MARISSA BURR
Opinion Editor
With Fredonia being a Division III athletics university, scholarships are not offered to encourage athletes to play a sport during their time here.
Because of this, the team atmosphere must be supportive enough of its athletes to keep them coming back for multiple seasons. This starts with the coach.
The environment that they build for their athletes can show in performance, as well as attitude. Head Women’s Basketball Coach Sarah Cartmill is in her sixth year in this position and has been in collegiate coaching for 19 years. When it comes to her approach to coaching, she said, “I like to think that I challenge my athletes but also am caring and understanding of what they’re going through. I strive to hold them accountable but also make sure they all know that I care about them beyond basketball, beyond playing time, as a person” in an email interview.
Alon Haimovitz, a senior on the men’s basketball team, is in his third year on the team and believes a coach should try and build a family atmosphere for their team. He said, “[With this] everyone has a place, and everyone can be open and honest with each other to make everyone better.”
Cartmill stressed the importance of her team treating her players as valued members of the group. Her intended locker room atmosphere is “relaxed, welcoming, accepting [and] communicative.”
Beyond this, Cartmill is big on players keeping up with their academic responsibilities, in addition to their athletic ones. She said, “They are STUDENT-athletes, their studies and course work should always be a priority. We attempt to be flexible with their schedules so that they are able to get everything done.”
From a player’s perspective, Haimovitz said, “Academics is very important to me, as the thing that helped me get the opportunity to play on a college level. I take my classes very seriously, and [hope] to use my future degree to build myself for the future.”
Athletes are still expected to complete their course load and stay on track to graduation. The time commitment that sports require has the chance to overtake academics, so coach support can make a big difference in their player’s success. But it doesn’t all come down to the coaches — the institution itself has an effect.
Sports Editor of The Leader, Matt Volz, spoke on his experience around Fredonia athletics. He said, “I think that there are definitely improvements that need to be made. I see that teams have to practice really really late at night because of complicated class schedules. This means sometimes it’s almost 11 [p.m.] when you get home.”
Practice is where coaches have the team run drills, try out new plays and perfect strategies. That way, when the game comes, players are prepared for whatever may come up. But is there a different atmosphere while the players are practicing versus when they are in a game situation?
Haimovitz responded, “I think there is a difference, mostly because a game is like a fresh start. You play against a team that knows what you are doing, but they never saw how each player is playing in the actual game. Practice is usually harder, and games [are] when the preparation meets expectations, and how hard you work.”
In slight contrast, Cartmill stated, “I think that there are times in practice when we can all be a little more relaxed but I don’t think there is a big difference.”
In the way that every player on a team is different, each coach has their own style. An article from the Institute for Coaching Excellence at the University of Florida states, “No longer is the tyrant coach the ideal method of coaching. In today’s world of sports, athletes are more in touch with their mental health and are able to articulate the needs they have and want from their teammates, leaders and most importantly coaches.”
Dr. Laura M. Miele has studied the concept of the “whole athlete” and creating positive environments for anyone in an athletic environment. She looked closely into two types of coaching, one consisting of praise and the other being more dictatorial. Her findings showed that the praising style was “more conducive for success on and off the field of play.”
The new ethical coach emphasizes learning, growth and confidence-building while also being inclusive and advocating for autonomy.
Cartmill stated, “Every one coach is different in ways that they approach their sport, preparation, athletes, game-plan, etc. There is no ‘right’ way to connect with your athletes and teams, variety is what makes coaching and athletics so special.”
This is consistent through both men’s and women’s sports. All three of those interviewed spoke about how there are differences between how to coach the two, but when it came down to it, it was more about each player being different regardless of gender. Each player is different, so every combination of them on a team will be too.
Throughout Volz’s interview, he made the point to keep mentioning how a coach needs to build relationships with each player. He said, “I think that coaches should be there as a shoulder to cry on, be approachable if their athlete is having a problem [so that] they can come to them, [and] understand that they have a personal life outside of the sport — they need time to be college kids.”
Further proof of this is when Haimovitz said, “I think the strong connection I have with my coaches is what [helps] me develop my game and do what is being asked of me. The coaches have trust in me, and that is how I rise during the game.”
When it comes down to it, sports may be about the team effort, but each individual has their own impact, whether they’re a player or a coach.
Matt Volz, who was interviewed for this article, is the Sports Editor of The Leader.