This weekend, I had the honor of sitting in on a very informal, but amazing, post-game debriefing with a group of pretty amazing women in leadership positions. I heard doubt, I heard worry, I heard discontent....I heard a lot of things that you would never see on the field from these women as they are coaching.
While it shocked me, it made me realize just how amazing they were to be able to believe in their players and team so much to put aside any other feelings to most effectively and productively coach these girls to the best of their ability. It gave me a glimpse of what it would be like if I were really to become a Sport Psychologist or Team Building Coach...and I loved it. It was problem solving at its finest, and while there's no one solution, the willingness to try suggested methods is the first step!
When I hear the word "coach", three people immediately come to mind, and these three women are the ones who have inspired this post.
What I think many people overlook is the definition of TEAM. I believe the entity of a team is made up of every member who has a role in the outcome of the game. Most would say the players make up the team...but after this weekend I would have to disagree. To me, the team is made up of the players, the coaches, the fans, the officials, the sponsors and the spirit of the game. Everyone has their part as they commit collectively to overcome challenges and put W's on the board. However, if that commitment isn't there, someone is left picking up the slack, putting preventable pressure on a valuable part of the TEAM.
Sitting in this circle of coaches and former players, I was intrigued on how much I myself underestimated the job description of "Coach". Not only are you responsible for expanding your players knowledge of the game, skills, fundamentals and sportsmanship, but you are also influencing and creating the mental aspect of the game as well. You work to increase the confidence, the cognitive motivation, the internal strengths and the overall mental dynamic of the team. This concept is wayyy more in-depth than what most people see on the surface. Sure, there's cheering, there's talking on the field, there's fans cheering, but sometimes that becomes so monotonous that the players are almost immune to it.
An even larger concept with the mental game: the pre-athletic career mental health. As a coach, you are dealing with the ever evolving mentality of each player. Your every word, every move, every speech has an impact, however, you have to maintain awareness that some of the players may need more, some may need less. Some may need a loud tone, and some may need a pat on the back. You are simultaneously dealing with each player's past while developing their future. Talk about pressure! Some players may come with warnings, some may come with "Handle With Care", and some come with complete confidence. It is the coach's job to figure out the methodology to effectively collaborate each personality to accomplish unity.
There are different levels of cognition among teammates, and it is up to the coaches to recognize them, play to their strengths and develop a strategy to preserve the common goal shared between all aspects of the TEAM.
So why would anyone put themselves in this position? The passion, the love of the game, the long-term success stories, the idea of success, the determination of shaping young adults into healthy successful citizens, the continued opportunity to smell the field/grass during ball season, the road trips, the memories, the sacrifice, the networking? Possibly. I know one thing is for certain: when a coach hears how much they influenced their players straight from former players mouths, there is an instant glow that says THAT is worth all of it.
I had the opportunity to witness this very phenomenon. The former players expressed to their former coach how much of what she said still follows them to this day. They would say, "If only I would have listened back then." and "You know what, Coach, you were right about..."
But what was more amazing, in my humble opinion, is when the coach asked her former players, "What should I do." That, to me, was so powerful because it shows that she STILL believes in those players and respects them enough to ask for suggestions. Ideas were flying left and right, synchronicity was flowing, and progress was being made. It was perspective from players from different years, it was input from all aspects of the game, it was productivity!
So to all the coaches out there, my hats off to you as you are shaping the lives of student athletes. To the ones I know personally, I am privileged to see the outcome of successful coaching. Melissa Jones, Brandi Paul and Tara Blackwell: you inspire me immensely, and I thank you for blessing me with a lesson well learned about what all you really do on a daily basis. I am blessed to know each of you.
I would also like to say a special thank you to Brandi Paul for allowing me to give some input at her coach's roundtable. It may not seem like it was a big deal, but it meant a great deal to me. And thank you Melissa Jones for supporting my participation, for I am forever grateful.
Peace and Joy,
Beth
