Being an effective assistant coach can be tough as you try to serve your head coach and the team. ROBERT WILLIAMS gives his tips to STEPH FAIRBAIRN
In 2015, Brookhaven College women’s soccer team were struggling, often seen by league opposition as an opportunity to increase goal difference.
In the seven years since, the Texas-based Bears have gained three national titles and won the conference five years in a row.
This has all come under the stewardship of head coach Jimmy Elder and his assistant Robert Williams.
Robert, who originally began coaching in his native Bermuda, is so enamoured with Brookhaven, and the journey the team has been on, that he aims to one day be elevated to the head coach role.
For now, though, he is thoroughly enjoying the success the team is achieving. SCW spoke to Robert to discuss the important role of junior colleges and how to be an effective assistant…
RW: "You have to follow the lead. But, at the same time, you have to form your own opinion and you have to be a good partner.
"You have to figure out: ’okay, maybe this isn’t working’. The head coach may think it should be that way all the time, but you have to be able to reason and say, ’I understand that approach, but let’s try this approach’. It’s just about bonding and having the right chemistry.
“The head coach sets out the task and you have to do it as effectively as possible. At the same time, you want to position yourself to be a head [coach] in the future - so you have to be able to follow and take orders and do them effectively, but at the same time, be able to lead when it’s time to lead."
RW: “I would say yes. We love our girls. It’s a great team, it’s family. But the head coach still has to be the authoritative figure.
"As the assistant coach, I can take stuff from the head coach and pass it on to the players and vice versa. If the players don’t feel comfortable in their coaching, they can come to me as the middle man.
“So again, it’s being effective. You have to be a great assistant to the head coach, but obviously a great coach to the players.
"I think my relationships are a little different. Coming from the islands, it’s a lot more laid back and chilled.
"If players don’t feel comfortable in their coaching, they can come to me..."
"Sometimes it’s just easier for them to come to me because of my personality. But, trust me, when it’s time to get hard on them, I get hard on them because they need it.
"For the most part, they know I’m an island boy, we do island boy things and just relax.”
RW: "It gets stressful. On a normal training day, we’re on the field an hour, or an hour and a half, before practice starts, getting everything set up. After practice, we’re probably there for another hour.
"Beforehand, in the office, we’re devising whatever the practice plan’s going to be for the day or the week. Usually, the head coach comes up with that stuff the night before.
"We already know, going into the office, this is going to be the plan for the day and we discuss how we’re going to break it up.
“Obviously, the goalie coach is going to go with the goalkeepers, but maybe this coach is going to deal with the defenders today.
"Maybe I’ll deal with the midfielders and the other coach will deal with the forwards. It’s very organised and structured.
“But admin during the season is stressful. You’re talking about travel paperwork, meal money, if you stay in hotels you’ve got to get the hotel sorted out. It’s crazy.
"Pre-season is even worse because there’s so much paperwork for the NJCAA that we have to do, so trying to make sure all that is organised is a task on its own.
“Also, we’re not a massive university. We even have to deal with stuff like gear, equipment and laundry. It’s a lot.
"Players don’t really understand how much work coaches have to do. It can be stressful at times. But if you win at the end of the season, it’s all worth it.”
RW: "Definitely the amount of admin stuff that you have to do at a college. It’s the liability, it’s the paperwork. It’s a lot.
"You’ve got to make sure the girls are in their class, make sure they’re doing the right hours, make sure they’re paying attention in classes and not failing.
“Then on top of that, because we’re only a two-year school, it’s a high turnover rate - so it’s constantly being in contact with coaches of four-year schools to get girls recruited and find them the right fit.
“It is a lot that people just don’t know. Sometimes I come home and I’m ready for bed. I’m mentally tired. But again, if you love it, that mental tiredness is not really that bad, especially if you have a successful program.
"I wish that I’d know about all that crazy admin stuff ahead of time. Would it have changed my mind? No, but at least I could have been better prepared for it.”
RW: "Some coaches have ambition to go to a [NCAA] D2 or D1 school. Me? I actually really love junior college. It’s my passion.
"It’s more because I have the opportunity to give players that are not being actively recruited by big four-year schools a chance. I give them a chance to show these schools why they missed out on them.
“Granted, some of these players do need a bit more development, but this is where junior college comes into play.
"Because if you had two years of development at a really good JuCo, like we are, you’re two years faster, two years stronger and two years more technical.
“Then you end up going on to that four-year school, sometimes on better money than some of your classmates that went straight to a four-year school. And you’ll have better careers.
“Once the head coach here decides to retire, my ultimate dream would be to take over from him. I’ve been coaching here since 2015. I know everything in and out. I love it.
"I love junior college, you just give players a chance. So if I can do that and still win trophies, I’ve had a very successful career."
"Some coaches have an ambition to go to a D1 school. I actually love junior college..."
RW: "Are you an effective listener? Can you take what you’ve learned and put it out there on the field, either in games or training sessions; whatever it takes to be effective.
“You have to be a people person. You have to know how to manage different personalities. You have to recognise that you have to deal with some players differently.
"Some kids grew up tougher, so you can really get on them in a certain way. But the other ones, maybe they didn’t. So if you get on them like that, it may kill their spirit. You just have to read the room, really know your players.
“Obviously, you have to have the knowledge and you have to have the drive and the will to to be successful. If you have the drive and the will to be successful, once you get in, you’re going to hit the ground running. If you don’t have that, you’re never going to be successful.
"You can’t take the job for the pay, because in the college structure you don’t get paid that well. You absolutely have to love what you do. And I absolutely love what I do.
"Obviously I love it more because we win a lot. We’re super successful; it makes it easier. That’s just the mentality that you need to have."
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