Dear Athlete,

If you’ve ever wondered if becoming a coach means you have everything together, you have all the answers, and you don’t have to learn any more, then let me tell you: that isn’t true.

I may have a little more of life under my belt, but this year is as new as you are.

Each year differs a little from the last one: a new group of athletes, a new set of circumstances, seniors graduated, returners a little older. Yes, I’ve coached for years, but each year is new.

So, I adjust. I have my questions about how the team will react to what I plan to teach. I also want to try new things, to improve on last year without comparing ourselves to last year. Again, each group is new. We, our program, you and I, are new.

I won’t deny that I might know more about the game than you do. I’ve played, I’ve coached, and I’ve seen a lot of games. Experience stands as witness to what I’ve done and accomplished, so I can provide some insight to patterns of behavior, expectations for the game, and some keys to success.

Do I know everything? Absolutely not. In fact, even most of what I know is borrowed.

A coach I know said that he steals from other coaches all the time. Sure, he’s had some good ideas of his own, but so much of what he’s gathered has come from others, whether people, books, programs, or other resources. I think that’s a healthy perspective to keep: we know a lot, but we receive more of what we know from other sources.

This view doesn’t stop at sport; life is also this way. We learn from our parents, our extended family, our peers, teachers, coaches, coworkers, and more. We become different people, and hopefully better people, from what we receive from others.

In the same way, I want to help you know more, play better, become more of the player and person you could be. I want to relay what I have learned to help you learn more quickly, to avoid the mistakes I made, to reach your potential sooner than later. Coaching is more than just the sport. It’s sharing life.

What you do with that, of course, is up to you.

The choice to either respect and listen to my offering or ignore it is also up to you.

You can take what I have to say as something to consider. If you do consider it and still have questions, then I want to discuss them with you. Pull me aside or ask for a meeting. Ask your questions, bring up alternative options, tell me about other viewpoints, if they seem legitimate to you. The only thing I ask is that you do so with respect, because my vision for the team may reach further than what you know in the moment. (Make sure to think about your timing, too: games are higher pressure situations and we will likely be heated in the moment.)

By challenging me and what I know, you make me defend what I think, or reason through it again and perhaps change my mind. As I want you to try my approach or technique in sport to improve, so I should be able to handle respectful questions and concerns from players. The flexibility and listening must go both ways to sustain our relationship. By making me consider and reconsider, you make me better.

So, when you feel the urge to yell in frustration or point out the mistakes I make, please remember: I’m learning, too.

Cheering for you,

Coach Bekah