Miami Palmetto Senior High is home to numerous sports and teams, but teams would not be the same without their coaches. Coaches work together to build trust and enhance their players’ performance by teaching them how to overcome obstacles, improve their skills and achieve their goals.
Junior varsity girls’ lacrosse responsibilities are divided by two coaches who work together to build the team. These coaches are head JV coach Kingsley Richards and assistant coach Julian Mendez.
“One thing that Coach Julian and I have had to work on, even as adults, is our communication. We’ve gotten into a [few arguments] because we just haven’t been on the same page about things. He wants to do something one way, and I want to do something another way,” Richards said. “Even as adults in our 20s and 30s, we are still having to take time to sit down and talk to each other about things.”
Coaches are the heart of teams, and by working together, Richards and Menendez split their duties to complement each other’s working styles.
“I think that the way we complement each other is that I feel comfortable telling him my concerns, and vice versa. We both work well together because we just both have a mutual love for our team,” Richards said. “I’m very much into the positivity, encouragement and friendship aspect kind of thing, and his way is more teaching about the structure of time management, hard work and sacrifices.”
Having a coaching duo on a team provides many benefits, like diverse opinions and different perspectives.
“I wish I could have five coaches, because having a team of 28 to 30 girls is so much, especially when the skill level ranges so much. I want to make sure that each person is not being missed, each person is being watched and every single thing they do is being critiqued and coached,” Richards said. “Having another coach like Julian, who is really good about pulling the girls aside and teaching them things one-on-one, allows our team to thrive and have more flexibility.”
Having two coaches also enhances the team by providing more individual attention, allowing each player to receive personalized guidance, direct skill progress and constructive feedback, leading to an overall team performance.
“I feel that a lot of high school sports are mostly focused on building and encouraging young women to be strong leaders, advocate for themselves, exercise and make bonds and friendships,” Richards said.
For underperforming players, Richards prioritizes building confidence over skill. Due to a wide range of players and skill levels, there are multiple specific strategies that Richards uses to work with players.
“My number one thing is always to be encouraging, because I feel like lacrosse is 90% confidence and 10% skill. And even if you aren’t confident and still have great skill, you will never be able to utilize any of that skill. So by building players up, no matter what their skill level is, they will truly believe that they have the capabilities to get better and showcase those skills,” Richards said. “I just always consistently strive to build up all players’ confidence.”
Coaches’ collaboration allows teams to succeed, and by combining their standout strengths, they ensure that every player receives the ideal amount of attention, guidance and motivation needed to grow. As the lacrosse season progresses, players will not only become stronger but will have learned the value of teamwork from the very people leading them.
