Qualities of a good coach
Being a good and successful coach means more than just running a sports session. The coaching role implies specific technical knowledge of the given sport, methodology of work and approach to all participants, as well as motivation and support of the participants during the training and after its completion.
In addition to having practical sports experience, our coaches focus on player’s interpersonal and social skills development. Our coaches are guided by the values of the club and all sports sessions are created on the principles of equality, respect, integrity and solidarity.
Skills of a good coach
Be a positive example with your behavior. Instead of words, his / her deeds show that he / she is motivated, patient, self-critical, has respect and trust in others.
Get to know each participant well and take into account his / her characteristics in relation to age and skills. It is especially important that the training is tailored to the individual needs of the participants.
To give positive and constructive feedback that should be individually tailored to each person, encouraging discussion and sharing of personal opinions and views.
To provide quality sports activities that will support the personal development of young people.
To introduce group dynamics that will include all participants equally. To prevent any kind of bullying and discrimination among the participants and to motivate those who are shy and more introverted.
Not to discriminate against the differences of young people (sexual, ethnic, social, economic) and to set a positive example by their active involvement and acceptance.
Our Coaches
Michael Markovski
Michael has been playing rugby since he was 6 years old. He has played in various rugby clubs and rugby schools across Australia. He has been actively playing rugby in Macedonia for 2 years and last year he was hired as a coach at the Skopje Wild Boars rugby club.
Dragan Stefanovski
Dragan Stefanovski has graduated as a professor for physical education, sport, and health. He is an experienced coach in enhancing the physical and mental development of children and young adults.
Victory versus play and development
People who do sports do it for a variety of reasons; for some it is important to compete, for some it is fun and to socialize with teammates, and for others it is the satisfaction of adopting new techniques and knowledge. It is quite reasonable that for an international team playing in the World Cup the most important element of any match is victory, but should an eight-year-old player also focus on this? At this age, children have a limited range of attention and a limited opportunity to adopt complex situations. At the same time, this is the optimal time for the development of interpersonal and social skills. This suggests that for this age, our focus should be player development, rather than winning the game.
There is often a misunderstanding that if the result (and victory) is not emphasized in training, then it does not promote, or develop, a mentality for victory. This is completely incorrect. On the contrary, if training is created in a way that contributes to the personal development of the player, that player will become more dedicated and will train with greater desire and intensity, and if they are taught how to set goals and how to evaluate their own performance, then the winning mentality develops on its own.
In our club we will praise the commitment of the players and we will support a critical evaluation of their performance allowing the players to become accountable for their actions and aware of their potential.
Coaches and parents need to use the children’s commitment to improve their performance by encouraging and supporting them, always using kind words. In this way we support the player’s development in the long run.