So Jacob just got done with his last baseball game for the season. His team won both district and sectionals, but lost in the State tourney. They made a good run but unfortunately just weren’t deep enough to get to the next round.
When I think about sports, one of the most important aspects is obviously coaching. No team can effectively operate without someone steering the ship. If you look at some of the most successful teams of the modern era, one thing that you can always point to is a great coach. From Tom Landry to Phil Jackson to Bobby Knight(although a somewhat controversial coach), all of those men had something in common – they were great coaches who figured out how to wring every last drop of talent from each of their players. They were also master motivators who understood the value of each one of their players and focused on them individually, rather than collectively. If there is one thing I’ve learned, unfortunately very recently, its that everyone on our planet is different, yet are all coachable in some way or another. Some people are motivated by money. Others are motivated by praise. Yet others only respond to the positive response to their own performance. As a coach or mentor you need to understand what everyone on your “team” is motivated by and then focus on them in a way that brings out the best in that person. Sometimes motivation can manifest itself with a quick kick in the pants. Sometimes it comes with a soft arm around someone’s shoulder. The job of the coach is to then effectively use the appropriate method to get the maximum results. Coaching is teaching, mentoring and parenting - it just happens to go on during the course of some type of athletic contest.