COVID-19: how is it affecting coaches?

Photo by Matthew Hicks

With the world put on pause due to the coronavirus, everyone is having to temporarily adjust to the changes in their everyday life. While it is important to show attention to student-athletes during this time, I feel that we forget about how this is affecting the coaches.

Whether the coach was in season, or in their off season when the virus hit, they had to completely change their game plans. I spoke with the head coach of the Ottawa men’s soccer team, Ryan Pow, and asked him a couple questions about how he has adapted to the changes brought upon by COVID-19. Here is what he had to say,

Question one: ”What is the biggest obstacle you and your coaching staff have faced so far because of COVID-19?”

Coach Pow: “Biggest challenge has been communicating. I like being in the office with the coaching staff bouncing ideas off each other. I miss having the guys stop by the office just to chat here and there. Zoom interviews and FaceTime have certainly filled a need, but it’s not the same.” 

Question two: “Since your sport ended abruptly, what do you miss the most about it?”

Coach Pow: “I miss the day to day of being on the training pitch, and watching you guys play, interacting with everyone. Miss being around the squad and not only seeing the improvements, but feeling them. There was a real buzz around the squad before we left and I loved being around that every day.” 

It is important that, in times like these, we try our best to make the most out of this unfortunate situation. Coaches around the world are doing their best to continue to communicate and help their players grow with the use of technology. While coaches can do their best to help guide their players in the right direction, it is truly up to the player to take advantage of this time to get better.

If I had to give any advice to any student athlete right now, it would be to take full advantage of the time you have to train and become a stronger athlete. Listen to your coaches and we will come out of this pandemic stronger and better than ever.