Page 10 - Jim Stone Book Beginner

Why A Checklist?

Before any instructional method is useful, the coaches must embrace their role as professional
educators and behave accordingly. If you are not going to be an educator, you become a recreation
director. I do not believe that is the role of the coach. An educator must be prepared, present
themselves professionally, and be an expert in their field.

One of the most influential teachers in my life was Dr. Terry Parsons, my advisor at Bowling Green
State University, as I pursued my master's degree in Education. Under his mentorship, he instilled a
level of professionalism that I've tried to maintain my entire career. Dr. Parsons was insistent on
professional dress, mannerisms, and always being prepared for class, regardless of if you were
taking a class or teaching a class. I can still hear Dr. Parsons addressing the cadre of students
pursuing advanced degrees, "if you want respect from other branches of campus, you need to carry
yourself in a manner that commands respect." To this day, I cringe when seeing coaches with
shirttails out, wearing baseball caps backward, and showing up unprepared for practice.

Looking and acting the part is an aspect of being a professional. However, the most critical element
of professionalism is to be an expert in your field. Too many coaches either do not have an interest
in developing expertise or are satisfied with their current knowledge level. An expert possesses the
intellectual curiosity to pursue a better teaching method—a better way of communicating, planning,
ultimately, a better way to coach.

"Experts stay engaged in their field, continually improve their skills, learn from their mistakes, and
have visible track records. Throughout their career, they get better, or at least maintain their high
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level of competence, and couple it to the wisdom—again, an intangible—that comes from time."

A checklist is not the sole answer to effective teaching, but it presents a roadmap for a coach to
follow better instruction quality. As Atul Gawande points out in his book, ‗The Checklist Manifesto‘,
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checklists break down complex tasks and ensure consistency and efficiency A checklist cannot
spike a volleyball. However, it can identify critical aspects of skill and assist the student in developing
the correct technique.

Reasons to Implement a Checklist

Reason #1- A checklist will encourage a more deliberate practice atmosphere. The players need to
target and demonstrate competency in specific areas of skill to receive their checkmarks. I'm
confident Olympic swimmer Katie Ledecky does not go to the pool thinking about "going for a swim."
No doubt, she concentrates on stroke improvement, efficient turns, training plans, monitoring results,
etc. Volleyball players need to have a similar approach. There should be a fixation on the details of
proper execution.

Psychologist Anders Ericsson has spent much of his academic career studying the acquisition of
skill. He coined the term "deliberate practice" to describe professionals' training methods. Ericsson