#20 Stress in Coaching Survey

We haven't forgotten about you! The WRCC Committee has been busy working on our next steps as an organization! We want to best serve you as coaches with access to information about cross country, track and field, and road racing. 
We have in the works a website that will better support you in your pursuit of excellence as a coach. 

We are working hard and hope to be up and running soon.
Stay tuned!

Meanwhile we want to ask you three questions about your own coaching and stress. We will feature this information in the next newsletter. Do you experience stress as a coach, and if so, how do you deal with it? All answers will be kept confidential.
See questions below.  Email your answers to dragonslayer1500@gmail.com 
 
Dear Coaches,
Now that your track and field season is over, we'd love to get your feedback about the stressors you experience in your coaching career. In addition, we'd like to hear ways you have found to deal with these emotional strains or pressures. In our WRCC Newsletter we will summarize what you have sent us and hopefully start a dialogue. I know we would all say that being a coach is one of the most interesting and rewarding professions there is. We are all passionate about coaching and our work with young athletes, but there can be a downside to the profession. All of us know the strain coaching can put on our lives. We would love for you to share your experiences and stories of dealing with coaching stress.

For the many years I have been coaching, and the thousands of athletes I have worked with, I have not learned to completely manage my own stress levels and anxiety during the season. Most of the research that has been done is with professional coaches. And even though these coaches do experience similar issues in their coaching jobs, a lot of their pressures seem to be about winning and money. Looking at high school and some college coaches, the stressors are different. Many of our pressures are about creating the best training to allow our young athletes to compete at their very best. In addition we worry about injuries and burnout. We have to deal with overly involved parents, or absent parents. We put a lot of energy into creating well trained athletes who are confident and competitive. We work with sports psychologists to train our athletes to be less nervous and to race to their optimum. But who helps us? Who coaches the coaches to be confident, positive, and relaxed during the season?

Here are the three questions. They do not need to be long answers. Just give us an idea of your personal stress or pressures in coaching, and ways you have learned to deal with them. We'd also love stories that illustrate the stress you have dealt with in the past and how you have handled it. 

1 - Do you feel stressed during the track and field or xc season? If so, what are those stresses and how do you deal with them?

2 - What advice would you give to other coaches in dealing with stress?

3 - What books or articles could you suggest that helped you deal with your emotional strain or pressure in coaching that might be helpful to others?

Thank you so much for sending us any personal feedback you might have! 

Yours in coaching,
Charlotte Lettis Richardson
Women's Running Coaches Collective Member
Send answers to - dragonslayer1500@gmail.com