Michigan State University
ACHA M2 • NULL
Would Recommend
Tags
AccessibleHonestBelieves In YouRespectful To PlayersFair
From my experience, Coach Kim is professional, hardworking, and genuinely invested in building this program. She took a program that started with fewer than five athletes and helped grow it into a team of around 40, while working toward a new boathouse, advocating for the university to invest in our program, and putting significant resources into our equipment and opportunities.
Coaching isn’t always going to look the way every athlete wants it to. She uses data, experiments with lineups and boats, tries different combinations, and sometimes those decisions won’t work. To me, that shows that she is willing to adapt, take risks, and figure out what works best for the team.
I also think communication is a huge part of having a positive relationship with a coach. If you feel like you want a stronger connection with your coach, or you feel like something isn’t being understood, communicate that. Coaches aren’t mind readers, and they can only respond to what they know. Building a relationship takes effort from both sides and can grow over time.
I also think it’s important not to automatically assume that having stronger communication or a closer relationship with certain athletes means favoritism. People naturally communicate differently with different people. Some athletes are more outspoken, more involved, or make more of an effort to communicate with their coaches. That doesn’t automatically mean they are being favored. Coaches are people too, and they should be able to build genuine professional relationships with their athletes at everyone’s own pace.
Our team is very connected, and we spend an enormous amount of time together. We chose to be here, and we show up alongside the same women every day. We’re supposed to support each other, communicate, hold each other accountable, take care of our equipment, and be there for one another. Those expectations are part of being a team.
Our first year has given us a lot to be proud of, and I’m excited to see what we can continue to build together. I don’t expect everyone to have the exact same experience or opinion, but I can speak for my own experience: Coach Kim has put a tremendous amount of work into UAlbany Rowing, and I appreciate everything she has done for this program.
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