Why Coach?

All opinions in the blog are solely my own.

"Coaches get more than we give." - Brad Stevens

I had a conversation a few years ago with Coach Herb Welling when I coached Cecilia Kay. He said, "when you get the exceptional player, you have to take care of her." Feel obligated to push and prod that player to reach that upper level. 

Coaches build relationships. Coaches build trust. Trust builds loyalty. Loyalty builds high performance. "The person is more important than the player." 

Coaches add value. Coaches coach the best player and the twelfth player on the roster. 

Coaches earn buy-in. When you have capable coaching that you ignore, everyone loses. You don't become your best and that impacts everyone else on the team. "Don't play for me; play for the girls next to you." 

Coaches build culture. Culture is the ecosystem surrounding the team. "This is who we are. That is who we are not. This is how we play." 

Coaches don't accept mediocrity.

"I never want to stop being coached.
There is always things to learn and things to get better at.
She holds me to a high standard and that's something I appreciate."

While average players love being told they're great, the real champions constantly ask, 'What's next to master?'… pic.twitter.com/CSMhWo2W7B

— The Winning Difference (@thewinningdiff1) January 28, 2024 

Coaches love competition. We want to win. Yet more than one way to win exists. Success means seeing players grow and achieve long after they've left the program. You don't have to become a great player to become a great person. 

Coaches teach leadership. Becoming a great player often demands putting yourself first. Becoming a great teammate means putting everyone else first. That's more than a subtle difference. "Leaders make leaders." 

Coaches motivate. Michael Jordan told Carolina Assistant Roy Williams that he would work as hard as any player ever at Chapel Hill. Williams told him, "you have to work harder than that." Some player need more positive reinforcement and others need a gentle push. The best coaches know which is which. 

Coaches develop. "Every day is player development day," says Coach Dave Smart. Melrose can't import players in the way some schools can aggregate talent. Crafting players and teams both breed success. 

Coaches help maturity. Maturity means responding to events with self-control and sportsmanship. Meet promotions (e.g. starting) with humility and demotions with grace and determination to improve. 

Coaches self-assess. Coaches look at our strengths and weaknesses looking to build on the former and mitigate the latter. Top coaches remain open to new ideas and edit their approach seeking better solutions. "The coach is the keeper of the story." 

Coaches network. Kentucky basketball Coach John Calipari has a "personal board of directors" with whom he meets periodically to discuss his life path. Strong coaches establish ties with peers and college coaches as 'anteambulos' clearing the way for player advancement. As Ryan Holiday writes, "find canvases for others to paint on." 

Coaches manage ego. "Ego is the enemy." Ego distracts, ego distorts. Ego can contribute to making decisions for self instead of for others. 

A bad day coaching is better than a good day doing many other things. 

Lagniappe. "You want to be a leader? Serve somebody." 

"Being a team is about trust.
A team doesn't work if you don't believe that the person next to you is going to do their job.
Trust is not earned; it's given.
To be a leader on your team, you have to have the courage to trust.
You want to be a leader?
Serve somebody." pic.twitter.com/LrEh5mR4O0

— The Winning Difference (@thewinningdiff1) January 28, 2024