Bailey Schafbuch | Sports Co-Editor
Each and every coach in Buena Vista University’s (BVU) athletic department has adopted a specific coaching style over the course of their career whether they realize it or not.
Style of coaching depends on a wide array of topics like style of play, pace of play, athlete responses, and career length. Men’s Head Basketball Coach Brian Van Haaften, Women’s Head Basketball Coach Janet Berry, and Men’s Head Wrestling Coach Sevond Cole are just three of the many coaches at BVU who have had successful coaching careers. Each has a very different style of coaching used to lead successful programs.
“I would like to think I’m a student or player first, and I try to fit the player’s mode of playing. I can make the adjustments; I think that’s easiest. It’s hard to make kids change the kind of players they are. I’m hoping I’m somebody that works with people instead of getting people to play the way I want them to play. Overall, I’m not a screamer or yeller; I’m just someone who wants to work with the guys, be with them instead of be in charge of them,” Van Haaften said.
Photos by David Ekstrom
“My coaching style has definitely changed over the years. When I first started, I was very much an authoritarian. I had control over everything and ran a very tight ship. Now, I would see my style as a combination. I like to let players have input in things they can have input in. I am still very much in control of who plays and what we’re going to do. I’m somewhat a hybrid; I have developed as I have matured as a coach,” Berry said.
“Your coaching style really has to fit your personality. I’ve tried to split my coaching style with my personality. My personality is really laid back, and that doesn’t really mesh with the wrestling style that’s needed to motivate individual wrestlers. I won’t be screaming at you when I’m just talking to you, but as these wrestlers are going live, they need you to be on them a little bit so they have the motivation to work. I’m not the coach who’s on them all the time; my philosophy is pulling back sometimes and connecting with the guys at a deeper level so they’ll accept your yelling later on,” Cole said.
Though each coach does things a little differently on the mat or court, all three agreed on the importance of adapting their style to individual athletes.
“You can’t treat anyone the same; everyone is different. There are certain guys I’ve given a kick in the pants every once in a while, and there are some guys who need a lot of confidence. Nowadays though, most need confidence. Most don’t take being stern with them. It doesn’t work that way,” Van Haaften stated.
“I think you have to change your coaching style depending on the player. You don’t manage everyone the same. Something I strongly believe is that if you treat everyone the same, you’re not treating them fairly,” Berry added.
“You have to look at the individual wrestlers and decide how they best react. Once they start wrestling in your room, you really have to take a look at how they respond. If they don’t respond when you yell, maybe I need to talk to them after practice about where to improve. Some guys you really see in their face when you starting yelling at them; they bounce back and show you what they can do. You really have to look individually and coach to their personalities,” Cole responded.
Beyond the overall styles and their uniquely-catered approach to specific athletes, each athletic mentor has truly learned things that have impacted the way they go about coaching.
Van Haaften stresses the importance of being open, honest and direct with his players. He believes that attacking problems day by day to improve is more beneficial than making the season all one big stroke. Berry believes in mentoring her women and going to battle to protect each other. Cole realizes that coaching is so much more than training the wrestlers on the mat. He looks at coaching from a holistic prospective and believes it’s crucial to lead the team off the mat in areas like academics as well.
Coaching methods are truly unique across the board, and each style continues to prove effective through Buena Vista’s many successful seasons.
