I hope your coach isn't a Jailer, Mumbler or Sad Sam

I was leafing through 1975's "Coaching Girls and Women: Psychological Perspectives" and getting ready to place it in the donation box when one page caught my eye.

In a discussion of coaching styles, the authors — Patsy E. Neal and Thomas A. Tutko — cite a 1971 study by Lloyd Percival in which he outlined coaching types that served as positive forces and coaching types that served as negative forces.

What I found interesting were the labels Percival (or perhaps those he interviewed) used for the negative and positive types. I think the language is a neat reflection of the era (late 1960s, early 1970s). We certainly don't use all of these phrases any more to describe our coaches.

Positive Types

• Counsellor
• Mr. Cool
• Democrat
• Appreciator
• Inspirer
• Organizer
• Orator
• Planner
• With It
• The Doctor
• Explainer
• Salesman
• Tourist
• Supporter
• Shrink

Negative Types

• Insulter
• Shouter
• Avenger
• Choker
• Shakey
• Tough Guy
• Molder
• Hero
• Rocker
• Whiner
• Fast Mouth
• Blister
• Rapper
• Black Catter
• General Custer
• Critic
• Super Friend
• White Cane
• Sulker
• Sloppy Joe
• Hitter
• Mumbler
• Sad Sam
• Scientist (Genius)
• Jailer

Many of these terms are also included and explained on "What Type of Coach Are You?" — a tip sheet that was put together by diving coach Hobie Billingsley in 2002. Interestingly, Billingsley uses the negative term "Hitler" instead of "Hitter." I wonder if that was a typo in the 1975 book.