I previously outlined what I think are the factors which drive coaching success, and how I define success in this discussion. In this post I address one of those factors – resources.
What are resources?
Resources are what let you do things. Money is certainly a resource. Facilities, coaching help, managers, equipment, boosters, academic support, strength coaches, trainers (physios), technology, and even a good office space are resources – or at least potential resources.
Everyone has certain resources. For example, you have a gym, some balls, and a net. The size and quality of the gym, the ball count, and the number and quality of nets all vary widely, however.
And the rest of it is all over the place as well. For example, some NCAA Division I teams have a full set of coaches – three full-time paid ones and a volunteer. Others have a full-time head coach and assistant, but only a student third assistant and no volunteer. Some programs have DOVOs to provide administrative support. Others don’t.
In the US, having a dedicated trainer is the norm at the college level, but it’s not at the professional level in many places in the world.
Some teams have the equipment necessary to use video replay in training. Many don’t.
College recruiting budgets vary considerably, which influences the talent part of the success equation.
Some teams have more access to technology and/or personnel that allow them to do better scouting, which impacts on competition management.
I think you get the point.
What’s in your control
As I suggest when it comes to talent, there are some things with respect to resources the coach simply cannot control. Other things, though, are potentially open to influence.
For example, as a coach you probably have little control over the size of your budget. You may be able to influence where the money is spent, however. Also, you might be able to fund raise to bring in more money.
You might not have as many staff as other teams. Perhaps you can make up for that in some ways through better use of technology. Or maybe you can find more managers to help out during practices and matches.
As a coach you should always be aware of the resources available to you, and which ones you have at least some potential influence on.
Conclusions
The resources you have available to you influence pretty much everything that contributes to the success of your team. Teams with more of them have a competitive advantage. That means it’s important for you as a coach to know what you have, what your competition has, and what you need. It’s then important to cultivate, foster, develop, and otherwise get access to as many resources as you can. Obviously, some are more important at any given time than others, so having priorities is important.
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