By Collin Fehr
(August 30, 2022)
Coaches are often highly competitive people. They are driven to succeed both in and out of sport. A key part of any coach’s job is to develop athletes to achieve optimal performance. To do this, every coach must first develop themselves. Although many outlets are available, an essential component to any coach’s development is regular reflection on current practices. Not only does this activity benefit the reflecting coach, but other coaches can also benefit from observing the results. The purpose of this article series is to highlight three experienced coaches and their responses to a simple reflective exercise. Their replies are meant to stimulate reflection in other coaches who are then invited to emulate this same process. Each article in this three-part series will spotlight one coach’s simple reflective practice using a Question-and-Answer format.
Steven Ascher, Head Women’s Tennis Coach, University of Montana
How did you get to where you are today?
The journey to becoming a Head College Tennis Coach took time. After completing my college playing career, I was offered a chance to begin assisting both men’s and women’s tennis teams. I spent six years as an assistant to both men’s and women’s college programs. During that time, I tried to take on as many responsibilities as possible and took time to visit and observe other college tennis programs. The years I spent being mentored and studying coaches and programs, were some of the best learning opportunities afforded to me. While coaching, I completed a Master’s Degree in Clinical Psychology and School Psychology. Taking the time to learn more from a profession that helps people by developing active listening, empathy, and problem-solving was very beneficial. Lastly, I worked my way up through the ranks and finally earned a Head Coaching Position. I continue to strive to learn and develop skills to coach as environments and players change over time.
What is your coaching philosophy/style?
My coaching philosophy is to help student-athletes at the college level grow as both players and people. Knowing that we can use the competitive arena to develop greater interpersonal skills through the stress of daily training and competition is key. Athletics provides daily challenges that athletes can develop their skills to embrace and push through. I love that, as the coach, I can direct daily action plans to incorporate lessons for growth on teamwork, physical challenges, and dealing with the high-stress moments necessary to become successful. On top of building competitive and challenging environments, I work to stress the importance of communication to help the athletes understand this is a collaborative relationship that they must learn to develop and then take ownership and pride on their own as they mature through the program.
What has worked well in your coaching career?
The first key to successful coach/athlete relationships is that trust must be established. I work hard to be curious and understand how each athlete works and thinks. Working hard to establish a trusting and understanding relationship helps to build that foundation so that the coach can begin to push and stretch an athlete near the edges of their comfort and physical levels. Knowing an athlete well helps you to read their non-verbal language and gauge when they are best receptive to input and criticism and when best to offer them some positive attention.
What has NOT worked well in your coaching career?
I try to view coaching as an opportunity to help people grow and improve. One of the frustrating pieces of coaching is that there are athletes who don’t want to push themselves and do not want to experience the discomfort needed to improve. My greatest challenge is giving athletes chances to succeed but also knowing when it is not working and being willing to let the athlete fail on their own. The greatest lessons we learn in life come from moments where we get cut from a sport or fail and learn that if we care enough we will figure out the next step and learn how to get back into the arena.
What is one thing you wish you had known early on?
Athletics does not come naturally for many people. There are a lot of people that have to work very hard to be good at sports and there are a number of people that do not have an intrinsic passion or the drive to succeed. A lot of people enjoy playing games, which is great, but very different than those who are passionate and driven and want to succeed on the highest level. I still wonder how to best work with and coach both types of players.
What is the best piece of advice you can give an aspiring young coach?
Be curious and learn as much about your craft as possible. Seek out great mentors and actively continue to pursue knowledge for as long as you are in the game.
About Steve Ascher: The 2021-22 season marks Steve Ascher’s 14th year as head women’s tennis coach at the University of Montana. In 2017, the two-time Big Sky Conference Coach of the Year earned his 100th career victory as the Grizzlies head coach since being hired in 2008. When he came to Montana, Ascher was asked to take a team that had limited success over the years and build a Big Sky Conference champion. Ascher and the Grizzlies accomplished that goal in 2014 when they won the first regular-season league title in program history. Prior to taking the job at Montana, Ascher spent two years at Portland State University (PSU), where he coached both the men’s and women’s teams. Ascher was hired by PSU in the summer of 2006 to rebuild a Viking tennis program that had been eliminated in 2002. Born and raised in Portland, Ascher played collegiately at the University of Portland, from which he graduated with a degree in psychology in 1996. After starting his coaching career as an assistant with the Pilots in 1997-98, Ascher moved on to assistant coaching positions at Millersville (Pa.) (1998-2000) and Davidson (N.C.) (2000-01).
