We had a talk with our players tonight about making connections between sports and the real world. One connection that I try to make with players, and I think needs to be a priority with coaches is that while you as a player are performing your "job" (playing) what is going on in your life doesn't matter. The fact is that when you have a job, your boss isn't really going to care if you are having a rough day, week, or month. Your boss won't care that you had a fight with your mom/wife/husband/girlfriend/boyfriend/friend. Your boss isn't going to care about what you have going on outside of your job in your personal life. What your boss is going to care about is how you perform your job at work. It's hard, it's cutthroat, but it's the reality that we live in. We as coaches need to stress that to our players as well.
Sometimes it's easy to let a kid slide because he had a bad day or he has stuff going on at home. And while that's great and compassionate, it does a disservice to the player. It tells them it's ok to bring your baggage to work - when in real life that isn't true most work places. We need to demand just as much of a player and hold him to the same standards on his best and worst days. Our players need to learn how to turn off the personal life at the door and focus on the task at hand - whether it's practice or a game.
But I think as soon as the "work" of practice/game is over then we can turn on the compassion. We can talk to that player and help them solve/deal with/cope with their problems. Or at the very least we can just be good listeners. It's then outside the game/practice that we become the compassionate men and women we need to be. Outside of "work" is when we give them a break, sit down and really communicate with them. Taking this tactic will also benefit them more in the long run by actually dealing with their issues.
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