Don't Lose Site of the "AHA" Moments

This is a blog post that I wrote in February 2010 when I was coaching my oldest son’s 6th grade basketball team. I completely forgot about the blog posts I had written back then that focused on the development of young players and sharing coaching perspectives with youth coaches. 
 
I have always loved sports - playing and watching as a kid to coaching and watching as an adult. What I have truly come to relish is how much the lessons of sports help in the workplace and in life. The arena of sports is one of the most perfect settings to see the opportunities for leadership on display - the successes and the failures. While I am talking about coaching a 6th grade team below, change out the names and the skills that are being taught and is it really any different? The pressure to win causing you to lose focus on the development of your team? We have all felt that at work.
 
I hope you enjoy this post because it is a perfect example of how those AHA moments can bring joy Beyond Today.
 
Don’t Lose Site of the “AHA” Moments
Originally posted Feb. 10, 2010, on bringitstrong.com
 
When coaching youth sports, it is easy to get caught up in the winning and losing.  Why do you coach?  To get the trophy?  To get another medal for your kids?  Are you getting paid?  Is there a real national championship on the line?  If you are like me, then these are not the reasons.  I have spoken before about coaching to develop instead of coaching to win.  It's easy to forget that when each weekend you are playing to be a "champion."
 
This year, I have a new team that is mostly made up of inexperienced players in comparison to the three players that I have coached previously.  While I knew up front that this would be a year focused on teaching and developing players, I lost sight of that fact as we began our tournament season and the competitive juices caused me to feel the pressure to win. 
 
As our season is nearing an end, I think about our 17-5 record and am pleasantly surprised.  However, I am more pleased with the progress of all our players.  Watching kids shoot the ball with their opposite hands.  Seeing a kid utilize a move in a game that we have worked on time and again in practice.  Being able to give a big squeeze to a kid that finally executed what you have asked from him and seeing that feeling of pride on his face.  Being able to give playing time to all the kids even in crucial situations.  Sitting back and watching your kids share the ball, help each other off the ground, congratulate each other on a good play and smile as they walk off the court.
 
That is why I coach.  For those moments when a young athlete says "AHA" and they just get it.  That is coaching to develop and when you do that, winning will take care of itself.

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