By Tim Baghurst
(August 10, 2021)
A few years ago, I was writing a textbook (Coaching for Sports Performance) that covered the many different disciplines a coach needed to know to be successful. While the content was detailed and informative, it was primarily scientific. I wasn’t completely happy with it, because it missed some of the “real-life” of what coaching is and what coaches do. So, using a database of coaches I had developed over the years, I emailed a large list of high school coaches in one state and asked them to share what advice they might give a new coach. Many responded with a variety of different pieces of advice, and their responses were collated to become the final chapter of my book.
Although the content in that last chapter is extremely useful, it’s limited to high school coaches within one state. So, in the early weeks of the COVID shutdown of 2020, I started FSU COACH Live, a regular series in which I interview a guest live online about their experiences in sport. Guests have been very diverse in gender, ethnicity, background, location, and role in sports. I have interviewed those in coaching, strength and conditioning, administration, and many other positions, which has resulted in a wide-ranging scope of knowledge that helps to address what it means to be a coach, what coaches need to know, and how coaches can develop as successful leaders.
FSU COACH Live interviews have also been expanded into a podcast, and audio and sharable social media graphics have also been developed that capture quotable quotes. Now, to be blunt, taking an interview from the invite to the completed product requires substantial effort and time (about 2-3 hours of labor each), and more than once I’ve considered whether we gain an adequate return on the investment. A few views, one or two likes of a post, and perhaps the odd retweet has made me question whether we are having the impact that our many combined hours of effort deserve. Yet, providing education to the larger sports community is part of our Center’s core mission, and as the late John Wooden once said, “Nothing will work unless you do.” So, after a brief summer break, we are looking forward to having new guests on the show (how about you?) and continuing to share the wisdom of those in sports.
These interviews could not have been conducted without the time and willingness of its guests. I am so thankful to those who have given back to the profession with their expertise and knowledge. Thanks also go to Jennie Kroeger and the FSU College of Education Office of Communications & Recruitment for their assistance. They do many things behind the scenes to support how it looks and runs.
