Prabhakar Mundkur highlights the importance of a coach in a team; and the game being more important rather than winning or losing
There might be one crucial difference between Kumble and Ravi Shastri when it comes to evaluating coaches. And that is the question of ‘who is the boss?’ Kumble thought he was the boss, but Shastri thinks it is the captain of the team that is the boss.
If press reports are to be believed Kumble’s pep talk after losing the Champions Trophy final against Pakistan also didn’t go down well with the team. Although Kumble was not rude, he is supposed to have mentioned how wides and no-balls cost India dear and how the bowlers were not able to execute their game plan. While Kohli might have agreed with Kumble on how the team could have done better, he is known to have gone on to give a positive spin with his Captain’s pep talk by mentioning how the team played well to reach the final.here might be one crucial difference between Kumble and Ravi Shastri when it comes to evaluating coaches. And that is the question of ‘who is the boss?’ Kumble thought he was the boss, but Shastri thinks it is the captain of the team that is the boss.
In many ways Kolhi acted like many leaders. Point out the mistakes to the team, but make sure that the team is not de-motivated for future games and spur them on to do better in the future.
Paul Barron, goalkeeping coach at Newcastle United, is an advocate of relationship coaching and once described his philosophy as:
- They forget what you say to them.
- They forget what you do with them.
- But they never forget how you made them feel!
So perhaps it is not just about what Kumble said, but it is about how he made them feel. And obviously he didn’t make them feel good after the defeat in the Champions Trophy. Relationship coaching is about coaches connecting with their players, getting to the real pulse of the team, and releasing a powerful collective emotional energy says Bill Beswick in the book Focussed for Soccer. This very often is the difference that allows teams to survive the bad times and go on to great successes.
Athlete-coach wars have been on as long as one can remember. Andy Murray for example re-hired Ivan Lendl after the pair decided to call it quits some time ago.
If there are no codes of conduct formulated to protect coaches and athletes, then there is risk of a breach in the athlete-coach relationship. So if some of the reports in the press are to believed about Kumble and Kohli falling apart because of a discipline issue or because Kumble wouldn’t let the players go out shopping for example, this is a fault of not laying down an athlete-coach code. The code in this case would have determined who was wrong and who was right.
Most coaches desire strong team discipline but then so do athletes. Athletes crave for rules too. Typically, a proper structure and a set of team rules, lets both sides know exactly what is acceptable and what is not for all aspects of team membership.
You’re NOT a good coach when you call an athlete out in front of the team and tell him that he is not performing well or say something that is insulting. This leads to questions like:
Does it motivate an individual to want to work even harder to improve?
Does it help that individual to feel good about themselves?
Shastri played it right when he patted the team on the back for our win in Sri Lanka, irrespective of the fact that India was playing a weak Sri Lanka team. A win is a win and needs to be celebrated and is a strong motivation to keep winning.
According to various individuals from the BCCI and CAC as well as the committee of administrators one big point of difference between Kohli and Kumble was who was the boss.
Shastri is more than happy to let the captain take charge. “It’s always the captain’s team and it is the leader who calls the shots. That’s how it has always worked. A coach’s role, effectively speaking, is to stay in the background and let the onus be on the players. The coach and support staff’s role is to get the players in the most brilliant frame of mind to execute things and if done effectively, it brings enjoyment to the player’s game.”
Ravi Shastri once again proved himself as a great leader in India’s recent win against Australia. His speech to the team is worth remembering and suggests of great leadership.
You may not be a good coach if you are only focusing on winning a game. If winning is the primary goal as a coach, you may actually wind up winning less! A perhaps more important mission of a coach is to teach the team and help them grow as individuals so that they become better people in the world, both on and off the field. Good coaches take a holistic view of their athletes and teach them to be better people in the world, rather than using their sport as a vehicle for their teaching. Winning and losing is less important. It’s about the game in the end.
The author is a veteran advertising person, and now a prolific commentator and writer. He spent 17 of his 42 years in advertising with the J Walter Thompson; working with the agency across 3 continents. He has also worked with Havas and Hakuhodo. He has recently started a videocast called ‘Turning Point’. Email: prabsy@gmail.com
