Leading the Learner

Then said a teacher, Speak to us of Teaching.

And he said:

No man can reveal to you aught but that which already lies half asleep in the dawning of your knowledge.

The teacher who walks in the shadow of the temple, among his followers, gives not of his wisdom but rather of his faith and his lovingness.

If he is indeed wise he does not bid you enter the house of his wisdom, but rather leads you to the threshold of your own mind.

--Kahlil Gibran, The Prophet

Sometimes, we coaches think that our young players come to us not knowing anything and not being able to do anything – we must teach them everything. That is the old tabula rasa (blank slate) belief that you may find in the old psychology books.

Throughout our book, Grassroots Coaching, we assert that the Process of Education is Learning and not Teaching – and that children come to us with a great array of things that they have “Learned” to some degree; throwing a ball, kicking a ball, bouncing a ball, catching a ball, skating, hitting something, evading a touch, skipping, running, hitting a target, etc., etc., etc.

Our job as coaches is to extend, clarify, channel, and define those activities to fit into the game they are now learning to play – to have them improve in their knowledge about the game and what they are now being expected to do. If you are a hockey coach, you are working on some skills; skating, hitting something with a stick, catching something with a stick. . . . You are not working with throwing something to someone; in fact, you are working with them on not touching, throwing, or catching something - you are also having them learn more about the rules and activities of hockey.

The psychology books we enjoyed learning from and the materials we have written are based on “the learner is involved in the learning process – she learns by doing – we coaches, in our own way, walk beside her and lead her to the threshold of her mind and to the better usage of the knowledge and skills that she has already acquired.”