We coaches play games. Two types of games. James Carse wrote about those two games at length in his book, Finite and Infinite Games, A Vision of Life as Play and Possibility. He details how those games are the essence of what every coach does, and has done, since the first coach started hollering. Understanding these two […]
Step Up. Speak Up.
There’s a reason your organization sponsors your sport. It might be to keep kids off the streets. Or to win a national championship. Or to fill seats. In a system of coaching like that you have an obligation. To do what the system requires you to do. Such as: Recruit athletes. Check. Fundraise. Check. Monitor […]
How do I get athletes to respond to my emails?
I hit “Send Message” and waited. And waited. And waited. My head began to spin … I muttered, “What’s wrong with these athletes — why don’t they respond?” Do they hate me? Have they quit? Were they kidnapped? Are they conspiring against me? Nothing but silence. Argh … You’ve probably had the same experience Many […]
Coaching Sports and Social Media Safety
You sit down at your desk — there’s a call on your cell phone. As you answer you look over and there’s a voice mail on your office phone. Then your email goes nuts. Your Twitter stream starts rolling. What’s with all those freaky things happening on your FaceBook page? There’s a pounding on the […]
Coaching Sports In A Digital World
I’m noticing a trend with my fellow coaches — a concern about “digital.” I’m hearing coaches express, like in my coaching survey, that they worry about troubles with recruiting, and degrading relationships. They are feeling challenged with ways to improve and take their sports coaching to the next level. Could digital be to blame? What […]
What Your Mom Never Told You About Hollow Coaching
Moms are great. Yet … sometimes they don’t tell us everything. For example, I can hear a coach’s mom saying, “Dearie, when you’re a coach you will serve an important role in our society.” Okay, that could happen, right? Sure. But I wouldn’t expect the mom to then add, “Oh, while you do your coaching-thing […]