1. Nia Jogopulos
C. Hoyt
Kins 166
10 December 2014
Philosophy of Coaching
Overall Philosophy:
The area of coaching is left very open for interpretation. Each coach gets to decide
his or her own coaching philosophy. Although a coach is given freedom, they still have to
think about each situation carefully. There are a lot of situations in coaching where it is
easy to make a regrettable mistake that may even be a fireable offence. My coaching
philosophy will incorporate my morals and beliefs to make the best decision possible in
each situation for the benefit of my team as well as myself. I will address possible
situations that I may come across throughout my coaching career and provide my
solutions. I will strive to handle difficult situations cautiously to resolve the issue without
excess conflict. All players and parents will be required to sign a code on conduct prior to
the season. The code of conduct will state all policies and expectations. By signing, the
players and their families are agreeing to the terms of the contract.
Within the realm of coaching there are many moral issues to deal with. My morals
consist of honesty, trust, hard work and respect. My coaching style reflects my own
personal beliefs as well as religious beliefs. Some moral issues dealing with religion can
become very controversial. I will choose to look at the entire situation before coming to a
conclusion. I do not want to punish, but reinforce my expectations for my players. I believe
in being a team player, including all players, and making all players feel welcomed and
comfortable. I will ensure that my players remain well informed about choices I make
regarding positions, playing time and starting spots. My program will be inclusive to all

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players. Although there are star players, I will not exclude my other players. I will make
sure to include all my players whenever possible. In a game situation where my team has a
large lead I will put it players who do not necessarily get a lot of playing time. If I know I
have a player that is not going to get playing time I will be up front an honest with them
about it. Also, I will give them skills that need improvement so they may earn some playing
time. In practice, there should be no difference between key players verses other players.
All players will be treated equally. In fact, non-starting players may get extra attention
from me during practice to help them improve. My goal as a coach is not just to win, but
also to improve the skills of all my players. At the end of the season it doesn’t matter what
our record is. What is most important is that my players feel that they learned from me.
Injuries are bound to happen when playing sports. I want to protect the well being
of my players above wining. If a player gets injured, I will require them to go to the doctor
immediately. Prior to returning to play, I will require that their doctor clear them. If a
player is claiming to be hurt, I will not question them. Even if I do not think they are hurt, it
is not my place to say. Injuries that are longer than two weeks will result in that player
loosing their starting position. I will require them to earn their spot back regardless if they
are the star player or not. All of the other players have been at practice that whole time
and it is not fair to the team if they can just jump right back in. Treating all players equally
will ensure that I gain their trust and respect.
All my athletes will be held to high standards. I will expect the most out of my
players academically. I will require my players to maintain a 2.3 GPA in order to play.
Failing a class is unacceptable. I will have weekly grade checks to ensure that all players
are staying on top of their grades. If a player begins to fall behind one week I will

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implement mandatory study hours. In the next week if his or her grades do not improve he
or she will not be practicing or playing in the games. He or she will use that time to study
or to work on homework. My star player will be held to the same standards. I will not be
more lenient with them. I may even be stricter on my start player if he or she has hopes of
playing at the collegiate level. Also, I expect my players to be on their best behavior. I will
not tolerate players who may be negatively affecting the team. My players shall treat
everyone with respect. Poor behavior in school will result in a loss of playing time. Once
again, I expect the same from my star player.
Throughout my coaching career I will endure criticism from players, their family
members as well as fans. At the beginning of the season, I will require that all of my players
and their parents (if the player is under 18) to sign a code of conduct. From the beginning I
will make sure all of my policies are clearly stated. I will have a twenty-four hour rule. If a
parent has a concern, they must wait twenty-four hours before approaching me. If after
that time has elapsed they still wish to speak with me, I will have no problem addressing
the issue. It is my responsibility to listen to what they have to say and approach them in a
calm manner. I will try to solve the issue to the best of my abilities. If a fan is choosing to
criticize me, I will disregard what they are saying. It is not important to me what they have
to say. In a school setting, I will have the administration handle out of control fans. If there
is not administration present I will address the situation after the game.
Gaining a player’s trust is very important as a coach. A player must be able to trust
what the coach is doing in order for them to want to listen to what is being said. If a player
does not trust me, they will not take criticism from me. To gain their trust, I will be very
upfront and honest about issues and concerns. I will never leave them second-guessing me.

