Fundamentals, Psychology, Heart

Every day, coaches at Lansing Christian School encourage athletes to be disciplined and apply effort to become proficient in their sport.

LCS coaches ask students to learn, grow, and develop in their character and in their faith. They inspire, teach, build confidence, and develop excellence. As a school, we seek to empower our coaches through the implementation of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes 3-Dimensional (3D) Coaching model.

The 3D Coaching model provides an opportunity for LCS coaches to dig deep within themselves to identify their foundation of purpose. The role of a coach is to first determine who they are, what they value, and how they see God’s plan in their work with student-athletes. Angela Rogers and Chris Mustaine are two coaches on staff that work to identify their purpose and determine the ultimate “why” behind coaching student-athletes.

Coaching the Heart

Angela Rogers – Assistant Coach, Varsity Girls Basketball

3D Coaching is a framework developed by Dr. Jeff Duke to help coaches reach and develop the 21st century student-athlete. This framework was founded on the belief that to be an effective coach, we must design our teaching in three dimensions: the fundamental, the psychological, and the heart. These three dimensions are found in scripture: Jesus declares us to “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind” (Matthew 22:37).

3D coaches seek to reach athletes on these levels because coaching is not ultimately about wins and losses, but about the kind of people these young men and women will become. Throughout our training, we learn strategies to motivate athletes from within to build confidence, harness emotions, encourage team cohesion, set goals, and cultivate character.

Coaches who focus exclusively on fundamentals and basketball skills miss an opportunity to influence the personal growth of their players. Although I seek to develop excellent basketball players, that is not my end goal. I want to look back at former players and see God-honoring women who are leaders of the next generation.

Coaches Learning in Community

Chris Mustaine – Head Coach, Varsity Boys Basketball

Where do you go when you have a hard day? Whom do you seek out to talk with regarding a concern you have? Usually it is with someone you know and trust; someone who cares about you. One of the best parts about coaching at Lansing Christian is the community that coaches are fostering together. Growth does not happen in isolation.

New this year, “Coffee with Coaches,” is a place where coaches come together to learn, share their experiences, and grow in the profession of coaching. My hope is that coaches can lean on each other while sharing their thoughts and experiences in times of challenge and great joy so that we are better equipped to support the student athletes on our teams.

by Bonnie M. Binioris, Athletic Director