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AUGUST, 1999
Coach Dan Hughes
Head
Coach
The WNBA Cleveland Rockers
Coach Dan Hughes is the 1999 Head Basketball Coach of the WNBA's Charlotte Stings. He was previously an Assistant Coach with The Stings and has served as Assistant Women's Basketball Coach at University of Toledo. |
SMC: What do you think is most important when communicating with your athletes?
DH: It starts with respect from the athlete for the coach, and from the coach for the athlete. I think if you begin from the standpoint of putting yourself in the others' position and understanding where they're coming from, then the dialogue that begins is good.
SMC: Athletes need to understand where the coach is coming from, and vice versa?
DH: Right. The line of communication has got to be a healthy one. A lot of times, it's a frustrated one. If there's a mutual respect between the athlete and the coach, a dialogue [is created] that leads to results or actions of a positive nature.
[Communication] can be seen from the standpoint of "In the future, you're working toward this," or "In the future, here's a situation that we have, and I appreciate getting this [feedback] from you, and I appreciate your understanding the situation I have."
Because a coach, many times, has concerns that cover a lot of people. And the athlete comes many times starting from themselves. Many times, the issues they bring come from a personal basis and the coach is fitting that into a structure of a number of people.
SMC: Are there any special steps you take whenever you have conflict with a player? Are there specific communication steps you take to resolve it?
DH: I'm a person that favors direct dialogue in most every situation. I would have a dialogue and probably express my thoughts and listen, and then try to put it in a constructive or positive light. In a building way as we move from that discussion.
SMC: If you had any one communication "must-have" that you would recommend for coaches at all levels, what would it be?
DH: In communication, the first important thing is developing the ability to listen. [This applies to] your athletes, and as a coach also. [Developing] an athlete's ability to listen, and to look at what's being discussed in a positive frame. A "putting it in a position to make it work" type of thinking, as opposed to analysis that consists of "Is this right or wrong?" If you can create a [mutual] respect, where the dialogue comes to a point where we're trying to make it work, then I think that's really important.
From my standpoint, players are different. I've coached male and female players, and on every team, they all learn differently. If a player understands that I'm trying to reach them on a learning level, that I'm trying to improve them, then a lot of times they enter into that [endeavor] with me towards improvement. I've got to convince them through my actions, through my coaching, through my dialogue with them, that that's what I'm about.
I also have to study how they learn. I've got to understand that not every player is going to learn in the same method, it's not going to come across to them in [the same] way. But if I can reach them, and make them understand that I'm trying to create a situation where they can be successful, then I'm more apt to get the kind of listening skills I want out of the athlete.
SMC: Is there a big difference in team chemistry between a female team and a male one?
DH: No. Well, I'm sure there are differences, but there are differences in every team. There are differences among groups of males and groups of females. To be honest with you, I can't say "Male athletes are like this" and "Female athletes are like this." I really don't think that's it.
I think many athletes learn in different ways, and one of the keys to unlock [their potential] is to understand how your player learns. That's a bigger question to me than understanding female athletes as opposed to male athletes. I just want to know how the athlete, he or she, learns. And how I can best reach them, to help in that pursuit of being a good player.
SMC: How important do you think communication is to team chemistry?
DH: I think it's vital. I think it's very important. I think how a player relates with his/her coach, how a player relates with another teammate, is vital. You are thrust into such situations with each other, that it's like a family. You see each other on good and bad days, stressful, happy, bad, the whole gambit of things. The ability for two people to coexist for the same goal and have a little tolerance for each other and at the same time have the ability to pull each other along toward positive goals is really important. And can best it happen from one teammate to another. Communication is quite important in many different fronts, and in any group activity.