What would you do if you had ONE session with a team you don’t know, in a place you’ve never been, sometimes in a language you don’t speak, in a sport you don’t understand?
I am very lucky. I get to travel the world and work with coaches, athletes, teams and sporting parents everywhere.
Often, coaches will invite me to visit their training sessions and spend time with their team. This can vary between taking a full session, to a “motivation” style talk or just to walk with the coach kicking ideas around about coaching.
So I’ve got one shot - to coin a phrase - one opportunity to do something of lasting value for the coach and their team.
The question is - what do I do with that one opportunity?
Here’s my answer: I make them feel good about themselves.
I can’t improve their physiology in one session — so I don’t try.
I can’t fix their technique in a single workout — so I don’t waste their time or mine.
What I CAN do is inspire them to believe in themselves — just a little. Be a spark in their hearts that could change everything.
Coaches — our job, above all else, is to inspire people to believe in themselves and that anything is possible.
Yes, we coach technique, tactics, speed, strength. But the effectiveness of our coaching comes down to one thing: our ability to inspire everyone we coach to believe in themselves — and in us.
Wayne Goldsmith
