Guy that took a bunch of coaching courses wrote:
My purpose here is to make a case for why it is worth it for anyone that is interested.
But it helped me the lowly club running high school coach that is eager to learn as much as possible to help his athletes succeed and does not have an extensive resume of personal performances in the sport that would convince the team to have complete confidence in what they are doing.
I think you would be surprised at how many coaches do regularly try to upgrade their skillset with continual training through clinics, videos etc... Some actually do take a more systematic approach to planning and modifying as needed. There are so many variables below the collegiate level that cant be controlled by the coach that I believe cause many to look at participation with higher regard.
As you would expect, most dont or wont go to the time or expense to dive deeper considering the amount of committment they are willing to make for a "hobby" sport vs the people that take their careers seriously.
No matter how much technical knowledge you know, you wont always come out on top without the right resources in place.
1st, a talent pool. Cant always control that.
2nd, knowledgeable adults that can build positive relationships with kids from all walks of life including the ability to get the better FB, BB, Wrestlers to abandon their favorite sports for a couple months to join forces together in a fun environment. That also includes getting those nickle and dime athletes to fill holes in the lineup that want to be a part of a winning varsity program with those better athletes.
3, better have a lot of opportunities for kids to succeed at all levels and give those newbs the time of day to keep them coming back. They will be seniors eventually.
4, Better be more than running, jumping and throwing involved to keep their attention. Might want to include a healthy, regular dose of what others have done such as historical and current top athletes, then make it real. T&F might be a 2nd sport for a lot of kids but they sure enjoy seeing what is possible. 16lb shot over 75'!!! Are you kidding!!!! Now, put your smallest distance runner in a position to shake hands with the world record holder in that event and watch his face as his arm dissapears. Just an example of the many things Ive done to help my athletes pay closer attention to an event they werent that interested in. Maybe let your 6-8 high jumper attempt Sotomayors world record off the ramp in training. Or maybe in late spring, your 800 guys run a 500 and 300 all out with a 5 min recover to see if they can break the mens WR. There's tons of things you can work into training sessions at appropriate times to raise their mental image.
If you have the right resources and experience, that technical knowledge can go a very long way in terms of creating a consistently strong program but its only a part (but very important part) to being a good coach. Theres plenty of uncertified coaches that have a ton of experience and the results to back it up.