Preparing and training for a mission have always been essential when a unit gears up for a conflict. However, sometimes failures teach more valuable lessons that even the best preparation and training can provide. This paper will explore the Vietnam battlefield in late 1966 and discuss the failures when fighting in unfamiliar territory, inability to use means of communication and loss of command and control. The 196th Light Infantry Brigade (LIB) is one case study that demonstrates several factors contributing to the overall outcome of their mission in Vietnam.
The book, Backboards & Blackboards: College Athletics and Role Engulfment, By Patricia A. and Peter Adler examines a university basketball program to see how playing college athletics impacts players. It is believed that once introduced to college level athletics, players discover a very different experience than anticipated, once they become part of the team and environment found within the NCAA (National Collegiate Athletic Association). The Adler’s studied college basketball for several years, “Illuminating the processes that operate within the “black Box” of college athletics, showing how and why the transformations and outcomes occur” (page 26). Before the study completed by the Alder’s the only look into college athletics was done through Academic research and journalists.
This is used to evaluate athletes' perception of coaches' behaviors, their leadership style or how athletes perceive their behaviors in 5 subscales. The questionnaires given considered everything from the age, race and level of experience of the coaches evaluated. The results were conclusive and gave scores in areas such as positive feedback, motivation and technique. These variables in conjunction with the demographic background of the coach determines their success rate of being an effective leader. This source will help me to evaluate myself and my coaching abilities by using the
Pat Riley’s “The winner within” is a life plan for the professional basketball players he coached in the NBA, and the leadership skills he had to lead his team to victory. Every chapter in his book focuses on one subject, and every subject for each chapter gives different ways that a team can become successful on and off the court. Riley’s coaching plan is not just for the court but it can be used in everyday life. Every strategy he gives us in each chapter becomes inspiring and motivation.
In an article called “7 Leadership Qualities Every Coach Needs,” (2019) by Ohio University, it says, “As a coach, your job is to help the team members believe in themselves and consistently perform beyond their own expectations. To help them reach their full potential, you must motivate the players to think outside of their mental comfort zones”. Helping people get better at things is just one way an adult can help younger people. For example, Excellent coaching requires the ability to treat athletes as more than sports figures. You must have a genuine concern for the players’ personal lives, rather than viewing outside influences as distractions.
I had the opportunity to observe Kentucky Aquatics, a local club team, that was under the coaching of Chris Fugmann. Chris started up a swim program and single handedly ran it for 26 years before combining swim teams with wildcat aquatics to become Kentucky aquatics. I selected this assignment because I want to pursue a swim coaching career and I would be able to apply concepts learned in KHP 547 in becoming a more effective coach. I had a positive experience when I completed the observation and I was able to apply it to the concepts learned in this course. Some of the concepts that I witnessed included operant conditioning, motivation tactics, and motivational climate.
In “What Makes a Good Youth Sports Coach?” i9 Sports, the largest youth sports franchise, states, “It is important for coaches to have a good understanding of the sport they are coaching. They should be able to teach players the basics of the game, as well as how to improve their skills. Coaches who are knowledgeable about their sport are more likely to be successful both on and off the field” (2022). Knowledge of sport is helpful for youth because this gives the younger children the ability to learn and grow, more than they otherwise would.
We are a Sports Connect Organization–the qualities of a great sports coach help athletes learn, experience, enjoy their job, adapt, have sportsmanship, and work together. A coach’s experience is essential on a multitude of levels. They will be a role model for your athlete for many years. Their teaching style needs to nurture and foster their experience; to formulate their potential that can be unlocked and evolved later in life. Learning new skills is essential, but the takeaway needs to optimize and integrate the athlete’s behavior, motivation, life, etc.
Chapter 12 of The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck provides an intriguing choice to analyze the choices made by the writer. This chapter stands out as a pivotal point in the novel, shedding light on the consequences of the Dust Bowl and economic hardship faced by the Joad family and their fellow migrants. By examining the speaker, motivations, audience, purpose, and tone of this chapter, we can understand how Steinbeck's choices affect both the writing itself and the reader's experience. The speaker in Chapter 12 is an omniscient narrator, providing a broader perspective on the events and characters.
The sun illuminates countless all-American names, with the occasional Coke or Papa John’s sponsor signs. The play clock ticks down to zero, and the stadium is finally filled to maximum capacity. Kickoff commences, players scramble across the field, and suddenly the only problems in the world hinge on if the Nike plastered football is past the downs marker. There are the elite suites high above the stadium cloaked in shade, but the majority are cramped and blisteringly hot. We are all united as one, cheering our team to victory, and thriving on the culture that is modern day sports.
In the athletic world, there are many different types of coaches. There are the coaches who think they know everything, the coaches who know what they are doing but do not care, and the coaches that actually care and want to succeed. First, the coaches that think they know what they are doing. These types of coaches act like they know the game, but they really do not.
Out of high school, many students receive scholarships to follow their passion of playing sports; these college athletes take on the responsibility of being a leader to their universities and their team. Student athletes should view playing sports as an addition to completing their studies, not a replacement. Many believe student athletes should solely focus on bettering their “game” in order to make it to the professional sports league. While this is important, student athletes should also be expected to go above and beyond with their actions in and out of the classroom. College athletes should be held accountable for their education as well as their behavior, by both them-selves and their coaches.
There are two to four million coaches throughout the United States. Less than 20% of these coaches have received any type of training (Anderson, 2012). Most youth sports coaches around America have parents as the coach of the team. This can be a problem due to the favoring of playing time and a lack of training as well. Athletes need to be trained and coached by individuals who are going to make them better both on and off the court.
The social theories that I have chosen to focus on are Conflict Theory and Feminist Theory. I have decided to study these concepts as they share both similar and contradictory ideas of sport participation and power in sport. I will also explore the topic of disability and sport in an attempt to illustrate the great need for integration of athletes with disabilities into mainstream clubs and teams. Finally, I will investigate the area of sexuality and sport, a subject which I believe has remained very much concealed until recent times. Conflict theory states that “social order is based on economic interests and the use of economic power to exploit labour”.
LEADERSHIP LESSONS FROM SPORTS What is Leadership? Leadership is defined as the ability to influence a group towards the achievement of a vision or set of goals. The source of this influence may be formal, as happens by organizational hierarchy. However, this does not imply that every manager is a leader or only managers are leaders. The ability to influence and motivate an individual may arise in any non-formal structure as well.
