Being a Coach is Great : Nick Patenaude
From an Instagram post from August 14, 2021
Being a coach is great. It's a blend of disciplines that I find both challenging and rewarding; Sport Psychology, Coaching Pedagogy, Sport Sociology, Physiology, and so much more! - As the Paralympics are getting ready to start Aug 24th and the Olympic Games have just come to an end, I find myself contemplating my own role, goals, and perspectives on where both my sport of Triathlon and the broader sporting community is heading. - Amidst scandals in sports-personship (doping and non-sportsmanship-like behavior) through to breaches of trust by governing bodies and coaches, I want to reflect on some of what I've learned from participating and coaching in sport. - Sport is a great opportunity for growth if one is inclined or guided towards a growth mindset; there are also opportunities for closed-mindedness and self-gratifying egocentric pursuits. A healthy mind and body is something that an ideal athlete embodies, and the journey to this idealized self is influenced by their community of support (ie. Coaches, para-medical staff, friends & family, sponsors, etc). - When an athlete, or individual, has external supports that are faulty or misaligned with the nature of sport, we get negative outcomes. Doping scandals, abusive behaviors from athletes and coaches; a win-at-all-costs mentality arises, and with that, we see a sacrifice in an athlete's identity and their personal ethos and standards. - With all of my interactions, I strive to bring to the table by best self, and a self that is dedicated to growth. I want to be a coach that asks athletes hard questions, and maybe make them reconsider why they're doing what they're doing, but only to reinforce those positive connections through sport. I strive to be the coach that sees success in an athlete and recognize I am in shaping that, but the victory is theirs. The success is theirs. I am here to facilitate and encourage my athletes to grow. Not to satisfy any narcissistic notion of my self-importance. - When I see and hear about coaches who are abusive, in any way, shape, or form, to ANY athlete, I judge them only on how they learn and grow from it. I hope you all do the same.