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All players will be informed of why they may not be playing and how they are able to gain
back playing time. I want all my players to be able to know where they stand. An effective
coach is able to communicate well with their team. It is important that I also earn the trust
of the parents. The parents must be able to trust me to watch over their child throughout
the season. I will gain their trust by ensuring them that their children will remain in a safe
environment. Also I will remain CPR and First Aid certified so that I am able to respond to
an emergency situation. I will not display any behavior that would be alarming to the
parents or detrimental my career or the safety of others.
All coaching environments may not be ideal, but an experienced coach will be able
to handle any situation that may come their way. For example, there can become issues
when dealing with inner city athletes. Since I do not have any experience with that
particular topic, I will have to research the issue. I will reach out to fellow coaches to gain
their insight on how to handle the situation. An additional option would be to volunteer at
an inner city school.
Another non-ideal situation would be stepping into a position that requires me to
turn around a school team with a loosing record. That team will have very low self-
confidence and a poor team dynamic. I will step in and bring them back to fundamental
skills. I will focus on the most basic skills of the sport and emphasize the importance of
working together as team to accomplish a common goal. Also, I will do team building
exercises in hopes to strengthen the team chemistry. It is unrealistic to think that I can
completely turn the program around in a single season, but over a few years I may be able
to develop a strong program. Focusing on fundamentals will allow the teams to be able to
become confident in their abilities.

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Sports can be very expensive to play, especially club or travel. I understand that not
all of my players may be able to afford the cost of playing. I do not feel that it is right to
exclude them from playing for financial reasons. I will work with the player to help raise
money for him or her to play. My first step would be to go to the parents of the team and
explain the situation. I will give the other parents the option to help out if they want to.
The next step would be to start fundraising. We could use car washes, bake sales, and
snack bars to help raise money. The initial funds will go towards the player who cannot
afford to play and the rest of the funds would be dispersed among the rest of the team. It is
important that the team is aware of the situation and that they do not think that I am
favoring one player over another.
As a head coach there are a lot of responsibilities. I will delegate some of my
responsibilities to assistant coaches, captains, boosters and trainers. My assistant coaches
will each have a specific job. If the sport is volleyball, I will split the jobs into: hitting coach,
setting coach, and a passing coach. Out of my coaches I will allow them to choose which
position they feel most comfortable with. I will have my captains responsible for all the
equipment. They may delegate help to the entire team, but it is their responsibility to make
sure everything is put away properly each day. The boosters will be responsible for ticket
sales, the snack bar and t-shirt sales. Lastly, the trainers will be responsible for treating
injuries. For example, they will tape the players and bring them ice. Distributing
responsibilities will allow me as the coach to focus more on the coaching aspect rather than
all the other monotonous tasks.
I believe in my coaching philosophy. All players must have an equal opportunity.
Players must be honest, respectful, hard working and trustworthy. In order to make the

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best decision possible I will rely on these same morals. These key qualities will make me a
great coach and build a strong team dynamic. I understand the importance of being able to
make quick decisions and that making mistakes is inevitable.
Philosophical Situations:
Coaches are presented with many situations that are difficult to handle. There is no
right or wrong way to handling a situation. Issues regarding ethics, inclusion and equality
are constantly surfacing. A coach must have the ability to think quickly to make decisions.
A strong coach will know how to go about handling tough situations.
Sexual harassment is not tolerated in my program. If the players bring to my
attention that they feel they are being harassed by another coach I will address the
situation immediately. I will pull that coach aside privately and ask them what is going on.
It may by subconscious, but it is still not allowed. This will be just a warning and I will give
them a second chance. As long as they do not continue their behavior they will be allowed
to stay. After I have addressed the coach, I will explain the situation to the team. I will
inform them that the harassment will stop. I will tell the players that if they feel the
behavior is continuing they must come to me. Failure of the coach to change his or her
behavior will result in removal from the staff. My priority is my players. If my players do
not feel comfortable with a coach, I will remove that coach.
My code of conduct will clearly state that the use of tobacco, alcohol, marijuana or
any other drug is prohibited. Use of drugs at any point in the season will result in
automatic removal. By a player signing the code of conduct, they are agreeing to these
terms. A player showing up under the influence will not be tolerated. I would first
approach the situation by pulling the player aside immediately. Before I assumed anything

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was wrong, I would ask them if they were all right. If the signs of drug or alcohol use were
evident I would explain that they violated the team policy. They would no longer be
playing on the team. It is a safety liability to knowing let someone under the influence play.
I will contact the parents of the player if they are under age. The parent will be required to
come pick their child up ASAP. Once the parent arrives I will explain the situation.
Hopefully my team will learn from the other person’s mistake and this will not happen
again.
I expect my players to treat me with respect. If a player chooses to bad mouth me,
the first time I will ignore it. If this occurs I will pull him or her aside privately. I will get to
the bottom of the problem with the player. I will explain that it is the mature thing to come
up and talk about the issues rather than blurting them out in public. I will not punish the
player unless the problem does not get resolved. I respect my players and it is
disrespectful for them to badmouth me as their coach.
Gaining a player’s trust is very important in coaching. If a player trusts me enough
to tell me that they think they are pregnant I must address the situation properly. Before
jumping to conclusions, I will sit down and have a talk with the player. I will ask if they
have been tested and if they know for sure or not. The next step would be to inform them
that I am legally obligated to tell their parents. It is very important that I tell the player I
have to tell their parents because they are trusting in me. As a coach I do not want to feel
like I am being sly about the situation. I want to be very upfront and honest. Once the
parents are aware of the situation, the next step is to inform the administration. I will let
the parents choose who will inform the school. This is a very delicate situation and must be
handled appropriately.

