Why We Coach - Part I

I recently received a text message from Chetan Panda, a member of my 9th grade and JV basketball teams at St. Stephens School, that made me reflect on what is really important about coaching young people. In his text he said: "all four teams that made the final four are good TEAMS." Chetan is in college now. His emphasis on the word team reinforced the notion that what athletes learn through their experiences on a team often stays with them long after their playing careers are over. As they get older (some of my former athletes are in their 50's!), values derived from being on a team become even more embedded in their approach to life.

Often coaches evaluate the impact they have on their athletes based strictly on the team's final record. If the team does not achieve a certain result, they have failed. Chetan and his teammates were not imposing talents. His team did not win a championship, but they did overachieve. As he and his teammates stepped onto the court for a game against Copperas Cove, a much larger school, a fan commented that they looked small. One of the St. Stephens Dads overheard the comment and quickly added, "and they're slow too!"

The boys defeated Copperas Cove by out-competing and out-executing them. This was possible because in practice they submitted themselves to what at times seemed like unreasonable demands from their coach and pushed each other relentlessly. Achieving excellence requires change and change is painful. As Michigan State basketball coach Tom Izzo said to the media this week: "If it doesn't hurt, if it isn't painful to go through a practice, you haven't done enough." Chetan and his teammates persevered through tough times together day after day. They truly bonded as a team and always put themselves in the best position to win. More importantly, the lessons that they have taken away from their experience together will benefit them even more as adults.

It is assumed by many that those of us who have had long coaching careers spend a lot of time thinking about all of our accomplishments. Trophies and awards are great, but the most rewarding aspect of my career has been watching athletes grow as people after they move on, knowing that I played some small part in their development. I cannot recall much about the trophy ceremonies that I was fortunate to be a part of. However, I can vividly recount displays of inspiring work ethic, competitive tension, and humor that give me goosebumps! And witnessing the values instilled during these moments come into full bloom later in life is truly a magical feeling!