Get Your Head in the Game By Josh Duke Sports are ingrained within the very fabric of our culture. Every week around the United States, millions of people young and old engage in friendly, and sometimes not so friendly, competition. Participation ranges from pee wee leagues, where young children learn new physical and social skills, to professional competition, where winning and financial gain are the priority. “Sports cross the spectrum of society,” says FSU College of Education Professor Tim Baghurst. “Sports allow us to be part of something bigger than ourselves, to test our skills, to push our physical boundaries, to overcome adversity, to experience failure, to achieve our goals, and sometimes even to make a living.” With that in mind, the role of a coach in society becomes central in preserving, advancing and advocating not just a sport, but a part of our collective identity. Coaches pass on and improve the skills of the next generation, spark passion for their sport and provide invaluable mentorship. “Apart from parents, many of us spent more time with coaches than any other adult in our childhood,” says Baghurst. “As coaches, it is imperative that we understand and appreciate the large role we have in athletes’ lives and in society as a whole.” COACHING EXCELLENCE Because coaches play such a vital role in the life of an athlete and society at large, Florida State University’s College of Education has created a new center to train and prepare future coaches. Baghurst will lead the Interdisciplinary Center for Athletic Coaching, known as FSU COACH. FSU COACH currently offers an online graduate certificate in coaching, but Baghurst hopes that the center grows far beyond that.
“I want our programs and center to be a recruiting tool for FSU, and for the center to become the place where coaches can grow professionally and personally,” Baghurst says. Under his guidance, there is every chance the center will accomplish all that and more. Before joining Florida State, Baghurst served as a professor at Oklahoma State University, assistant professor at Henderson State University and a visiting assistant professor at the University of Arkansas. Throughout his career, he has taught classes focused on athletic coaching, physical education and related kinesiology disciplines. Baghurst has the distinction of developing the first coaching science undergraduate and graduate certification programs in the state of Oklahoma. While at OSU, he worked as director of the physical education program before becoming director of the sports and coaching science programs. With more than 100 peer-reviewed articles in publication, Baghurst is wellequipped to start the next chapter of his career at Florida State. Despite his interest in coaching and his participation in many sports, he never felt a close connection to any of his coaches. “My coaches growing up showed me how not to coach. I recall a lot of fear, intimidation, shouting, favoritism, and certainly some questionable coaching. “But I’m not alone in this. I’d postulate that about half or more of the students in my
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classes have shared similar experiences to me. My inspiration doesn’t stem from a great coach I had, but stems from wanting my experiences to never be shared by anyone else. To do that, I need to help be a positive change in the profession.” In the College of Education’s coaching certificate program, students gain an advanced understanding of the various aspects of being a successful coach, including the mental, physical and tactical skills a coach needs to create the best environment to be successful. By the end of the 12-credit certificate program, students will be ready to lead athletes and teams with confidence, whether a recreational league or at a professional level. Since so many people associate Florida State with athletic accomplishment, Baghurst believes that the coaching certificate should follow FSU’s standard of excellence. “I want to see FSU COACH’s