by Dr.Liew

Created on: April 11, 2008   Last Updated: October 31, 2008

A coach is the mastermind behind a team's performance so naturally he or she should bear the responsibility if the team loses. I am not saying that he or she should be blamed 100% but most of it.

A lot of people might argue that the players should be blamed because they are lack of commitment and perseverance and etc. However, why do the players have that kind of attitudes and weaknesses that contributed to the failure? I believe these have got something to do with the coach. As a coach, he or she should instill the spirit of commitment and will power in the mind of the players so that they will go all out when playing.

Another factor that contributes to the loss is lack of teamwork. A team is like a single entity that should work coherently otherwise it cannot function as a team effectively, and it is the coach's duty to build a solid teamwork that can achieve the highest performance. In order to build strong team, the coach has to build the spirit of cooperation among the players. Further, he or she should promote harmony between the players so that everybody can put team interest above self interest.

Lack of good game plan and tactics might also cause the downfall of a team. As the brain of a team, the coach must be able to design an effective game plan and a set of tactics before a game starts. He should study the strengths and weaknesses of his of her own team as well as the opposite team by doing SWOT analysis, then plan out smart strategies and tactics. Lack of this kind of effort usually will cause a team to lose. You can see many such examples in NBA and world Cup (soccer), where a last minute tactical play will often help a team to win.

A good coach should also be a good motivator. Players need motivation to boost their morale and confidence when especially when the going is tough. Lack of motivation from the coach at critical time will surely cause the team to lose the game. The coach who does not know how to motivate the players should be criticized if his or her team loses.

So, I am convinced that coach is the main success factor for a team's performance so he or she should be blamed when the team loses.

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