Quote:
Originally Posted by N7UJJ
... FIRST is about students working with positive adults ..., and as a result, more students realistically appreciate and perhaps enter a STEM field. ...
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I completely agree and I would add that modeling gracious behavior in a highly competitive environment is an important characteristic of a coach. No one is perfect; however, it has been my experience that the coaches from teams which are consistently highly competitive on the field have also consistently modeled gracious behavior.
I recall my first year coaching in 2005 at the Boilermaker Regional. We had the opportunity to be paired with a couple of the consistently successful teams. Our team leader advised me to ask those coaches what they needed us to do and to be honest about our capabilities. Without exception, their response was what can you do? They also communicated any particular needs or constraints which they had.
As has been stated already, communication is what is important – and I would qualify that as active listening. It goes both ways.