Anyone who has regularly followed my blog post, has probably gotten a good idea about the impact that sport has had on my life. In my case, sports has played a major role in modeling the adult I have evolved into. My managerial and coaching styles along with my system of beliefs and ethics are very intertwined as my work in one role often dictates how I make decisions in the other. Whether I am coaching or functioning in my managerial role at work, the lines between the two and how I handle day to day situations are often very blurred. The reality is that if today, I find myself working in an academic setting rather then a private sector, business focused job, it is in a very large part due to my involvement in sport, especially since my time at Concordia, which influenced me about the type of environment I wanted to work in.
However the influence of sport in my adult life goes beyond just in terms of my managerial style and the environment that I work it. It has permitted me to find my voice, to become an advocate for women's sport and women in sport. To believe in the important of eliminating the gender gaps and bias that exist in sport and ultimately society in general. This is not to say that my involvement in youth sport did not have any impact on my life and passage from being a child, to being a teenager to being an adult. I am sure it did, in fact I know it did. Sport was always important to me, I participate in various different sports and was always very active. My father believed heavily in the importance having an active lifestyle. I am sure that many of the social skills and habits that are part of me today, had their start via my participation in sport. Of course, as I have mentioned a few times, sport also allowed me to meet my wife. However, my personal path aside, I do believe that sport is a great tool to compliment the traditional educational and developmental paths for our youth. I am not saying that only individuals who participate in sport can develop into positive, contributing and well rounded members of society. There are many many successful people who have had little or no sports involvement. The point of today's blog post to is to point out that sports have potential impact in ways that go beyond just being about being a pro and making huge salaries, being active or as the old ABC Wide of Sports promo said learning about ' The thrill of victory and the agony of defeat. As human beings, we tend to think of teachers as those who work in schools. We also tend to think of education as the knowledge we acquire in a classroom. This is true if you’re looking at the conventional definition. But, if I think about the best teacher I know, and the best education I’ve received, my answer doesn’t follow the ordinary: sports. They say good teachers can inspire hope, ignite the imagination and instill a love of learning. For me, I think coaches also have the ability to do that, and even more importantly, have the responsibility to do so. At the base of it all, when you are a coach at the youth levels, it should be about wins and losses. I certainly hope that when my body of work as a coach is examined, I have been able to provide that to my athletes. I believe that sports far exceed these requirements and do so in the most unconventional, extraordinary and meaningful way. When I began to think about what exactly I have learned from playing and coaching sports, I realize that the list is seemingly endless. With that being said, I think that every athlete would agree that teamwork, leadership, balance, work ethic, the importance of a positive attitude and being selfless, are some of the most important things and lessons that we’ve taken, and continue to take with us even after our time in sport is done. Being a good teammate is one of the greatest things you can be. You learn to be humble when given opportunity because you may be given more playing time than the kid beside you. You learn when to speak up and when to listen. You learn the value of cheering others on and genuinely wishing them the best, even if you’re fighting for the same position. The ability to work with others is so crucial in the real world, and sports teaches this to us every day. Some would argue that leaders are born not made, but I believe it is a bit of both. Of course individuals have to have it in them but sports teaches you how to be a leader in more ways than one. You can be a vocal leader, a leader by example, or simply a member of a team who steps up when need be. Being a leader on a team doesn’t require a specific skill set or personality, it means knowing and accepting your role, whatever it may be, and doing the best you can so that others can follow. We need more leaders in the world, and playing sports develops these qualities every day. In the “real world,” people talk about time and schedule management, balancing work and play and priority maintenance. Athletes are the best examples of how to balance the most hectic and chaotic lifestyles while competing every day in the classroom and on the playing field ( or arena, gym, pool, track, whatever). Sports teach you how to balance a million things and do so with ease. Just ask an athlete to explain a “day in their shoes,” and you will know what I’m talking about. Athletes are some of the hardest working people you’ll ever meet, and the sports world fosters this trait more so than anything else. Whether you’re working to achieve a personal goals, team adjectives, or to win a National Championship, the work comes before the success. Every athlete knows that you can only control two things- effort and attitude. This work ethic carries over to the real world, because we know that the only way to reach success, break records, and increase the odds of being the best, is to first work- when your teammates are watching, and when they aren’t. Adversity is a huge part of the sports world. Getting cut from a team because of politics, getting injured and not being able to play or losing your spot in the lineup when at that given time, someone else is more fit for the role, are all part of the game. Whatever the adversity and however it presents itself, sports teach us to bounce back and do so with a positive attitude. Even if your confidence is at an all-time low and things aren’t going your way, being able to smile amidst the storm is one of the hardest things to do. Yet, it is a necessary requirement of being an athlete. Because at the end of the day, it’s just a game, and you are lucky to be playing the sport you love every day. So when you come across a bad boss or a lousy co-worker, know that sports have taught you that no matter what, you must smile, love the journey and stay positive. Perhaps this is the most relevant lesson that you learn through sports because it creates character and defines the person you are. Being selfless means giving something to someone with the expectation of nothing in return. Being a good teammate, giving your best effort to your coach despite how tired you are, having a positive attitude even if you’re faced with adversity and cheering on your teammates even if you’re battling for that same spot, are all part of being selfless. You learn to do things for the better of the team even if it means sacrificing personal success. Being a good person, at the end of the day, is the best things that sports teaches us, because when we walk of the playing surface and into the real world, we cannot take our jersey with us, nor the goals we scored, but we can take with us the lessons that sports have given us. The world is a blank slate composed of an abundance of opportunities, lively adventures, surprises at every bend and obstacles that can make or break people. Sports teach us how to make the best of all of these things and create a life that is filled with happiness, success, and endless possibilities. So anyone who doesn't seem how sports can teach life skills or mirror real life, probably had a negative experience or never really participated in sport.
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AuthorAfter many years of coaching at various levels and with different teams, I thought I would share some of my experiences and thoughts about coaching. Archives
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