Penulis: Richard Beach

I STARTED COACHING IN 1971 WHEN I WAS 25. I HAD JUST STARTED WORKING FOR THE MARYLAND DIVISION OF PAROLE AND PROBATION. ONE OF THE AGENTS ASKED ME IF I WOULD BE INTERESTED IN PLAYING ON AN ADULT TOUCH FOOTBALL TEAM. THE TEAM WAS JUST FORMING, AND SINCE I HAD PLAYED HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL, I WAS ASKED TO COACH THE TEAM. IT WAS NOT UNTIL THE FIRST PRACTICE THAT I LEARNED COACHING WAS A LOT MORE THAN KNOWING PLAYS. I ENDED UP COACHING THAT TEAM FOR 9 YEARS, WHEN THE TEAM BECAME DEFUNCT BECAUSE OF THE AGE OF THE PLAYERS. WHAT I DID LEARN FROM THOSE 9 YEARS WAS THAT COACHING ADULTS AND CHILDREN WERE A LOT ALIKE—ONLY WITH CHILDREN YOU DON’T NEED TO WORRY THAT SOME OF YOUR PLAYERS WILL SHOW UP TO THE GAME INTOXICATED. IN 1974 OR 1975, I ENTERED A MASTER’S DEGREE IN PSYCHOLOGY PROGRAM AT BOWIE STATE UNIVERSITY . I INITIALLY WENT TO THE UNIVERSITY FOR A COURSE WHICH WAS REQUIRED FOR MY JOB AS A PAROLE & PROBATION AGENT THAT DEALT WITH FAMILY CONSTELLATION, DURING THE COURSE, I FELT THE ADLERIAN PSYCHOLOGY WOULD BE PRACTICAL IN MY COUNSELING WITH PAROLEES AND PROBATIONERS. IT WAS THEN THAT I DECIDED TO CONTINUE WITH THE ADLERIAN DEGREE PROGRAM. ADLER-DREIKERS IS A SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY AND DEALS HEAVILY WITH THE FAMILY AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT. I OBTAINED MY M.Ed. FROM THE ADLER-DREIKERS INSTITUTE IN 1977. IT WAS ALSO IN 1977 I STARTED COACHING YOUTH SPORTS WHEN MY OLDEST SON BECAME A SOCCER PLAYER. THROUGHOUT MY YEARS AS A COACH, I HAVE OFTEN APPLIED WHAT I LEARNED FOR MY M.Ed. TO SITUATIONS WHEN COACHING YOUTH ATHLETICS . THROUGHOUT, I WAS ABLE TO APPLY WHAT I LEARNED TO COACHING AS WELL AS MY PROFESSIONAL CAREER. FROM 1978 TO 1990, IN ADDITION TO MY FULL-TIME JOB, I WAS A MEMBER OF THE ADJUNCT FACULTY WITH AMERICAN UNIVERSITY, SCHOOL OF CRIMINAL JUSTICE, IN WASHINGTON, D.C. THERE, I DEVELOPED AND TAUGHT A COURSE ENTITLED “DRUGS & SOCIETY”. ALSO WHILE WORKING FULL-TIME, FROM 1977 TO 1998, I WAS A CONSULTANT AND COUNSELOR IN SUBSTANCE ABUSE PROGRAMS.