Coaching and Sports

Yesterday, Rafael Nadal defeated Mardy Fish in the US Open. The four-set match took about 2 hours, forty minutes. Earlier, Andy Murray needed almost 4 hours to win his match against JM Del Potro. No player was allowed a formal visit with a coach during either match. In fact, tennis does not allow in-match coaching during sanctioned events at any time. It's an idea that resonates internationally and should be more widely considered in the US.

In tennis - like soccer - athletes are charged with the responsibility to face their opponent, size up the situation and make appropriate changes based on their own skills and fitness. What a concept. Yesterday the no-coaching rule resulted in two intriguing matches with plenty of ups and downs for each player. In fact, tennis often produces incredible drama and tension during its major events. Tennis coaches, it would seem, have done their jobs very successfully without having to thrust themselves onto the stage with their athletes. Not that they wouldn't, given the chance.

Try watching sports, American-style. A pitcher walks a batter, and now we get to see some manager or coach lumber out of the dugout with the sole purpose of telling the pitcher, "you have to get this next guy out". Really? 50,000 fans in person and possibly millions on television find that compelling drama? Think what it would be like if the managers were forced stay out of the game, except to make lineup changes.

And football? basketball? It's become unusual to see a football or basketball game clock run off even 2-3 minutes without a timeout. The insertion of coaching into the flow of games has gotten to the point of ridiculous. It just seems silly for athletes to be told to "throw strikes' or 'play better defense'. What happened during practices that those messages weren't delivered and received?