We’ve been asking some of our volunteer coaches about their WHY. Check out this week’s featured coach Dean Armstrong. Dean coaches the Puketaha Thunder (Year 7/8 Hockey Team). He provides a fantastic insight into why he thinks it's important to support our tamariki with their sporting endeavours and what our purpose as coaches, managers and supporters should be. 

We asked Dean: Why do you choose to be involved?

I strongly believe that great sporting/play/active experiences (which don't necessarily need to be the "traditional" sports) can enrich the lives of our tamariki and rangatahi, and drive long-term benefits for them and our broader society. I want my children to have these great experiences and to become life-long sporting/active participants. I also really enjoy being involved in sport/play myself - both on the field and off it.

We asked Dean: What makes it worthwhile from your perspective? 

It is really neat to see the kids develop - both from a sporting/skills/physical ability point of view, and also growing as people. I love the moments when you see one of the kids do something they haven't done before, whether on or off the field. It may be executing a particular skill, making a smart decision under pressure, or simply undertaking an act of sportsmanship or caring for a team-mate or opposition player. Those little moments are unbelievably rewarding and can send shivers down your spine.

We asked Dean:  What advice would you give someone who is still deciding whether to get involved in a team management context? 

You don't need to have any special skills or particular sporting/coaching experience to do a great job and have an impact on these kids' lives. The only thing that matters is that you care for the kids, and will act to try and ensure they are at the centre of everything you do (both the ones in your team, but also those on the opposition sides!!). If you ask around you'll be able to find any help you need on the sporting/technical side - all that stuff can be learnt.

We asked Dean:  What are some of the messages you give pregame and postgame to help support your players mindset, motivation and/or resilience?

At this age the only thing that matters is whether the kids are having fun with their friends. We should measure our success on whether they want to keep playing sports (not just one) and being active across their schooling and lifetimes. We have a tendency as adults to muck up kids' sport by putting "adult" structures, systems, and rules in place too early, or by driving (consciously or subconsciously) a focus on outcomes/results rather than individual/collective growth. Pre- and post-game I try to think about what will best help the kids grow as individuals. Their needs (skill levels/motivations/levels of physical maturity) will be quite different - especially at primary school age. This is all easier said than done, but I believe that if we remember that sport is for everyone, and focus on creating a great experience for each child then we'll get it right most of the time!

Dean, we would like to take this opportunity to thank you once again for your ongoing support, your insights and perspective on the role of a coach/manager/supporter in youth sport. We appreciate the time you have taken to share your thoughts with us all.
If you would like to share your coach's story or nominate a coach please contact jasonb@puketaha.school.nz. We would love to hear your why!