Coaching Tips by Shahrukh Khan

Last Sunday while rummaging through a pile of old and discarded stuff in the attic of my house, I chanced upon a CD of the Shahrukh Khan starrer Chakde India!  Thank God! I finally found it; it had been eluding me for long.

So after a sumptuous lunch of “machcher jhol and bhaat” (fish curry and rice), I plunked myself on the couch and for the next couple of hours was mesmerized by the movie’s story line and of course Shahrukh’s histrionics.

Kabir Khan (Shahrukh’s character in the movie) was ostracized by the media and the country for conceding a goal and subsequently the championship against arch rivals Pakistan in the men’s hockey world cup. The rumor mills had it that he was in cahoots with the Pakistan hockey board. He was labeled a traitor and goes into self imposed exile.

The movie is the story of his return from exile to coach a motley group of women hockey players for the world championship. Winning the world cup would be his way of salvaging lost pride and silencing his critics.

What is it that makes the movie great viewing? Apart from the excellent story line, near perfect performances by the star cast, there is a wealth of corporate knowledge to be gleaned from it – I found it to be an excellent read on the principles of coaching.

We all agree that coaching is a serious business! For trainers, FLMs and quality coaches it is part of their daily bread and butter. If done in the right way, coaching can make all the difference to an organization’s bottom line.

Well let us see how Kabir Khan goes about coaching sixteen hockey players from different states of India and turns them into a world class team who go on to win the women’s hockey world championship; a tournament they enter as underdogs.

Right credentials and fire in the belly

A coach has to have the right qualifications for the job. As an ex-hockey player Kabir was the perfect fit as the coach of the Indian women’s hockey team. Being Asia’s best centre forward during his playing days he belonged to the “been there, done that” school.

He also knew the criticality of what he was getting into and had prepared hard enough for the coaching job. During his first interview with the hockey association; when one of the members asked where had he been for the last seven years (seven years, three months and fourteen days to be precise) he replies: “…is meeting ki tyari mein…”

As coaches; apart from subject matter expertise what also matters is guts and gumption. They come in real handy while coaching a team which is almost at the bottom of the heap. A coach should also be adept in handling ridicule and comments like the one by the association member (“…aisi team joh European desho ke school teams ke saath bhi nahi khel sakti…”)

Add to this the coach being a risk lover. This could be to try out a new technique, challenge prevailing norms, break prejudices or even silence rising opposition within his team.

Asking his most experienced player Bindiya Naik to sit on the bench or accepting the challenge of playing against the men’s team; Kabir showed enough nerves!  Playing  against the men’s team earned him a ticket to the world cup and yes he was able to teach Bindiya that individual egos have no place when playing as a team.

Set the bar high and unite the team for a common goal

A coach is not worth his salt if he gets balked by hurdles. Winning the women’s world hockey championship was no child’s play yet Kabir states very audaciously:”…Jo nahi ho sakta, wahi toh karna hai…”

Our teams might be plagued by many ills. Intra team rivalries, ego clashes between the experienced folks, lackadaisical attitude to perform at the highest level, lacking the right technique or even language constraints may be few of them. The coach’s first job is to unite the team for a common cause. When Krishnaji Kabir’s assistant coach tells him that the hard practice is taking a toll on the girls and all of it might go against him as a coach, Kabir says: “…Agar mujhe apna dushman banake woh eik dusre ki dost ban sakti hai, toh team banane  ke liye yeh eik bahut hi choti si kimat hai…”

I also liked the scene in which Kabir asks the hockey players to introduce themselves. With each introduction he shows his displeasure until Vidya Sharma introduces herself:” …Vidya Sharma, India…”

His rebuke to the players hits the nail hard on the head: “…Mujhe states ke naam na sunayie dethe hai, na dhikaie dete hai. Sirf ek mulk-a-naam sunayie detha hai, I-N-D-I-A…”

He further thunders: “… ek baat achi tarah sun lijiye aur abhi samaj lijiye. Kyuki mai dubhara nahi bataunga. Is team ko sirf woh player chaiye jo pehle India ke liye khel rahe hai, phir apne sathiyon ke liye, uss ke baad bhi thodi bhahut jaan bach jaye toh apne liye….state govt. ki naukri ya railway flat k liye nahi …

Know your team’s capabilities

Coaches should also have an understanding of each of the member’s strengths and weaknesses. Kabir displays this remarkable understanding when he fields Bindiya Naik against the Korean team’s man to man marking strategy. He tells her: “…is wakht India ko apne sabse jyada experienced player ki jaroorat hai…man to man marking kaise thodi jaati hai sirf tum jaanti ho…match shuru ho raha hai…jao aur thodo…”

When the team from Argentina famous for their rough hockey seems unstoppable; Kabir unleashes the Punjabi lass Balbir on to them. “…Balbir tum apni game khelo… woh do mare tum chaar maro, woh chaar mare tum aaght maro…”

Such an inherent understanding of the team’s capabilities is required to ensure everyone plays his/her part and contributes to the team’s overall success plan.

Practice hard and challenge the team’s limit

The Chinese military proverb says: “The more we sweat in training; the less we bleed in battle”. Absolutely true!  As in war so in competitive sports.

There can be only one substitute for practice and that is more practice. So if it is waking up at 4 a.m. in the morning and running twenty kilometers to build one’s stamina so be it. And practice is a must for all – whether you are a newbie or an experienced player.

So when one of the players Nethra Reddy falls unconscious due to practice Kabir shouts at everyone: “…kya dekh rahe ho use…behosh hui hai mari nahin hai woh…”

Kabir’s methods of course do not find favor with everyone especially the senior players and earn him the sobriquet “Tughlak”. Bindiya Naik who plays for Indian Railways at the national level is his strongest detractor. She along with Aaliya Bose and Gunjan Lakhani the other two senior players pose a big threat to Kabir’s plan of uniting the team for a common cause. Kabir sends a strong message to the entire team by asking Bindiya and Aaliya to sit on the bench till the time they mend their ways.

Have values and hold them tight

A strong value system will always hold a coach in good stead. It is not just in the coaching arena but also in one’s personal life. When Bindiya Naik hints that she can go to any length to become the team’s captain and confronts Kabir by asking: “main captain kyo nahi ban sakti…captain banne ke liye joh woh kar rahi hai main bhi kar sakti hoon…” he very stoically answers back: “…jawab tumne khud de di…”

Had Kabir fallen; it would have been a very precipitous one.

Let the team bask in the glory of success

When the women’s team returns with the championship title and the entire country is singing paeans about their exploits; Kabir is nowhere to be seen. The same media which had blasted him once was going gaga over him. He had courted disaster before and hence knew well how to woo triumph. And that is what I believe to be the hallmark of an effective coach. The team had toiled hard for this and it was their moment of success – no one should usurp it from them. Not even their coach!

So that is how I spent a great Sunday afternoon with Shahrukh Khan and in the bargain learnt few amazing coaching principles. This movie may not be a gospel on the principles of coaching but it does teach us a thing or two on how to effectively coach teams for optimum performance. Hail King Khan!

Image Courtesy :srktimes.com