By Troy Vincent
NFL Player Engagement
“I always focus on their individuality and what each of them brings to the team – and, not just as players – but as people. To have a good coach-player relationship, you have to start there.” ~ Brian Baker, High School Coach
You probably already know this, but your coach is really something.
Those of us within NFL Player Engagement believe that the role of the high school coach is as critical to the future of the game of football as any coaching position within the NFL.
In many ways, those who coach at the high school level really do hold much of the future of the game of football in their hands.
Your coach plays a key role in your development as both a student-athlete and a person. The interpersonal dynamics between you and your coach begin with your perception of each other. In order to cultivate a productive and positive connection between you and your coach, your coach-player relationship must be based on mutual trust and earned respect. Even academic research shows that when a player has a strong bond and good relationship with his or her coach, he or she is likely to perform better on the field.
As a student-athlete, you naturally look to your coach to teach you the fundamentals of the game, help you maximize your own talents and abilities, and guide you in your overall development as a player. Your coach is your mentor, motivator, advisor, and always your teacher.
And, that’s just for starters.
High school coaches, such as Coach Brian Baker, an eleven year veteran coach from Wilson Central High, are committed to doing even more for the players they coach.
Coach Baker recognizes that you, as student-athletes, are looking for your coach to serve as an exemplary role model. He believes that the player-coach relationship is central to unlocking a student-athlete’s potential in all aspects of his or her development.
“As coach of a team that consists of young and eager-to-learn players, it’s important for me to establish an emotional connection with each player,” says Coach Baker. “There is so much I want to share with them – much of which goes far beyond football.”
Coach Baker’s coaching philosophy mirrors what we believe at the NFL. His players know what he expects of them because he reminds them of it daily.
“Number one, I want my players to be strong academically. Secondly, I want them to be better citizens in both the classroom and out in the community,” says Coach Baker. “I encourage all my players to volunteer and become involved in something that matters to them. And always, I want them to go out and help someone; to make a difference in someone else’s life.”
At the start of the season, Coach Baker gave his team a motto complete with a pact that asks each of them to “take an extra second,” and to think before they act. Whether it’s a tweet, text, or a hurtful comment to a teammate, he asks his players to pause for one moment before they do something they may later regret. The motto and the pact are working. At practice sessions these days, players are sharing their stories of what didn’t happen that day because they thought to “take an extra second.”
Coach Baker is proud of his team. “It’s a wonderful feeling to see a player improve his or her performance on the field; it’s even better when you see that student-athlete becoming a better student, a better citizen, and, most of all, a better person.”