“Coach, You have to change because so and so (an athlete I coach) does not like the way you coach. You never say anything nice!”
“You need to be more positive.”
This one has floated across my radar a few times over the years and forgive me if I am redoing a similar post but here are the facts.
I am approachable and if I think I made a mistake I will change.
But as Davy Crockett once said, “Be sure you’re right and then go ahead!”
If I have a reason and am sure I’m right I will not change.
So my athlete, who thinks I am not positive enough, is performing at 40% of their capability due to lack of effort. I will point that out! I will not be a cheerleader and if you want one I know several who will take your $. I am a coach!
As my coaches used to tell me, “I am so hard on you because you can perform at a much higher level. I am not hard on some of your teammates who are doing the best they can.(some of those were bench-warmers and some were stars of the team).
I needed to be pushed. I needed the Coach.
So if the mindset is the athlete needs me-we do well!
If the mindset of either one of us “I need the athlete (or coach) “….not so much!
Re: needing the athlete-quite frankly, I don’t! Any idea how many World and national champions I have coached? (I do need athletes to accept the coaching and go out and execute. That is my advertising and it works with serious athletes.)
Me either because I lost track after coaching for 45 years, but it is far more than my nearest coaching competitors so something must be working!