Lessons I Learned Coaching Sports

It’s amazing the lessons we learn about ourselves while helping others. The other day I was thinking of the lessons I learned while coaching my son in hockey. I didn’t realize it at the time, but looking back it has been a changing moment in my life. The kids were only around five or six and had the passion of people four times their age.

I remember the moment clearly that changed my way of thinking. We were mid season and the team was struggling. The kids wanted to play and tried real hard but just couldn’t seem to win. We had great skaters on the team and some kids that could really handle the puck, but we just didn’t seem to score. I tried to get them motivated and be encouraging although I was doing a couple of things wrong, overall I was a good coach. I knew that kids loved to hear their goals so after each game I tallied the goals and had a little chart going showing the leaders. What I didn’t realize at that time was that while I was trying to motivate the team I was actually demotivating the team. During a game a parent came up to me that saw how hard I was trying and said,” Why don’t you stop tracking with the goal sheet and help them operate as one?” That was the changing moment my friends. I hadn’t seen it. I stopped tracking the goals and encouraged the team as a whole. At that point our season turned around and we ended up winning as top of the league.

I look back now and can see how that lesson helped shape me today. Now that I teach and coach others it has helped me focus on the whole team instead of trying to motivate top performers with numbers. Coaching teaches you to inspire people and do it correctly so that it is fair to the whole team. It has made me a more encouraging adult and for that I am thankful. See what coaching can do for you?

About the Author

Bruce Outridge is author of various business and career books including Running By The Mile and Driven to Drive. He is the host and creator of The Lead Pedal Podcast for truck drivers. To learn more about Bruce and his work visit his website at www.outridgeenterprises.ca