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We largely have X-Ball to thank for the ascendancy and wide-spread acceptance of coaching. Going back in history, in the days when tournaments were played in the woods, there was no easy way to observe a team and fields were unique and shared little common elements. Even once paintball moved out of the woods to the concept fields, there were limits on the value provided by a coach and coaching itself was not widely accepted. Coaches were essentially a back player or an extra player. Around the time that X-ball came to the fore, the coach took on a new role, and teams found themselves with full-time coaches, not just spare players. That was when everyone began to realize the tangible value that coaching can provide. And that is what this article is about; the tangible value of a coach, and why your team needs one. What you want in a Coach: A coach should have field vision, an understanding of game planning and a solid understanding of the concept of paintball. The coach should be able to read a field, to understand how to win on any given field? The key spots you have to make, the key positions you have to fill, the key lanes you have to shoot. Going further, the coach needs to be able to look at the players on the team, know who can and will make those key moves and who has the discipline to stay on the key lanes, and then be able to help put a game plan together that can actually work using the players that are available to win the game. A coach does not need to be a player (in fact, you may be better off if the coach is not a player). Make no mistake about it; you play your game to win. The field does not change - the core moves don't change - just because you are playing a better team. The field plays the same whether you're playing against Dynasty or Joe's Tire and Discount Paintball Store Factory Team. A coach does not need to be able to snap shoot, crawl a snake or run and gun. A coach does need to be able to devise and execute drills that will teach people all of that. A coach does need the temperament to teach people, and does need to have a critical eye towards technical mistakes. In most cases you are looking for a retired player. What a Coach Brings to the Table (that no player can): The key reason the coach should not be a player is that ego is removed from the equation. All players have ego. Its one of the things you need to be a great player. Confidence, hubris, a willingness to take chances because of an innate belief in oneself. All the great players have this. But for a player trying to coach his own team, this confidence can cloud judgment and lead to bad decisions. There are player-captains who can handle this load, but if your team is serious about competing, you should invest in a full time coach. Another thing that a coach brings to the table that a player cannot is an undistracted view of what is happening on the field. As a player, you are focused on what is happening with you. You have to be focused on your game, and do not have the ability to watch the technical nuances of players in the far corners of the field. The back left corner player cannot have an intimate awareness of what the snake player at the right 50 is doing right or wrong. A coach can say, "today I will do nothing more than watch the snake player." and then focus full attention on what that player is doing right or wrong, how to improve him and make him better and thereby help the team. If you want to have every edge in competition, you should Two things come with time; experience and bad knees. And unfortunately the wisdom wrought of experience does not often arrive much before the bad knees. So the venerable veterans get moved to the coach’s box. Rosie and Mooner from NYX, Glen Forester (Dynasty), Bob Long (Empire), Daryl Trent (Americans). All of these guys can still play, but now spend most or all of their time teaching others. And if they can get their hands on young talent, and impart their knowledge quickly enough, the next generation of players can have old school knowledge and new school bodies. What a Coach does: At Practice: The coach should enter practice with a game plan for the day. What drills will be run, and how does the field need to be set up for them to work. What plays will be worked on and what are the desired results. The coach should keep a rotation of players, trying different combinations and moving players through different positions, seeing what works best, who can play multiple spots and what combination of players provide the best results. All the while, the coach should be keeping track of the results so that evaluation is objective and fact-based. The coach should also be responsible for scouting other local talent, knowing what players exist in the area, how good they are and how long until they are ready for your team. Finally, the coach should handle the logistics of the practice, making sure that everything that is required is there. He should keep a stock of extra batteries and paper towels, he should be aware of who will be late, he should make sure the fields are laid out correctly. At Events: The coach should do more than just help with game plans, both initially and reviewing and changing them after wins or losses. He can tweak the lanes the team shoots off the break, the bunkers the team takes, or when they take them. He should also be watching each game to help make roster adjustments (who plays what field, who plays what spot). The coach should also watch other teams play the same fields you will play, so he can see what is actually happening on the field. Perhaps that will lead to a change in your own game plan. If possible, the coach should try to watch the teams you will play against, and give the team feedback on how that other team is playing. Are they aggressively attacking the 50’s? Are they taking the snake off the break? Or are they sitting back, playing defensively, and giving up all the 50’s while they shoot lanes? Coaching is relatively new to paintball. Certainly non-playing, full time coaching is new. But that doesn't mean it is not a valuable addition to any team. If you are going to try to compete, at any level, having a dedicated coach can do nothing but aid your team, teach you faster, give you more eyes on the field and more brain power to address issues. Every other sport has them. Now paintball does, too. © Copyright 1999 - 2006, 68Caliber.Com |
