Coaching Different Types of Players - Term Paper Example

Coaching Different Types of Players Introduction The term ‘team’ can be defined as number of individuals who work together in a single direction to achieve a common goal and objective. Teams are majorly visible in organizations in different departments or in sports. It is a known fact that people tend to be different from each other. Even a single family has different kinds of people with differing personalities even though every member has been exposed to the same things in life, alongside the same kind of training. Therefore it is evident that there will be differing personalities in a team. This raises a challenge for the coach of the team since he cannot adapt a single form of training for all the players in the team. Different personality theories have been developed over the years to manage different personalities and character traits of individuals. 2. Different Personalities John Wooden stated the true definition of a coach when he said that “A coach is someone who can give correction without causing resentment” (Brainy Media.com 2010). This explains the true purpose of a coach which is to provide guidance in a particular area in the most productive manner. A team constitutes of numerous players who might find one approach of training to be effective while some others might take that approach as rather offensive or dictating. Coach 4 Growth (2007) pointed out that this difference in perception arises as a result of different personality traits of individuals. It is due to this reason that coaches need to be coupled with great analytical skills to judge the character and personality of his team players. The coach can provide effective training to his team players only after he has understood the traits of their personalities. Many different personality theories have been developed over the past decades and the approaches which may be appropriate to handle certain traits. It can be said that there exists a strong relation between human psychology and coaching. Scholastic Inc. (2002) stated that the coach needs to judge the level at which he will start getting diminishing returns from the performance of each player. This point of diminishing return might be variable for every player since every individual feels differently about the game with respect to the level of motivation, passion etc. 3. Different Personality Theories 3.1 Four Temperaments Theory The most ancient system to judge the personality of a person is based on the ‘Four Temperaments’. This system can be dated back to as early as the times of the Egyptian, nearly 5000 years ago. This categorization of human behavior proved to be so complete that it has left its mark on our modern psychology of humans. Organization Development Portal (n.d.) stated that the original ‘Four Temperaments’, also known as the ‘Four Humours’ have taken different shapes over the years. The earliest form of categorization of personalities included the following four; lion, ox, eagle, man. 3.2 Modernization of Four Temperaments The original ‘Four Temperaments’ are very old and cannot be expected to reflect the needs of the current era. Therefore Montogomery (2002) provided some modern implications to the theory. The implications of the four categories included the bold nature of a lion, sturdiness of an ox, humane attitude of a man and far-sightedness of an eagle. These classes of personality types can be applied to the different personalities that are present among team players. Bold: Some players are bold and out-going in nature therefore they do not hesitate in taking risks or trying out new techniques. Grass Roots Coaching.com (2010) suggested that the coach needs to understand the ambitious nature of the player and hence give him the leverage to experiment his skills within specific boundaries and rules. Sturdy: Some players are tough and not very receptive towards the training and efforts that are invested in them. This might be due to their over-confidence or problem with authoritarian power. Fitzharris (1999) stated that these kinds of players are opinionated and think that their words are as strong as facts. This thinking leads them to be rigid in their views and actions. Coaches need to understand the rigidness and their issue with the authoritarian powers. Coach should maintain direct communication with them and try to win them from the logical aspect rather than the emotional one. About People.com (2009) pointed out that they should not be reminded of their failures and rewarded to get better results. Humane: Some players are team players who like to cooperate with everyone and are receptive to training efforts by the coach. They tend to admit their mistakes and look for guidelines to improve their game. These kinds of people are easily worried if they fail at their objectives. The coach needs to communicate with them to identify their personal goals and objectives so he can drive the player to achieve them. Fitzharris (1999) stated that these players are loyal and also get offended very easily therefore the coach needs to be careful about their sensitive nature. These players should be reinforced about the security of their position in the team which will make them more loyal to the team. Far-sightedness: These kinds of players tend to be worried about the future instances rather than the game at hand. They are in the habit of analyzing the game in its entirety rather than focusing on the quality of their own timely performance. Fitzharris (1999) explained that coaches should give small and sequential instructions to these types of players since long and tedious commands will not bear any fruitful results. 