Today I had sword again. It is a Saturday after all, and I got thinking about the things I love about teaching and coaching and what I loved about having a team. I don't always coach at sword, I am not always the coach at Fencing, but when I was working at the U I always felt like my job was as much coach as it was boss.
To me, coaching is about building people up not tearing them down. Sometimes it can be tough. You have to balance on the blade between being tough, and being too soft. If you are too hard on people, they stop listening to you, they stop coming to you for advise, they go other places to learn what they need. If you are too soft, they do not get better, they do not learn, and in the end, they do not succeed. That is the balance you have to strike, that balance is the key.
If you are too hard on people, they stop listening. If you are too soft, they do not listen. You have to balance it. When I am teaching I want the students to learn, to push themselves to strive to get better to be better. As a coach, as a teacher, and as a Leader, you must give them the tools, then stand behind them. As a coach, as a leader, you do not give up on people, you are there to help them get better. You stand in their corner and support them no matter how they are doing, no matter how things are looking.
Coaching is about building people up. Sometimes you end up giving life advise when someone asks. Sometimes all you need to do is to be the guy in their corner. Leading people is like that you have to be firm, but flexible. Leading is about building people up so they can do better and be more. That is what teaching is about, that is what coaching is about, that is what leading is about, and though I do not know it yet, that is what I feel being a dad is about.
Know that I will always be your corner guy, I will always support you, and though I cannot always say I will support everything you do, I will do my best to support what it is that you want to do.
I coach because I see a need in the world for people who are willing to help develop people, who are willing to say that despite the odds, I believe you can do it and if I can help get you there, I will do all I can to do so.
In reflection, one thing I miss at the U is my team. They were the best, and despite the problems we sometimes had, I was in their corner, and they were always in mine. Everyone needs that, everyone deserves that. I coach because I believe in my students and at the end of the day, I coach because it is an important job.
-Dad
