A Publication for the American Sport Education Program and the National Federation Interscholastic Coaches Association. Rainer Martens, PhD. Human Kinetics. Many coaches face a dilemma about their objectives when they coach.
Society clearly rewards winners.
Yet society also looks to sport as a means to help young people try out life, build character, and develop leadership skills. Coaches who want to help young people develop physically, psychologically, and socially through sport often find they are evaluated only on their win-loss record. Perhaps altruistic at first, too many veteran coaches are conditioned by the organizations for whom they coach to pursue the objective of winning regardless of the cost. This must change, and coaches must take responsibility for making the change. While society may be fickle about its objectives for sport participation, coaches must resist the forces that encourage them to win at all costs.