3.3 Myer-Biggs Theory Richards (n.d.) explained that Myer Biggs theory is based on four dichotomies that help categorize the behavior and attitude of individuals. The four scale structure is as follows: Extraversion or Introversion Sensing or Intuition Thinking or Feeling Judging or Perceiving These four categories have become the basis of a commonly used personality test which is the Myers Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI). 3.4 Improvisation of MBTI The Myers Biggs theory could not be directly implied to the concept of players in a team therefore Rye (1999) took the results of the MBTI theory and contributed to the field by classifying the different personalities of team players. The two most relevant categories include: Power players Team players With respect to the modernization of the ‘Four Temperaments’, power players can be related to the bold natured and sturdy players whereas team players can be related to the humane category. 4. Critical Evaluation The original concept of ‘Four Temperaments’ that has become the basis of many other personality theories does not seem to cater the aspect of competitiveness in humans. It is one of the most common traits that is found in humans and is witnessed at a greater degree in sports and workplaces. It is due to this reason that Smoot (2009) defined the major difference in players as their level of competitiveness. Firstly, he stated that all players do not play the game to win. Some players are involved with the sports because they love the game itself. It is very easy to coach the latter since they are more receptive to training and want to improve their skills. These kinds of players should be given challenges to promote their enthusiasm for the game. On the other hand, the coach needs to inculcate the team spirit among the competitive players and make them understand the relevance of every player in the team. The categorization of team players by Rye (1999) has been very useful; however, it does not cater to the ‘Extraversion or Introversion’ concept to a great degree. Rye’s theory should explain his categorization with reference to this aspect more since it is based on Myers Briggs theory (that marks the differentiation on the basis of these two traits). McHugh (2008) suggested that a coach should take measures to communicate with introverts on a personal level as they might not be comfortable with the expression of their views in public, unlike the extroverts. Extrovert players tend to be more vocal about their needs and opinions than the introverts therefore the coach should personally ask for opinions from the introverts to make them feel like an important part of the team. This will instill a positive impact on their personalities and allow them to be more expressive, bold about their views and game, respectively. 5. Conclusion The coach of a team has a major responsibility of understanding the personality of each of his team players. It is relevant for him to judge the different traits in their personality so that they can be trained in the appropriate manner. Different personality theories have been developed to categorize the behavior and attitudes of individuals. Coaches should promote the introvert players and give them relevant positions in the team so they feel like an important part of the team. Coaches should teach the lesson of team spirit to the overly competitive players and make them comprehend the value of every player in the team. Aggressive or sturdy players should not be reminded of their failures, instead given rewards and appreciations to improve their game. The players, who are strong-headed and have a problem with authority, should be dealt with logic rather than commands. References About People.com 2009, Managing and Coaching Different Personality Types, viewed 17 October 2010, Brainy Media.com 2010, Brainy Quote- Coaching, viewed 17 October 2010, Coach 4 Growth, 2007, Investing Wisely in Performance Coaching: Where to Spend Your Coaching Time, viewed 17 October 2010, Fitzharris, MA 1999, Motivating different personality types on your team, TechRepublic, viewed 16 October 2010, Grass Roots Coaching.com, 2010, Combining your personality with coaching beliefs, viewed 16 October 2010, Montogomery, S 2002, People Patterns: A modern guide to the four temperaments, Archer Books McHugh, AS 2008, Introverted Athletes, viewed 15 October 2010, Organizational Development Portal n.d., The four temperaments - aka the four humours/humors, viewed 17 October 2010, Richards , DJ n.d., Organizational Development Portal, Personality Theories, Types and Tests myers briggs® type indicator (MBTI®), viewed 17 October 2010, Rye, DE 1999, 1,001 Ways to Inspire Your Organization, Your Team and Yourself, Book Mart Press, ISBN 978-1564143488 Scholastic Inc, 2002, The personality theory in coaching: the most significant psychological theories for motivating athletes to peak performance, viewed 15 October 2010, Smoot, J 2009, Coaching Different Types of Soccer Players, Koach Karl Dewazien, viewed 15 October 2010,   Read More