Gary Cole knows coaching. Sure , he's a former Socceroo - played 40 matches in an Australian guernsey, both caps and friendlies. But the trained primary school teacher turned President of Football Coaches Australia has made his post playing career all about getting the best out of other people.
Gary served as assistant coach for the Socceroos under Frank Arok, coached at the AIS plus a swathe of top tier teams including Melbourne Victory and Heidelberg United. So when he says, coaches need continuous coaching, all aspiring Peps and Ange's need to put down their magnets and whiteboards and listen.
Yes, at the start, coaching is all about how to get kids organized and how to put on a training session. And then you have to know how to coach in a game situation. But the top stuff, the meaty stuff , is all about managing people. And it is of Gary Cole's firm belief that coaches need mentoring, just as players need mentoring. "Why do coaches need mentoring?", he responds patiently. "Because they are learning a craft and they want to get better at it".
And you are not making things up in your own head. Sometimes the coach mightn't be any good, or they mightn't be any good for you. At community level, it could even be a parent roped in to do the duties, even though you 've all been whacked with several thousand dollar’s worth of fees to have the privilege of playing. That's where it gets tough for all involved. They key to survival here, says Gary, is to make sure everyone is still having fun. Learning some skills but having fun at training.
But we hear this time and time again about successful coaches - true coaching is about leadership, and knowing how to manage multiple individuals to get the best out of them as a group is not a subject in the basic coaching qualifications around. " You manage things. Or you lead people", Gary explains. "So if you want to count how many balls we have in the locker room, or how many cones we have got, that's a management issue. But how do I work with you, so we have a good working relationship based on honesty and trust, so you can be better? Some of the feedback may not be in a way that you like it, but do you want me to be truthful? That's the beginning of building foundations to coach.
Gary Cole is kind, he's generous. One of his daughters plays elite basketball still. And despite the fact I like him immensely and can feel his integrity radiate like a invisible safety garment, I'd hazard a guess that he merely tolerates Ted Lasso.
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