average utterance lasted only 4 seconds.

4. Seek Someone Who Loves Teaching Fundamentals--Great teachers will often spend entire practice sessions on one seemingly small fundamental--for example the way you grip a golf club or you pluck a guitar string for a single note. They realize the more advance you are, the more crucial those skills become.

5. Other things being equal, pick the older person--- Great teachers are first and foremost learners, who improve their skills with each passing year. That's not to say there aren't any good teachers under 30--there are. Nor is it to say that every coach with gray hair is a genius--their not. But other things being equal, go with someone older.

I thought this was interesting. Also in this book there is a part where it talks about kids who get constant "your awesome" feedback begin to believe it and hit their peak earlier than the player who works hard. Anson Dorrance sums it up like this: "one of the most unfortunate things I see when identifying youth players is the girl who is told over the years how great she is. By the time she's a high school freshman, she starts to believe it. by her senior year, she's fizzled out. Then there's her counterpart: a girl waiting in the wings, who quietly and with determination decides she's going to make something of herself. Invariably, this humble, hardworking girl is the one who becomes the real player."

I think this is interesting and could be adding to some of the issues here in Dallas. Any comments? Sorry I just thought this was all really interesting.

Some good stuff in there. I particularly liked:

4) Stresses fundamentals - my favorite youth coach is a Brazilian-born ex-player whose training was often branded as "not sexy enough" by those in-the-know parents who ran from one skills coach to another. I never once saw him teach a helicopter. He believed in teaching technique by repetition, the way he learned. Amazingly enough, every single player who spent any length of time with him came away technically sound.

5) Pick the older person - and "older" not necessarily meaning years. I have seen too many coaches who had the emotional maturity level darn close to the players they were coaching. No good. Also, you need someone who can stand up to all these hovering soccer parents and set some boundaries. And then enforce them.