Written by I am a coach. I have been coaching for a very long time, since I was a young teenager. It is something that I love to do. I love being on the field, pitch, deck, court, and almost anywhere else a coach can be. I get excited about helping athletes and teams reach and exceed their potential and goals. But most importantly, I love being a part of each athlete’s and team’s journey.
The journey of each athlete is not easy. Whether an athlete struggles physically, mentally, or emotionally, their struggle is part of their journey. And when an athlete triumphs in their journey, achieves a goal or dream, or reaches the pinnacle, it is extremely exciting. I feel honored to be part of their journey.
I was sharing with a few colleagues the other day about what my favorite aspect of coaching is. I told them that my favorite moment in coaching is when an athlete amazes themselves. The look on their face, the shine in their eyes, the small giggle, the large yell. The moment is normally extremely short though as the athlete normally quickly focuses on what is next.
My colleagues were assuming I was talking about youth athletes, but I quickly interjected that I have seen it at all levels: Youth, recreation, club, high school, regional, national, and professional. And I added that while the moments are extremely special and cherished at all levels, the ones that I enjoy the most are at the highest levels of sports. To put it in perspective, when you are coaching a national team or professional athlete who has been competing in a sport for many years and is at their peak, and an athlete exceeds a barrier that has been there for years or decades, learned something new, or accomplished something that they did not think was possible, it is something extremely special.
That is why I love coaching. And each coach has a different reason. But I just wanted to share my reason with you.