Thoughts on Coaching – 42 Years Later

Today I begin my 42^nd year of coaching. It has been a journey that is for sure. It seems like just yesterday that I walked out on that track at Santa Barbara high school. I was 21 years old, three years older than the seniors, scared spit less but still cocky, thinking I knew it all. No way in my wildest imagination did I think I would coach this long. I am almost 64 years old, now I know I don't know it all and definitely not cocky. Looking back I have many fond memories, some regrets, definitely some things I would do over or never have done. The fondest memories are not from wins or loses, but from the relationships, the people, the athlete’s and coaches that I have been fortunate to work with during this time. Looking back one of the biggest lesson that I learned is that coaching is not technical expertise, the X’s and O’s, it is about people. It is how you communicate and relate to those you work with. It is so trite to say, but we coach people who run, jump and throw, not runners, jumpers or throwers. Sometimes I lost sight of that.

I also have learned how important it is to take time to slow down to stop and smell the roses (Still struggling to reconcile this). It is so easy to get caught up in preparing the athlete, winning games and meets or losing them, quickly moving on to the next step while focusing on the big picture that you forget to take the journey step by step. Slow down, enjoy the process, and understand that sometimes you will have to take a step back to move forward. It has a way of working out as long as you know your destination, have a current road map, a working compass oriented to true north and a timetable, you will get there. If you don’t you will know why and be able to reorient and keep moving forward.

I also learned in this journey that the path was much clearer and easy to navigate if I found people who had traveled the path before me, who had done what I wanted to do. A major turning point in my career was three days I spent with Tom Tellez (Coach at University of Houston) in January 1982. He completely changed the way I approached the track & field events from a technical perspective. I distinctly remember him telling me that he had invited me so I did not have to make the same mistakes he had made, so that I could learn from his mistakes. He saved me a lot of years, as have others. For those people I very thankful.

You have to be yourself. Know who you are and why you coach. Know why your athletes participate. Constantly evaluate yourself. Be brutally honest in your self-evaluation. That is the only way you can improve as a coach and as a person.

Today, January 3, 2011 is the only January 3, 2011 there will ever be. Make today special. I am very fortunate I get to coach this morning so it is starting out special!