Sean Keating

Friday, April 12, 2019, 3:00 PM | Room 8

Coaches set the standard for their players’ excellence as well as the tone for each given season with the presence they provide and the lessons they put forth. They are the people who add real-life value to what we do and are people that we remember for our entire lives. This doesn’t just go for someone who plays football, or basketball, or hockey, but all forms of competition. That is why in my capstone project I am attempting to determine what makes the perfect coach, through examining what researchers say as well as looking at a few prime examples of excellent coaches from the past and present. Starting off, I will look into some of the fundamental values that researchers believe are necessary when it comes to a good coach, whether it’s from a historical and sociological standpoint or simply from an athletic standpoint. This will allow for connections to be made to my examples in the rest of the study, as well as seek the main principles at the root of every good coach. Next, I will examine examples of individuals who many people would consider “perfect coaches” for their immense success, influence on their players, and overall legacy left in their communities. Through providing real life examples, I can look to tie in the ideas taken away from the earlier part of the study and see how many of those values align with the major coaches I examine, confirming what it takes and moving closer towards a firm definition. Finally, I will reflect on my own experiences with my coaches, seeing possibly how they align with key principles and how important they’ve been to me in my personal development. Through this process of research, seeking model examples, and reflecting on my own experiences, I am very confident that I will be able to find an answer to the overriding goal of this project and find out what makes the perfect coach.