Put Me In Coach

Today I said to some coworkers that I had to go to volleyball practice after work and one of them asked me what kind of coach I was.  Later on at practice, I was still thinking about that question and trying to figure out just what kind of coach I thought I had been.

You would think that by my 6th year, I would already know what kind of coach I was but it wasn't that easy.  I thought back to players I’ve had and tried to come up with what they would say about me.  There are some kids that I still keep in touch with that I hope would say that I was a great coach.  There is that one girl who actually yelled at me after we lost our last game who probably wouldn’t be to fond of her experience with me.  And of course there are bound to be some past players that don’t even really remember me. 

I really have no idea why this question kept circulating through my head but after several hours realized this was a trick question.  I’m not coaching myself so to say I am any kind of coach would a call I'm not qualified to make.   I may never know what kind of coach I am but I do know what kind of coach I want to be. 

I want to be the kind of coach that you feel comfortable enough with that you are not afraid to be yourself.  These kids spend all day in school listening to teachers and following rules and while there are rules and regulations on the volleyball court, I want them to have fun with the sport and not be afraid to make mistakes.  I want to be a coach that teaches them something.  I don’t care if it’s a volleyball skill or a life lesson; I just want them to walk away taking something from this experience.  I want to be someone in their lives that is there for them if they ever need it but most importantly, I want to be someone that believes in them.  Every coach would love to fill their teams with perfect players who just seem to have everything come naturally to them but I’ve found that it’s the ones that surprise you that are the most rewarding ones to know. 

As I left St. Rose tonight, I was reminded of a saying that the first grade teacher there used to write on everyone’s report card: 2 good + 2 be = 4gotten.  So there’s my conclusion.  I just hope I’m a coach that they remember.  You can’t ask for anything more than that.  No matter what is that we do, we want to be remembered as someone who made an impact or left their mark.  We want to be 2 good + 2 be + 4gotten. 

“All coaching is, is taking a player where he can't take himself." - Bill McCartney