Let me tell you what I think about coaches: we’re crazy in our preparation and dedication, we work long hours and love it, we give up our nights and weekends, we mentor our student-athletes, we demand big things from them and even more from ourselves, we’re passionate in our belief in our team and our love for our sport, we believe in the power of sport to have a positive and long-lasting impact in our athlete’s lives. I also believe we should always assess ourselves and our careers. So here are:
7 questions we should ask ourselves to make sure we’re on the right track
Yell or self-control?
A yeller isn’t necessarily more passionate than a non-yeller…we non-yellers have the quiet confidence that comes from knowing our stuff and believing in our approach. To Yell Or Not To Yell, That Is The Question. I think there is a time and place for all coaching techniques, but before you start hollering at your team, read this post.
Great or average?
I don’t know about you, but I want to be great. I certainly don’t think I’ve achieved greatness, but I’m going to do everything within my power to get there! I would assume that’s why most of us do what we do…because we want to leave our mark. 10 Things Great Coaches Do talks about the hallmarks of greatness that we should all be striving for.
Crushed or bounce back?
This is the very obvious pink elephant in the room that no coach likes to talk about: losing. The post Losing Is Lonely: Encouraging Yourself In Tough Times is about what we can do once our team falls to losing ways. I’ve had seasons when success eluded me. Those are frustrating times, but more powerfully, they are lonely times. Most folks are afraid to broach the subject of losing with a loser. So what’s a winner to do when she’s losing? Check out this post to find out.
Accept or ask?
My sister-in-law is a corporate big shot in charge of handling raises and salary negotiations and she let me know that women rarely ask for more salary than they’re offered, while men always do. Often we hear that there’s a glass ceiling and women just can’t get ahead, but what if we females aren’t helping our own cause? Here’s a quote from my post: “If women were to negotiate on behalf of themselves as much as men do, they would advance as quickly as men and eliminate the under-representation of women in the top ranks of the organization.” If you’d like to read more, check out What Are You Worth? How To Negotiate Salary.
Free or charge?
The next one is along the lines of the previous point. When folks ask to pick your brain, what they’re really asking is for you to give them something freely…even though you paid a high price for it! I think it’s hard for coaches to think in this manner, but we charge for lessons, camps, clinics, etc. They may have different names, but they all come down to our knowledge and we seem to be okay charging for that knowledge. Check out What Are You Worth? Valuing What You Know for a link to a great article that will challenge you to truly value yourself.
Head or assistant?
Being a head coach is fun, it’s awesome, and it’s fulfilling…it’s also a lot of work! I’ve always said that each coach in an athletic department is like the CEO of their sport, responsible for all aspects of the program. If you’d like to know exactly what that would entail, check out 11 Things You Should Be Doing If You Are The Head Honcho for more info.
Introvert or extrovert?
I used to think that all coaches were naturally out-going with big, huge personalities…then I became a coach. I am most definitely an introvert who enjoys time by myself. I’ve made it work with my teams and in my athletic department, but what about those schmoozy events where we’ve got to chat and make small talk? Check out this post that I wanted to call “4 reasons that networking is better than a hot poker in the eye”, but settled on Networking For Introverts: It’s Not As Bad As You Think.
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