Written by Since my daughter was in middle school, me and my wife have told both of our kids to make good choices…and not eat yellow snow. Even though our daughter is 21 and our son is 17, we still say it repeatedly to them, well to make good choices, that is. Our intent is not to nag them, be a broken record, or insinuate that they are making poor choices. We genuinely want them to consciously think about their decision before they make them and reflect on those decisions afterward.
Making good choices are important for athletes, coaches, and staff. Athletes are forced to make choices every day: Where and what to eat, off-field activities that can be dangerous, supplements and vitamins, cardio and weight training, and even walking down a flight of stairs could result in something negative. Even the slightest run-in with the corner of a table or tripping over your own feet could take an athlete out of commission for a while. There are so many mental, physical, and emotional obstacles that athletes have to navigate through each and every day. Their choices have consequences. Those consequences can impact other athletes and the team.
Coaches must make good choices as well. Every choice they make, whether it is a training plan, or how they directly interact with their athletes, assistant coaches, and support staff, impacts individuals and the whole team. Some may say that it is unfair that coaches are burdened with being responsible for others, but the role dictates this. Coaches must be cognizant of each and every choice they make as it could impact training, performance, and even athlete health.
Next time you are on the pitch, field, court, mat, or pool deck, please remember that your decisions have consequences. The maintenance person chose to not repair something, and it can injure an athlete. Making a choice to overtrain athletes can result in injuries or even adversely impact health. When an athlete chooses to skip practice not only impacts themselves but also others. And choosing to dare a teammate to eat yellow snow could also have consequences if the teammate chooses to eat it.
Everyone on a team should have choices. Each member of the team must willingly choose to make a good choice. Coaches can make an active choice in developing a positive culture. And coaches must choose to lead by example and show athletes, assistant coaches, and support staff the positive consequences of making good choices.