By Steve Mergelsberg, Assistant Men’s Basketball Coach, University of Rutgers-Newark

Coaching is much more than just following a set of principles or having a well-established program. Coaching is interaction in young people's lives. The athlete who comes into the weight room is a student, a family member, and a friend to someone. He is the same person in all areas of his life- he has a personality, ideals, character, flaws, and struggles. It is the responsibility of the coach to help his players make the right and mature decisions in all areas of their lives. He must help them develop character, discipline, self-motivation, self-worth, and an excitement for life.

To achieve these objectives, the coach must raise the standards that the player and others around them have set. Then he must help them reach those standards by developing appropriate relationships with them based on respect, caring, and character. When character development is the foundation for your program, athletes will get the most out of their athletic experience. And when that happens, you will also get the most out of your athletes, for this is what champions are made of.

The most successful coaches are not necessarily the ones who win the most games. Coaches who have successful experiences focus on team cohesion. The desire to see the athlete learn and improve his skill is the key to an effective coaching program. I am committed to using all of my knowledge, abilities, and resources to make each player on my team more successful. My focus is to promote an atmosphere of teamwork, mutual respect, and commitment. By achieving this we will be successful, and we will also win.