Coaching

I guess it’s because we’re in the middle of tons of basketball, pro football, and college football games, but I’ve been thinking a lot about what it means to be a good coach.  As I’ve been thinking, I find that there are so many principles of coaching that we can apply to life that really can make a difference.  I’ll list a few of my thoughts below, but see if you resonate with any of these:

• A good coach keeps the big picture in mind.  One loss doesn’t ruin a great season (except when the BCS computers mess with you!)
• A good coach cares deeply for his/her players off the field as much as on the field.  Players respond accordingly on the field.
• A good coach casts a vision for the team and keeps the team focused on the long-term goals.
• A good coach stays consistent even when their team has ups and downs.
• A good coach stays the course even though his/her players come in and out of the program in just a few short years.
• A good coach is about developing players beyond their time on his/her team.  The coach wants the players to reach their personal goals, as well as, the team goals in the short-term.

There are a lot of coaches in our world, but I would argue there are only a few truly good coaches that have these characteristics.  I would also say that many schools and pro organizations don’t give coaches much of a chance anymore to develop a program.  It takes a lot of time to develop a good, consistent team, but the fan bases of too many teams want championships within 2-3 years or the coach is out.  My prediction is that we won’t see too many more long-term coaches at one school like Bobby Bowden and Joe Paterno.  The pressure to win is too high and not enough schools/organizations are willing to give coaches much of a chance. I’m amazed that Jerry Slone has been the coach of the Utah Jazz for over 20 years and they’ve never won a NBA title!

I think these coaching observations apply very much to parents, teachers, bosses, and pastors as well.  Many of us in our lifetimes will have the opportunity to coach someone.  It may not be in the sports arena, but most likely in the more important arena of life.  I hope I can become a good coach that is about developing people however I can.  I know I’m a work in progress and I’ve depended a ton on “coaches” in my life.

Until next time…

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