The Pyramid of Teaching Success in Sport

Written by: Blake Costalupes

"Success is peace of mind which is a direct result of self-satisfaction in knowing you made the effort to become the best you are capable of becoming"

-Coach John Wooden...

...considered to be one of the greatest American college basketball coaches of all time, was a pioneer and long-time advocate of an athlete-centered approach to coaching. Through his profound years at UCLA, coach Wooden developed and shared what he believed to be the building blocks of his athlete-centered coaching philosophy. Titled, the Pyramid of Success, this tool is a model of everything coach Wooden believed essential to the athlete characteristics necessary to be successful Bruins, and displayed his successful coaching philosophy. The Pyramid is a synopsis of athlete-centered characteristics. The corners of the pyramid display industriousness, enthusiasm, poise, and confidence, with competitive greatest at the summit.

Success"The peace of mind which is a direct result of self-satisfaction in knowing you
have made the effort to ensure that all of those under your supervision learn
how to reach their potential in sport and beyond" 

An adaptation to the Pyramid of Success has since been made that serves as a version geared toward coaching success (Gilbert, 2017). The Pyramid of Teaching Success in Sport (PoTSS), features 15 athlete-centered coaching characteristics that include five tiers (Gilbert, 2017).

• The base of the triangle displays the importance of connecting on a personal level and building quality relationships with the athletes. 
• The second tier is dedicated to intrapersonal, or knowledge of self, and continued growth and awareness.
• The third tier, known as the heart of the PoTSS, is the core of teaching and coaching. This is focused around knowledge of teaching: pedagogical knowledge, subject knowledge, and condition.
• The fourth tier is concerned with necessary skills to stay the course: courage and commitment 
• The apex is the word 'teacher'. The best coaches think of themselves as teachers and live by the  John Wooden mantra, "You haven't taught until they have learned". 

The PoTSS was created by the experts at www.belikecoach.com, and is featured in the text Coaching Better Every Season: A Year-Round System for Athlete Development and Program Success, by Dr. Wade Gilbert (2017). A fun and interactive version of the Pyramid of Success can be found at http://www.coachwooden.com/pyramid-of-success