“Most people get excited about games, but I get excited about practice, because that’s my classroom.”
Pat Summitt, Basketball
Earl Weaver was the manager of the Baltimore Orioles for 17 years, and what he had to say about the expectations of young players and their hopes is as true today as it was in the 80s.
They have had their going away party and told everybody “I will see you in the Major’s” .But you see some of these kids should not be here in the first place. You could write off their assessment as a low-grade in everything. Then you call them in and tell them “it is the consensus among us that we are going to let you go back home”. Some of them cry, some get mad but none of them will leave without the answer to one question and that is “What do you think”. Then I have to look them in the eye and say NO and I have to say it meanly enough so they may do themselves a favour and not waste years learning what you can tell in one day. They do not have what it takes to make the Majors, just like I never did”.
I know I believe in Coach Education but what you see on the fields of endeavour is the result of coaches, who cared and who also upskilled themselves at every opportunity, not just as a requirement but for the edge. You see somewhere there is a coach who is spending much longer hours with one or two players to improve their performance and when you meet that team the result may depend on those hours…
From this very old coach
It is the duty of coaches to remind themselves that they have three major roles. The primary one is to make the athletes as successful as they are. Second is to Win.Third is one of sacrifice and escalates when coaching athletes in specific events. The time may come when the realisation is they can’t take their athlete any further and the true worth will emerge when the athlete is convinced why the change to coach X who the coach has suggested. One who can take the athlete to a higher level? From experience I can honestly say to players you will never forget the coach who first identified and developed their talent.
Paul B