Coaching

Coaches...we have the opportunity to change the lives of kids more than we even know. I have had my fair share of different types of coaches. I've had the push-over, the hard-ass, the "paycheck" coach, the first timer, and the life timer. I have had coaches compliment my every move (not as cool as it sounds), coaches who could never find a positive thing to say, coaches who would chew my butt at half time, and some that would literally throw things at me, and coaches who inspired me set high goals and strive to achieve them.

Now that I coach, I try to take things I've learned from ALL my coaches, whether it be things I should do or things I should never do. I love coaching. I love being on the bench during games and seeing improvement throughout the season.

However there is the downside to coaching that isn't mentioned as much. I'm not talking about the parents or administration (that's obvious)...I'm talking about the hours we lay awake thinking about decisions we make, how to improve that one player, and how to teach a kid to be competitive (I have come to realize that competitiveness can't be taught...it's something you have in your gut).

This week I was kept up by a decision I made. I played "Mean Coach" one day this week. There were a couple of girls who were having attitude problems. (This is nothing new to girls athletics, but has to be fixed). Bad attitudes on the court can be like a cancer in a good team. It spreads from girl to girl slowly killing a teams enthusiasm and performance. I was tired of seeing and hearing about these girls...so I took care of it. I was not nice. I might have even said a couple words that are not "school-appropriate." Needless to say it ended in the girls crying...which was not my goal. I never want to make someone cry. So at the end of practice I pulled them aside and calmly explained myself. I was impressed with them. They took my criticism, apologized for their attitudes, and later that night at the football game came up to me and said "Hi" a couple times. This morning at practice, both girls had a great day...their game and attitudes were much better. I still don't know if chewing them out was the right thing to do, but I am impressed with the way these girls were able to bounce back and make an effort to improve.

Bottom line...coaches/teachers/parents will always analyze the choices we make. We, like everyone else, are constantly learning from "trial and error."