During a short break between my training sessions, I took the opportunity to contemplate a topic that has always intrigued me. The process of hiring coaches and assessing their competencies based on experiences selected by the recruiter.
As it applies to the vast majority of coaches, I decided to share my thoughts on it. As a Strength and Conditioning Coach, my career has taken me to various locations, where I have worked with both teams and individual players of different ages and levels of development. Due to the instability of our industry, I have had to contact human resources departments on several occasions. While most of these experiences were fascinating, not all resulted in a successful outcome for me. Yes ;), this is a common occurrence in our field.
I have noticed that organizations seek more than just expertise in a particular field when hiring new employees. They also look for a range of skills that go beyond the job requirements. Understandably, organizations want candidates who can contribute to the organizational culture, form effective teams, and work following the organization’s principles and values. It is just not clear where the candidate would build such competencies.
During my career, I had the opportunity to take on different roles that have helped me grow both as a person and as a coach. Although some of these roles were essential to my development, they did not attract the attention of recruiters as much as I had expected.
I would like to talk about my first and longest-running project, which has been my career as a physical education teacher for over 20 years. Throughout my time as a teacher, I have come to appreciate the beauty and challenges of this profession, which is often undervalued. It is a field that requires diverse and effective methods and constantly motivates those who are dedicated to making progress.
- The challenge of teaching multiple classes throughout the day
- Dealing with students with varying levels of skill and needs
- Addressing a lack of motivation and resistance to change from some students
- Helping students overcome negative beliefs about themselves due to past failures
- Overcoming the societal perception that undervalues the subject being taught
- Facing limited access to appropriate facilities and equipment.
To create a successful learning system, it is important to constantly strive for improvement by analyzing effectiveness and adapting to ensure that each lesson is a positive experience for every student. Various factors such as building trust with students, capturing their attention, making the lessons enjoyable, utilizing time and space efficiently, fostering healthy relationships, providing a safe yet unpredictable environment, and determining appropriate challenge levels are all essential for achieving this goal.
The experiences gained in this profession, often undervalued in professional sports, have honed skills in problem-solving, team management, adaptability, and understanding subtle differences between individuals.
As the Camp Director for over a decade in a beautiful resort in northern Poland, my position had a significant impact on who I am today. The center hosted 300 children and 50 staff members on a single tour, and each year, tens of thousands of children took advantage of the company’s offerings. I was fortunate to be a part of this project that grew with me. During my time as Camp Director, I was involved in the creation of various structures, programs, and standards. I was also responsible for staff training at all levels.
Maintaining quality in a company where many people work seasonally can be a challenging task that most businesses do not encounter. In my experience, this challenge stands out because of the difficulty and extensive knowledge required to complete duties properly. The task involves project management, team building, managing limited resources, system development, conflict mediation, crisis management, effective communication with parents, educating staff including managers, and developing programs that enhance real-world skills. These are just a few examples of the skills that are required to excel in this type of work environment.
The stress I experienced in this role is unmatched in my coaching career, yet the lessons learned enable me to tackle problems not just with low apprehension but, most importantly, swiftly and effectively.
As a physical education teacher, I decided to lead the high school basketball team. I already had experience as a Strength and Conditioning coach and decided to combine it with my passion for basketball. As a self-taught student with no competitive experience, I believe that passion and perseverance should be enough to create an effective development environment for young people.
I gathered a group of enthusiastic students, most of whom had no prior experience in playing basketball. My main objective was to equip them with the necessary skills to compete with confidence and joy against more experienced opponents. At that time, I was unaware of the concept of Nonlinear Pedagogy. To ensure that the players acquired the best transfer of training activities to the actual game, I analyzed the most common challenges that players face and designed training activities based on them. I only selected tactical options that gave players a lot of decision-making freedom, providing them with the tools they needed to continue playing basketball even after graduation.
Throughout the years, our team has become an essential part of both my and the players’ lives. We still frequently meet and organize get-togethers where we can reconnect with each other. Despite not primarily focusing on winning, our collaborative efforts have resulted in numerous medals, including gold, in the Krakow city championships. Although it may not seem like a significant achievement, considering the caliber of teams we faced, it was our Mount Everest at that time.
Each experience in my life has contributed to my expertise. From teaching diverse students in the classroom to leading teams at busy campgrounds, I have learned that true mastery comes from being adaptable, resilient, and having a deep understanding of humanity. Every challenge I’ve faced, every team I’ve led, and every lesson I’ve learned has taught me that knowledge goes beyond technical skills. The real classroom of life extends beyond any single profession. The wisdom I have gained through my experiences is invaluable and can fuel innovation and success in any arena.
This paragraph emphasizes the value of diverse experiences in shaping expertise, highlighting the skills and wisdom gained beyond traditional settings. It also offers a message to potential employers, reminding them that the true value of a candidate lies not just in technical skills, but in the richness of their life journey.