Well-meaning Coach, “Well, I don’t agree with everything you teach.”
Me, “Okay-what do you not agree with?”
WMC, Well, not everybody can execute what you teach.
Me, “Of course they cannot, they have to work toward it.”
WMC, “Well, why not give people something they can do immediately?”
Me, “Like what?”
WMC, “Like dropping the ball lower on the serve so they hit a lower serve.”
Me, “The reason I do not do that is to avoid injury and I teach so my athlete has a better serve and will not injure their back or shoulder. And we have a philosophical issue. I am an optimist. I believe if you can get on an escalator and off an escalator, you can become a good racquetball player with practice.”
Let’s take this conversation to another place. My late college football coach and mentor always said to me, “If you expect this-he held his hand chest high-and you fail, you get this. And the held his hand waist high. If you expect this and he put his hand up as high as he could reach, and you fail, you get this and he put his hand head high.”
I experienced this personally because for years I attempted to win my open age division in a national tournament. I failed. However, I never would have won all the regional and state titles if I had not aimed that high.
Note to non-believers. I must be doing something right, because my players improve and win. My expectations are high for myself and my athletes.