We Coach Humans – Not Machines

Recently, an article surfaced exposing the culture of body shaming and disordered eating at the University of Oregon (OU), one of the most prestigious track and field programs in the NCAA. The female athletes interviewed discussed how the coaching staff used DEXA scans, which measures one’s bone density and body fat percentages, to determine their training programs (Goe, 2021). The Director of Track and Field, Robert Johnson stated, “Track is nothing but numbers. A good mathematician probably could be a good track coach” (Goe, 2021). Johnson’s perspective showcases society’s obsession with the objective experience defined by the numerical outcome. By solely allowing the numbers on the DEXA scan results to dictate one’s training, the human element is being completely ignored. However, practices like using DEXA scans and other objective measures to enhance performance are defended because of the “win-at-all-costs” culture plaguing sports. Johnson has won a lot; 14 NCAA national championships and multiple Olympians have emerged from UO’s program. Some people believe that if an athlete wants to be the best, aspire to be an Olympian, then the experiences of the UO athletes is “the price one has to pay” to be the best. Though, when is sacrificing one’s wellbeing worth the risk?

The “win-at-all-costs” culture is driven by money, power, and success, which makes coaches, athletes, and administrations focus on one part of the experience – winning. And if a team is not winning, then changes on the roster occur and coaches are fired; new coaches are hired but only given a couple of years to build a winning culture, otherwise, they are fired, and the vicious cycle continues. The athletes ultimately suffer the consequences of the cycle. The athletes know, feel, and learn to believe (if they do not already before college), that the only aspect of sport they should care about is winning. For many teams, success is not about the athlete’s personal growth and journey, but whether they won or were part of a winning team. Thus, the objective experience seems to be the only part of their collegiate athlete experience that is discussed and emphasized.

The objective measures literally create sport because otherwise, you are just kicking a soccer ball around with your friends, not playing a soccer game. However, the issue lies when the objective measures solely define one’s experience. I have observed countless times when my athletes will have one impression of their race based on how they felt and competed. Though upon seeing their times for the race, the athletes’ experiences immediately become defined by the time. Therefore, instead of the athlete reflecting on their performance and recognizing their personal improvement or the positives from their race, the clock is the sole indicator of success. The narrow view of success, defined by fast times and high places in the running community, distracts from the athlete’s individual journey.

The objective experience is tangible; we have results, facts, numbers which allow us to supposedly explain every phenomenon. However, if coaches allow the objective experience to solely define an athlete’s journey, then they are missing out on one of the most beautiful and powerful parts of being human, the lived experience. The lived experience is unique to every human and represents the journey of each individual. By emphasizing the lived experience, a coach recognizes that their athletes are first and foremost human beings with experiences that will holistically impact who they are. Every athlete’s journey will look different. Not every athlete’s personal success will conform to sport’s limited view of success because only one person can win, but many people can have a great and successful race.

Athletes start playing their respective sport because they fell in love with the game regardless of the outcome. Coaches have a responsibility to not only respect but emphasize the lived experience. They need to show the athletes they care about them as humans regardless of their results to help them appreciate their own growth and development. We coach humans, not “machines;” numbers should NEVER define their experience.

Reference
Goe, K. (2021, October 25). Women athletes allege body shaming within Oregon Ducks track and field program. Retrieved from Oregon Live: https://www.oregonlive.com/trackandfield/2021/10/women-athletes-allege-body-shaming-within-oregon-ducks-track-and-field-program.html