Having been a coach and instructor of 5 Pin Bowling for many years and delivering both the Level I and Level II coaching courses in Ontario for the past 10+ years, I have had many opportunities to discuss and apply different Coaching techniques with many of our Ontario coaches. With a new season beginning, many players are getting their deliveries back in shape and thinking about upcoming competitions. Youth Bowlers, Young Adult leagues and Tournament Players all start to prepare for tournament events that will be here before we know it.

This is also the time for Coaches to prepare. Many teams events throughout the bowling season will require a certified Coach to guide and encourage their teams. If you would like to take on the challenge of coaching an event, make your plans now to get your certification courses completed. This year the Youth Bowling Council requires that all coaches in the 4 Steps to Stardom, must have there Level I Certification and if you are waiting until December or January to take a course you may be disappointed.

Now before you decide to take the challenge of coaching a team, let’s do some self-evaluation. Do you know the time and commitment that is involved in taking one of these assignments? For local events we may only be involved for one day, but let’s not forget about the time to meet with the team to discuss their goals, and possibly hold a practice or two. Other tournaments may progress beyond the local “House” events to Regional, Provincial and even National Championships.

For some Adult events, the Coach is responsible to organize hotel arrangements, ordering uniforms for the players, setting up meetings and practices and dealing with the personalities of the players who they will be coaching. This last responsibility is sometimes the most difficult. Players who qualify may not be aware of how important the other bowlers want to compete and win. After all some players may not have much experience in tournament events and are just happy to be there and have some fun. Coaches need to be aware of this. You may also have two or more players on the team who dislike some of the other players, or maybe are not happy that you were selected as the Coach over their preferred choice.

The best way I know of to deal with players is honest communication. Meet with your team as a group and individually to discuss any issues or concerns that your players may have. This is not easy but in general, people will discuss things in a constructive manner that will not appear to be confrontational. Just by giving your players the chance to speak openly about their feelings, and what they would like to see happen, starts you off on having a successful coaching experience. It will also make your players realize that you are trying to make sure everyone is together as a team, the way it should be.

The players must also understand that they have qualified to play on the team together and should put any differences aside or get them out in the open. You get real close in some events, with everyone in the playing area, and a lot of excitement. Don’t tell me that you will not be ready to cheer on a teammate while they are on 7 in a row. If you cannot get up for the team then maybe you should not have tried to become part of it.

Remember as well, your Coach wants to be part of your success. Make sure that you provide lots of feedback to them before, during and after the competition. Communications work both ways.

Just remember these simple rules. Make sure you talk about the positives as well as the negatives.

Remember to raise any concerns in a way that is not an attack on a personal level. If a Coach makes a bad decision, then discuss it, get everyone’s opinion and be sure not to make it sound like your Coach just won the “bonehead” award. We are all human and every Coach I know of, myself included, have made decisions that did not work out.

Now for the YBC events. Coaching our youth is different than coaching adults. Before you accept the challenge of coaching a youth team in an event, ask yourself, do you have the time to hold the practices and get your team ready? If they win, can you spare the time to participate in the next event? These sound like easy questions, but you should realize that if your team wins the Zone round, you could be competing in the Provincial event and maybe even the Nationals. There could be time away from your job and some expense in making it all of the way. The trips, accommodations and playing charges are covered, but how about that 11:00 p.m. pizza or souvenirs? My best memories of some great coaches when I was a child are the ones who took us out to the local restaurant afterwards to celebrate. Today I don’t even remember if we finished in the top 10 or the bottom of the heap, but as a child, the celebration afterwards was the most important thing.

The YBC Program Director or one of the Supervisors in the program usually selects the Coaches for their bowling centre. If the decision of selecting Coaches rests on your shoulders how about getting the opinion from others around you before you decide. Speak with some of the parents, other YBC staff and even your proprietor, to get their input. Ask yourself these questions:

1. If the Coach is being considered for a Bantam team, do they work with the Bantams?

2. Has this Coach been a regular attendee during regular league play or have they just appeared in the past few weeks?

3. Does this Coach work well with these bowlers or are they more interested in making their Pro Line selections?

4. Do they actually work with the players on the lanes or is having coffee, cigarettes and socializing more of a priority?

These questions may sound funny, but every year I see at least one Coach who just doesn’t seem to be with their team like a Coach should be. Selection of a Coach should be unbiased, honest and in the best interest of the bowlers on the team. Remember, more teams will lose the event and only one will be declared the winner, so let’s make sure the team and their Coach enjoys their experience.

Coaching can be a very rewarding experience that will bring you memories to last forever. The time you take to prepare, become certified, plan the events and then enjoy them, will help you to build these memories, and they will be happy ones.

Good luck to you this season, and remember, if it is worth doing, then let’s do it well.

Dave began his career as a youth bowler back in 1966. He has been a member of the Master Bowlers Association in Ontario for over 20 years and has 2 career victories in MBAO Tournament Division events and was a member of the 1986 Gold Medal Men's Team at the C5PBA National Championships in British Columbia.

Dave has been an NCCP Course Conductor in Ontario for over 10 years and is certified to deliver Level I Technical and Theory as well as Level II technical courses. He has many years experience coaching YBC and Adults at the Ontario Open and is currently on the Board of Directors for the Ontario MBA and is responsible for their website, and all provincial averages.

As a computer programmer by trade, Dave developed all the tournament software for the MBAO for all of their events which has helped in improving accuracy and efficiency.