As a coach, I always aim to improve my communication skills. While I have a firm grasp on my philosophy, as well as the team culture and style of play that I want to see, it is nothing if I cannot get the message across. As John Wooden would say: “You haven’t taught until they have learned.” Emphasizing a team culture helps youth adopt a different mindset, assuming the dominant characteristics of the group. Character skills are malleable, like intellectual and athletic ability (Tough, 2012, p. 97). Key words can be repeated in huddles and used as positive self-talk. It …
Always Look on the Bright Side of Life
Coaching young players, it is important to look on the bright side of things. Focus on what might happen in the future, rather than what didn’t happen or what went wrong. Emphasize what the team can start doing now do improve later, not what they can’t do or must do. Maintaining the balance between a positive team culture and an expectation of high standards tests a coach’s ability but it can pay dividends down the road. The regular season is not a final exam but a homework assignment to prepare for the end of the year. As long as the …
The Pool
The Pool is a problematic film, typical of recent cinema. The plot moves slowly and this patient pace enables director Charles Smith to successfully set a mood and engages the audience in the lives of the characters. You want the protagonist – a Hindi-speaking hotel boy named Venkatesh – to succeed but the film never tells you if he makes it. It is pleasant to watch but the fact that it is considered to be one of the most outstanding films of 2008 illustrates how much North American cinema has fallen. The screenplay contains little tension and no denouement. It …
Older Films
Today, although it is rarely aired on television and rarely screened at cinemas, 12 Angry Men is an excellent film that highlights many of the faults in modern filmmaking (even in modern culture). The strengths of the film are tremendous performances and a meaningful script. Henry Fonda’s Juror #8 is clear-headed and well-spoken, using salient logical points to make his argument. Other Jurors have superficial biases or deeper internal conflicts and are gradually won over due to a sensible line of reasoning. Thanks to the individual actors, the viewer can see how each member of the jury must deliberate within …