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A major part of my philosophy is about equal opportunity and not excluding any
player. If a child confined to a wheel chair would like to play on my baseball team I will be
very accommodating. This player will have certain restrictions when playing, but I will try
to incorporate them as much as possible. The first step I would take is getting clearance
from his doctor to play. I want to make sure that it is safe for him to be playing. Also, the
field and bus must be handicap accessible. During practice I will let the player participate in
anyway he wants to. However, in a game situation I will only allow him to hit because
there are many other safety factors. I do not want to risk my player getting hurt because
there is no telling what may happen. Other way of incorporating him into the team would
be to have him be my assistant during games. He can take stats or keep score during the
game to stay involved. I do not want any player to feel excluded from the team. Although
he may not be able to actively participate, there are other ways for him to stay involved
with the team.
Appropriate accommodations would also be made if a female athlete were to walk
on to my football team. Her playing time would be determined the same as any other
player. If she is the better player she will get more playing time. However, I will not favor
her just for being female or exclude her for being female. She will be well informed of her
role on the team. For safety reason I will place her in a position were I feel she will not get
injured. I will make special accommodations when it comes to gear. I will order her special
pads designed for women as well as a women’s jersey unless she is more comfortable with
the men’s. In the locker room I would not want her to feel uncomfortable. I will allow her
to use a private room for changing. During travel she will get her own room. If there is

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another female on staff the two can room together. I will make any accommodation
necessary to make the player feel most comfortable.
Being an all-inclusive team means that a member of the LGTBQO community will be
equally welcomed. If my team has concerns about a new recruit changing in the locker
room because of her sexual orientation I will have to find out the facts before jumping to
conclusions. I will first approach the new recruit and ask her if these accusations are true.
I want to get her feelings on the situation before approaching the team as a whole. I do not
want her to feel secluded from the rest of the team. I may inform the team that if they feel
uncomfortable they have the option to change in the bathrooms, but I will not remove the
new recruit from the locker room. I do not want to single out one player just because of her
sexual orientation. She is equally part of the team and should not be treated differently.
Eating disorders can be very concerning in sports. Athletes need to unsure they are
eating appropriately so that they have enough fuel for their body. If multiple players
inform me that there is a player on the team with an eating disorder I will take the
necessary steps to resolve the issue. Before I jump to conclusions I will begin observing her
behavior. I do not want to assume she has a problem before I can see for myself. I will
monitor her during team meals and while traveling. Once I have determined that she has
signs of an eating disorder I will pull her into my office to talk. I will have information on
the common signs of eating disorders. I will explain to her the signs I see in her behavior.
It is a touchy subject so she may get very defensive. If she admits to having an eating
disorder I will provide her with all of the resources to get help and explain the dangers of
the situation. Next, I would bring in the parents and explain the situation. I want them to
be able to provide the best care for her situation. The parents may be unaware of her

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behavior and could have the means to help her. I cannot force her to get help. She has to
make that decision on her own.
Signs of depression or psychological/social stress can be very evident. If I notice a
player that seems to be moping around often I will talk to them. I will check in with them
during practice and ask if everything is all right. The player may say everything is just fine.
If she is unwilling to open up about it, I may ask one of the other players if they know what
is going on. If her mood begins to affect her performance I may pull her into my office to
have a talk. I do not want to be confrontational, but more empathetic. I want to make sure
she knows that if she needs anything or wants to talk, I am there for her.
It is crucial that all my players behave appropriately on and off the court. The
players should respect each other and the whole team dynamic. I will not tolerate poor
behavior. I will not remove a player with anger issues strictly because other players ask
me to. I will first pull aside the bad seed and explain that her behavior is not tolerated.
There may also be underlying issues causing her to act out. She will be informed that if her
attitude continues she will begin to loose playing time. I make it very clear from the
beginning of the season that behavior is very important. It will ultimately be my choice to
remove her from the team if the problem persists.
I am very upfront and honest with my players and I expect the same from them. If I
were to come across a player’s interview that stirs up trouble, I will be extremely hurt.
Passive-aggressive behavior is not expectable. Once I get news of the interviews I will pull
that player aside. I will ask questions about if what she is saying is true, and why she is
making these remarks. Team chemistry is very important and her making public
accusations can ruin the team dynamic. I will inform her that she will be removed from the

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team if she is to public express her feelings of the team before directly addressing the
problem. The proper way to solving a problem is to talk to the person one on one. If this
player were to continue these interviews, she would be removed from the team.
Tough situations like these may not always play out perfectly. A good coach is able
to adapt and change throughout difficult situations. Mistakes should be taken as learning
experiences. No coach can handle every situation perfectly. A great coach is able to admit
when they made a mistake and move forward. In the end a coach must use their best
judgment to make a quick decisions and not to second-guess their choice.