Coach Tamika Newman: Leading as a Coach

Who you are is how you lead.

Leading as a Coach is a huge part of excelling within the profession. Coach Tamika Newman is a great example of this. Over the years, Coach Newman has been able to take different aspects of the coaches around her and incorporate it into her own coaching philosophy. Growing up, Coach Newman loved being an athlete and played volleyball, basketball, and track. She remembers watching the 2000 Olympics as a kid and loving the combination of power and strategy as she watched the different countries compete in volleyball. Coach Newman even went on to play volleyball in college, majoring in communication! 

Out of college, she was hoping to be a sports sideline reporter. However, shortly after graduating she received a call from a friend’s parent that she grew up with, asking her if she wanted to be a part-time coach for him. Without hesitation, Coach Newman accepted the offer and started her coaching journey. Along the way, she went back to school to become certified in teaching, a profession that has helped mold her as a coach. Throughout her journey, Coach Newman has been able to Coach travel, high school, and assisted for her former college’s volleyball team. 

Today’s All In Takeaways are around what Coach Newman has been able to learn throughout her 14 years of coaching. This is learning through her own experience and the influential coaches that she has been able to have around her. 

All In Takeaway #1: Leading as a Coach 

During her early years as a coach, Coach Newman felt that she was not prepared for all that coaching required. Going into it, she knew that she was going to have to work hard, help the kids both on and off the court, and manage conflict. However, knowing that this happens in coaching, and experiencing it, are two completely different realities. Very quickly, Coach Newman realized that not only are you responsible for several dozen kids, but also their parents. 

Although it is always good to replicate the great coaches initially, over the years Coach Newman has been able to develop her own coaching philosophy. Ultimately, her coaching philosophy is all about leading as a coach. 

It starts with me, being a good leader, effective decision maker… encouraging my athletes to be self-aware and develop professionally not just on the floor.

Coach Newman likes to lead by a couple of core values: outlast everybody, together we are better, feedback is failure, and who you are is how you lead. Each one of these core values are in relation to different aspects of coaching and playing as a team. 

All In Takeaway #2: Learning from Others

Coach Newman is the opposite of what would be considered as a “stubborn coach.” In fact, in each step of her athletic and coaching journey, she has been able to takeaway and incorporate different strengths from the coaches around her. For example, her high school basketball coach was always always extremely consistent and reliable. He was professional, not a complainer, and never blamed anyone for anything. Coach Newman is intentional about taking ownership for her mistakes as a coach along with the other strengths from her previous coaches that she has played for or worked with. 

Currently…

Coach Newman is the Head Coach for Northland Christian School! Additionally, this will be her first year at the new program! Coach Newman looks to help build a strong team culture and be competitive each and every game. All In looks forward to supporting her throughout her coaching journey. 

How to build team culture with All In Team Sports

All In Team Sports Hub is a robust coaching platform for coaches of every sport. We lay a foundation for winning programs by building team culture. Check out our pricing page to see if we’re a good fit for your team. Have any questions about All In? Click me!

Get your free 14-day trial now. Cancel anytime, no commitment. Get started!