Topic of the Week: HS Teams -- Coached vs. Uncoached

[matthewbourland]

Although more and more HS teams have coaches, there is still a contingent of teams (some playing at a high level) for whom being uncoached and player controlled is a source of pride. As a result, there can be challenges in both directions as teams with very different philosophies meet and work to resolve conflicts that occur when there is disagreement on the field.

For this week's Topic of the Week, we ask the Ultimate Community:
- does the HS team you play(ed) on have a coach? Does your school have any requirements related to coaching?
- for the uncoached teams, what have been your experiences interacting with coached teams? How does being uncoached impact your interactions with other teams?
- for the coaches teams (and HS coaches), what challenges have you faced interacting with the uncoached teams? How does having a coach impact your interactions with other teams?

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Each Thursday usaultimate.org will feature a different topic of discussion on its message boards in order to engage USA Ultimate members and the Ultimate community around the world. The idea is to encourage discussion about some of the current events happening in the sport of Ultimate, and to collect opinions, ideas and feedback from our members and athletes across the globe. Interesting, exciting, controversial or informative, a featured topic will be chosen each week and representatives from USA Ultimate will provide their input in an effort to enhance its communications with the Ultimate world. Please send topics you’d like to see discussed to matthew@hq.usaultimate.org

[wfustu]

As a coach of a HS program (CBDS, NC) that has traveled in and out of state for 4 years now, I have had opportunities to compete against teams that were both coached and uncoached. I can't and wouldn't make any unequivocal statements about teams that are uncoached for the simple reason that most teams take on the quality of their leader(s), whether those are captains or coaches. We have competed against uncoached teams that knew and applied the rules better than many coached teams. We have seen great, spirited play from an uncoached team and turned around and played a coached, chippy game.

I would qualify the differences in two ways: accountability and direction. My players know that they have free reign to make their own decisions but that, if I deem their decisions to be bad ones - especially injurious or discourteous ones - they will be held accountable. I also know (or hope), when walking over to shake another coach's hand, that the same goes for the other coached team. It's quite difficult to hold your teammates and peers accountable on that kind of level. For the second case, the average team is bound to have more longevity and success with a coach. That doesn't absolve the players from their responsibilities in promotion, recruitment, and retention, it just adds a stable voice to the process. A coach who is older, more experienced, and mature can often provide insight into individual games that players on field level can fail to see.

I commend the teams who do it year after year with no head support. However, for those teams who have the capacity to invite someone else into your huddle - do it. For their good, as well as yours. It's a rewarding relationship.

[rrudnic]

As the coach of a HS program I have had the opportunity over the past 2 seasons for my team to play teams with and without coaches. I would say some general statements that apply are that uncoached teams are generally less organized, this is not the case all the time but the majority. Uncoached teams are less familiar with the rules, uncoached teams are generally not as good probably from the lack of experience and having to teach themselves the game. However these definitely do not apply all the time. Pennsbury is a perfect example, student run, very organized, very high level play, pretty good rules understanding, they also have the benefit of PADA, the YCC team, and some of them play club so they have a lot of other helpful resources. Coached teams can and do have the same problems sometimes though, I would say it just seems to be a lot less often. But those are just a few generalizations as I see them.