When a player says, "Thank you, coach," I always say, "Thank you," back. The truth is, they don't have to show up, and when they do show up, they don't have to listen. We see and hear about the negative side of coaching so much. Players are transferring all the time. Parents are hard to please. Kids don't work as hard as they used to, they are selfish, and they aren't as tough as they used to be.
The complaints and excuses are endless, and many of them are valid.
But being a coach is one of the most important jobs in the world. We have the ability to impact lives in ways that no one else can, and we interact with more kids than most, so the quality of our coaching, teaching, and mentoring, and our ability to build meaningful relationships really can change the world.
When the going gets tough, remember how important and sacred the player/coach relationship is. Remember how coaches have impacted your life - positively and negatively. Remember that you are having the same impact on the lives of the athletes and families that you lead - positively and negatively.
Remember the kid who came to you with no skills and no ambition who became a star.
Remember the kid who would never talk who now talks your ear off every practice.
Remember the kid who cried at their first practice because they didn't want to be there and cried at the last practice because they didn't want it to end. Remember the phone calls and text messages with parents who were lost and didn't know what to do with their own kid, and who needed you to help guide them and to reassure them that everything was going to be okay.
Remember that team that you were afraid wouldn't win a single game but won the league.
Remember the team that you thought was going to win it all but couldn't win a game.
Remember the lessons that you learned in trying to keep those kids' heads up and to keep fighting through the losses. Remember the lessons that those kids taught you as you struggled to keep your head up and fight through the losses.
Remember the team meals and the team bus rides. Remember the pre-game talks and the post-game talks. Remember the big wins, and remember the devastating losses. Remember the winning streaks and how fun they were, remember the losing streaks and how you thought you would never win again, and remember the big wins that broke the never-ending losing streaks.
Remember the pep rallies, the cheerleaders, the roar of the crowd at the field when someone scored a goal, or hit a home run, or scored a touchdown. Remember the roar in the gym when someone gets a game-changing dunk, a momentum-shifting three, a big steal, or a game-winning shot at the buzzer.
There is nothing like being a coach. There is nothing like the feeling of appreciation and honor when a kid thanks you and when their parents thank you. When they do say thank you, make sure you say thank you back because they trusted you. They trusted you with their career. They trusted you with their kid. That is a big responsibility.
Be thankful.
