Lessons Learned from a Losing Season

Losing is difficult. Whether you’re a player or a coach, it can lead to a lot of sleepless nights, and after a while, complete emotional exhaustion. In fact, as a coach, I think it’s often harder than as a player. In recent months, it’s come to my attention that my column is read locally and nationally by a large group of coaches, and I think it’s important to talk about coaching, because it plays a crucial role in our communities and for our youth.

With losing, it’s important to learn. Sometimes, as a coach, you won’t be able to right the ship, you won’t be able to fix the problem, but you can still learn for the future. After enduring a long, draining, losing season, I’m starting to reflect on what I’ve learned. Serving as an assistant this season, it was a different experience for me, because I’m used to being in charge and having things my way, but it also gave me the opportunity to sit back, watch, and learn from the good and the bad. Here are a few things I’ve taken away:

• It’s important to be positive: I’m not recommending you go into  a dressing room after a 10-0 blowout and tell your team everything is great, but it’s important to take positives from everything. What did your team do better this game than last? Did someone who has been struggling come through despite the loss? Was your work ethic there, even if you were out-skilled and outplayed? If a player hears you tell them the same error over and over and over, they’ll think of nothing but that mistake. If they hear you praise them for the things they do that help your team, they’ll focus on that, and hopefully, do it more often. As a coach you need to correct the negatives, but you also need to stay positive, even in the worst of times.
• Make every practice purposeful: Practices can’t be a routine. They can’t be something you look at lightly, or approach casually. Practices need to be well planned and purposeful. If you are struggling to put together a breakout, run a play, or find your defensive coverage, then each drill you design should focus on an aspect of these skills and strategies. I don’t believe in cookie cutter practices where you repeat the same thing over and over. A purposeful practice will teach the same skills in a variety of ways. Most importantly, these skills should be worked on in game like situations. If your passing sucks, having players stand still and pass back and forth likely won’t benefit them in the long run. At an early age, yes this basic development is necessary, but if it’s not run in game like situations, how do you expect your players to transfer their new skills from practice to game. Plan everything, to the minute, to the second. In detail. My practice plans are down to the minute, with diagrams, written descriptions, back up plans, and variations. I’m over prepared and it often takes hours to plan a single practice. Especially when you’re losing, it’s important to be planned and purposeful.
• Never stop teaching: After a  frustrating year, you might feel less inclined to help certain players who continually make mistakes, have a bad attitude, or are flat out less talented. This comes back to the old adage, “you’re only as strong as your weakest link.” Even when you’re frustrated as a coach, you can never stop teaching. It may be the 30^th time a player has made the same mistake, but if you stop teaching, that number will continue to grow without hope. Again, throw some variety in. Maybe chalk talk doesn’t work. Maybe you need video, or to walk through it on the ice or field one-on-one. Try different methods, and stick with it. The second you stop teaching, you’re doomed. You can’t walk into a dressing room and say, you need to score more goals, and play better defence. Tell them how. Telling someone what they need to do, is not telling them how to do it. That is the role of a coach.
• Keep it fun: When sport is not fun, it’s time to stop playing. Even in the worst stretches of a season, it’s important to have fun. Losing every game won’t be fun, so it’s important to build fun into practices, or stage fun off-ice or away from the court or field team-building activities. If your team stops enjoying what they’re doing, nothing else you do will matter, because you’ve lost them.

Losing is tough, I know, I’ve lost a lot in my career, but I’ve also won a lot. None of the successes I’ve had would be possible without the losing, and the lessons I learned through those tough times. Keep your heads up coaches. You’re doing your best, and you’re likely doing the right thing, but never stop learning, even when you’re losing. The second you stop learning, your players will stop learning…and then you’re really lost.

Let the games begin.