I was at my son's basketball banquet and was impressed with the style and class of the event. The coaches were very articulate in their recognition of the boys - they really knew the boys, their strengths and weaknesses. They weren't afraid to mention the boys weakness, but did it in a way to encourage and challenge. I love sports banquets and this one was no exception.
I've gotten to know the basketball coaches over the past couple years and have made an effort to talk with them about their lessons learned, specific players, and have invited the coaches to come to soccer practices and games. I can't emphasize enough how important this is. Time is tight and if you don't have a child playing in the other sport, this can be a challenge, but the advantages can be great:
Player feedback: every coach has multiple players that have challenges. Being able to talk with another coach will always bring a fresh perspective or confirmation of particular situations. I remember sitting in McDonald's after a basketball game talking with the coaches about a player. He sat a pondered a moment then shared his perspective - one that I had never considered. In a Christian context, this is even more important, since we have a common base from which to talk about the heart of a player - very important.
Situation feedback: coaches face all kinds of situations with referees, facilities, finances, equipment, parents, other teams, etc. Getting their perspective may give you a heads up and keep you out of a sticky situation!
Coaching Practices: find out how they condition their players, what kinds of drills they do, etc. Even though they're different sports, there is a lot that can be learned.
Prayer: knowing what their going through will help you to know how to pray for them and how they can pray for you. There's more to this than doing sports.....
Bottom line is that a coach needs to be teachable and needs help, and what better place to get that help and provide help than with other coaches.
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