Sports Good coaches say, “You can do it”—and they mean it. But on the field, success is collective.
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thletics build confidence—and “playing” demands discipline, hard work, patience, poise. An athlete learns to work with others, challenge herself, and improvise. A good coach is exceptionally powerful. How does effective coaching work?
“My main responsibility as a coach is sharing my experiences and knowledge of the game,” says Amy Hickey, Milton’s head softball coach. “As captain of the ship, I need my players to feel safe so they’re not afraid to try things, to stick their necks out a bit. My job is to be supportive and to challenge them.”
Chris Kane, of the admission office, began working at Milton in 2006. This is Chris’s fourth season coaching the girls’ varsity squash team. A college athlete himself (Chris played soccer, lacrosse and squash at Amherst College), he has also coached
Milton’s boys’ lacrosse program for four years, and this spring he begins his second season with the golf team. Chris recently earned his master’s in education from the School Leadership Program at Harvard University.
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“In high school, coaching is 50 percent winning games and 50 percent teaching players to have integrity,” says Kevin MacDonald, head football coach. “Building character is a very important role of a coach. My job is to help my players reach their potential, which differs from athlete to athlete.”