Leadership Style Discovery in Performance Coaching, Guest Blog by Joe Giandonato, MS CSCS

Chris Merritt
About the author

Strength Coach/ B.S. Kinesiology, Pennsylvania State University/ FMS/ Functional Range Conditioning Mobility Specialist/ Certified Kettlebell Instructor/ Owner of Beyond Strength Performance and Beyond Strength Performance NOVA
1 Response
  1. I believe strongly in the power of coaches as leaders to transform athletes into successful teams, especially in sports that depend heavily on the mental and emotional components like golf. That is why I decided to celebrate the career of Coach Catana Starks of Tennessee State University, the first black woman to coach a Division I college men’s golf team. Golf is a sport that requires precise execution of fine motor skills. Because of that, a golfer can perform significantly better or worse, based on the psychological make-up he or she brings to a challenge. Coaches who put into place the environment in which golfers are primed to be in the optimal mental and emotional frame of mind can make a huge difference, as Coach Starks did.

    I would also suggest that teaching individuals and teams to be resourceful in using more limited resources is integral to the mental toughness required for success. The movie Rocky IV, released in 1984, contrasted Rocky’s mental toughness, from his training regimen in the wilderness, with the mental and emotional vulnerability of the Soviet boxer, who was supported by the best resources of the Soviet government, including performance-enhancing drugs.

    Thank you for the platform you provide to celebrate great coaching leadership characteristics.

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