I have another softball coaching interview this week.  This time at a school in a larger division than my old school.  The team did extremely well last year and only lost 4 seniors.  They have a well established youth feeder program.  It is an ideal situation and I would love the opportunity to take over such a great program.

As I prepare for the interview, I am left searching for a proper answer to an important question:

Why did you leave X School?

It is an obvious and fair question for any interviewer to ask.  Under normal circumstances, it makes sense to continue coaching at the JV level until a Varsity position opens.  I clearly was not in a “normal” circumstance and felt strongly about walking away.

If you’re new to my softball drama, let me explain. 

I didn’t just walk away from a coaching position.  I walked away from MY school after spending years building a program strong enough to win the first softball state championship in the history of the school.  Anyone who knows me KNOWS why I had to walk away from the school and the girls whom I so very much loved.  But complete strangers?  Outsiders to the situation?  Sounds a little odd, huh?

So...

I’ve been trying to come up with a politically correct answer to that WHY question for over a year.  How do I put it all into words?  Not just words, but words that aren’t self righteous and downright negative about the coaching staff. 

You know the whole If you can’t say something nice, don’t say anything at all?  Yeah, that makes it hard for me to say anything at all.

But I have to say something.  Not just that, but I need to be able to articulate everything in a politically correct manner.  Oy.

My answer in the past has been: I had a difference in coaching philosophy with the varsity coaching staff.  I had a couple of safe “for instance”s which further explained my own philosophy.

I feel like I need to do a better job in this area.  So consider this a brainstorm. 

Please share your advice.  I could really use it.

After coaching for over 10 years, I have come across a number of old-school style coaches who demand respect and have a do-as-I-say-and-not-as-I-do attitude.  Just shut up and play the game.  I don't need to explain myself.  I am coach.  You play for me.  Building skills and winning is the main focus for these coaches.  The varsity coaching staff pretty much fits into this old-school style. 

From personal experience, I have found that this philosophy can create unnecessary tension amongst the players and parents and ultimately undermine the confidence of a team as a whole.

(Off the record: this lack of respect, creation of tension and undermining of confidence escalated to a point that I was no longer able to swoop in and smooth over the damage caused by these coaches.  The final straw led to a near-team mutiny and the Athletic Director getting involved.  Unfortunately, he took an approach outside of my comfort level.  He threw a temper tantrum in front of the team, yelling and hollering at them.  The girls were scared, upset and had about zero confidence left.  I apologized for not being able to make the situation better for them this time - and resigned that night because I wanted NO association with a program willing to treat people so poorly.)

To me, it is equally as important to teach the skills and game of softball AND to act as a role model.  I see high school softball as an opportunity to teach girls at an impressionable age valuable life lessons.  I am a firm believer that character is defined by how you treat other people.

Therefore, I lead by example.  I don’t just demand respect, but I earn it.  I instill confidence in my players, not just by preparing them with skills and situational play of the game, but by teaching them to treat others and themselves with respect and dignity.

I don’t have a lot of drama on my teams because I communicate realistic expectations for both team rules and behavior up front.  I am tough, but I am clear, consistent and fair with consequences.  I try to see beyond each player to the person inside, and recognize that different people require different approaches in order to learn effectively.  If someone isn't hearing me, perhaps they ARE listening but not processing, and I need to change my approach in order to get through.

I am passionate about the game and keep abreast of new approaches, drills, warm ups, practice plans. I do my homework and always arrive organized.  I am flexible and able to think on my feet.

Above all else, I try to ensure that my players are remembering to HAVE FUN.  No game is worth playing if it isn’t fun.

So, as far as the interview goes...

I'm not worried about any technical softball questions.  I am confident in my skills/rules knowledge.  My stats prove that my teams win 83% of the time.  My coaching reputation speaks for itself.  I have full support of the old school's Athletic Director.  Despite his temper tantrum being the final straw for me, we have spoken at length and I still have a lot of respect for him as a person.

With the exception of the two varsity coaches from my old school (one of whom resigned mid-season because of his behavior, long story) there is no player or parent or opposing coach who would have anything but extremely positive things to say about me.  And I doubt the coaches would say anything negative about me out of spite, because it would just make them look worse.

What worries me is my response to the WHY question. 

Thoughts?