You never know how your coaching can have an effect on other people. I am often asked why I am not retired and why I work so many hours coaching up folks, meeting with them, and promoting racquetball. Last week a student from Arizona State contacted me and asked to meet me. I thought this student wanted a lesson but nope, this student wanted to talk to me. They gave me a card, and a three page letter explaining what my coaching and teaching meant to them. To my way of thinking it was just routine, coach’em up sessions on my crazy Tuesdays when I drive over 130 miles to coach racquetball to juniors and college students mostly.
But to this person, I motivated them to play racquetball, be an athlete, and teach. This person is from a different country, a different culture, and speaks a different language but in talking we both discovered our families were much the same. We were lucky enough to have hard working parents who instilled empathy and hard work values in our upbringings.
Now here is the kicker. This student traveled by bus, over three hours, to thank me. I felt very humbled and very lucky to be able to meet such great people through our sport. They are going into the field of educational research, and I know they will be successful because they already are!
This athlete was the recipient of volunteer ASU coaching but I received something more valuable than money. I wrote a nice note to her parents, congratulating them for raising such a great person. Then I left the athlete with this message; “Pass it on!”
Now I know I am not the only one out there experiencing things like this. Please share because this is all about more than our great sport!!