May
1
2019
Coaching Skills
Posted in Discipleship 2 Comments
You cannot take the athlete out of my oldest daughter.
I remember when she was in first grade and came home with the permission slip.
She took it out of her folder.
She handed it to me.
I want to play T-ball, she said quite sure of herself.
Since she was our oldest, signing my children up for sports was new to me.
I was always the professional spectator when it came to sports.
Any ability or love of sports my daughter had, she did not get from me.
She wanted to talk to her dad when he got home.
She handed him the permission slip.
Of course, you can play T-ball, he said.
Her smile went from ear to ear.
Her March birthday was approaching.
On her birthday list that year, she included all the things she would need to play the sport.
My husband was thrilled to go out and get them for her.
I did not have a clue about choosing the things she needed.
We went to her games.
We have the picture of her in her shirt and hat, with the bat over her shoulder.
T-ball was just a way for her to begin to play sports.
Other sports would follow.
As she got older, she began to play field hockey in a community league.
My husband took her shopping for the right field hockey stick.
Shin guards and a mouth guard were purchased.
She was accumulating more shirts with the name of the team sponsor on the back.
I remember sitting on the sidelines as she played.
I did not know this girl on the field that I was watching so intently.
The girl who played with paper dolls not too long before was aggressive on the field.
I looked at my husband sitting next to me on the chair; Who is she? I asked him.
After getting the draw, I saw her get hit in the leg with a stick.
My mother’s instinct was to get up and run to her.
I felt my husband’s hand on my arm.
She is fine; stay right here.
I felt like someone needed to tie me to the chair.
Watching her play was nerve wracking.
She was quite good both offensively and defensively.
I prayed all the Mom prayers for her safety.
She played sports for her school all through her middle school and high school years.
She played both field hockey and lacrosse.
She was co-captain of her field hockey team in her senior year of high school.
She loved playing no matter the weather.
She played lacrosse in college.
She started and played in every game during her four year college career.
She still holds the defensive records at her college.
She graduated as an All-American athlete.
After her college graduation, she continued to play whenever she could.
She went back to Homecoming each year and played in the student/alumni game.
She coached a high school travel lacrosse team for four years.
She saw the opportunities to actually play herself, dwindling.
Until she got a text from her friend.
This friend played lacrosse with my daughter in college.
Both young women are All-American athletes.
The text was a question that needed an answer.
My daughter’s friend is the JV coach for a high school nearby.
The Varsity team hired a new coach but an assistant varsity coach was needed.
I think you should apply for the position, her friend told her.
Wouldn’t it be great to coach together? she asked.
When my daughter told me, I could see the excitement in her eyes.
I would really like to do this, she admitted, but I have to check with work.
My daughter is a web designer.
Her company values her; it was just a matter of asking them.
When she spoke to her boss, it was agreed.
She could work 7:30-2:30 every day during lacrosse season.
She could leave at 2:30 and drive to the field.
She knew her days would be long but the thought of coaching energized her.
The team did not do too well last year.
However under the new coaches, they are winning most of their games.
The girls on the team are so excited about their standing.
However, something else is being taught and learned.
My daughter remembers what it was like to play under coaches who were demeaning.
It was a spirit of defeat that permeated the team under that kind of leadership.
My daughter remembers what it was like to play under coaches who were encouraging.
The coaches may have been tough and worked the girls quite hard, but they were affirming.
My daughter and her college friend wanted to be that kind of coach.
They work the girls on the team but they encourage them.
They do not allow the girls to speak unkindly towards one another.
They are teaching them life skills that will go far beyond the lacrosse field.
Under their leadership, the team is doing amazingly well.
Each girl is looking out for one another.
Winning games is wonderful, but that is not all the benefits.
Learning how to encourage one another is a more important life skill.
The girls on the team know that both coaches went to college together.
The girls on the team know that both coaches are All-American athletes.
The girls on the team know that the college they attended is a Christian college.
The girls on the team are seeing the testimony of their coaches’ lives.
Without a word, the girls on the team are seeing the difference.
Encouragement, affirmation, kindness, and patience are being modeled.
Unkindness is not tolerated.
The girls on the team have a job to do; they have each other’s backs.
The last regular season game is coming up.
I plan to go, as God allows.
It is being played on the field of my daughter’s high school.
Things have come full circle and God has been there every step of the way.
Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.
(1 Thessalonians 5:11)
God is glorified in the way we live our lives for Him.
Even without a word, we testify to His presence in our lives.
The girls on the team are learning from two friends as they coach them in the game of lacrosse.
The girls on the team are learning about encouragement and building each other up.
The lessons the girls are learning will be implemented far beyond the lacrosse field.
To God be the glory.
To God be all glory indeed. How I love reading your blog and sharing it, Gina. Thank you!
Thank you, Susie! I am so delighted that you are blessed. Thank you for always being so encouraging!
Gina