Why Being A Coach Matters

Swimmer Paulina Reyes & Coach Little

If you've ever been on a sports team you know how important the coach is to the overall emotional atmosphere on the court, field, pool, course, and so on. The coach sets the tone for the game. The coach is the leader, who leads by example. He may not be able to play the game anymore, as bones do get old and muscles get tighter as we age, but the depth of knowledge stored in a coach's brain is priceless. The ability to see things in super-slow motion only comes with years of experience. The gift of relationships is even more critical to the game than the skills. I make this bold statement because the skills are developed early and honed over time, but the absence of relationships creates a barrier that prohibits the athlete from excelling to the next level. A coach who knows everything about technique but fails to relate the athlete will only see limited response from that young person. If you want an athlete to "leave it all on the court" then a deep trust has to be formed first. This takes patience and a willingness to commit to the persons involved, not just the sport. I've never met a coach who "does it for the money." We do it because we love kids and we want to be a positive influence in their lives. We want to see them improve every week. We want to see them succeed in the game of life. 

Meanwhile, they touch our hearts. They change us as people and we have a different relationship with each and every student-athlete because each of them are different people. These amazing young athletes continue to shape us as human beings as bonds are formed in practice, in competition, and for many coaches who are also first and foremost teachers, in the classroom. This coach is a pastor, so in many ways a teacher. . . just not in a schoolroom. 

Being a coach matters. It's a huge time commitment! But it is worth every minute spent with these young people who matter. They matter to their parents, their friends, but mostly they matter to God. A coach does kingdom work. Think about it. . . encouraging is a kingdom job, teaching is also a kingdom job, picking up the pieces of a bad day is holy work, walking alongside a person who is becoming more and more who God made them to be is sacred business. We can't check our faith at the door of the gym. We can't stop being who we are in Christ at the entrance to the track. We cannot deny our faith as we enter the natatorium. And we may not talk about it, but it shines through. It really does. 

I can remember the names of the kids I had on my very first track team that I coached circa 1994. There was that amazingly energetic girl named January, and that fellow who became a pastor years later named Mike. Many of the kids I've coached have graduated college and are now coaches themselves. And ones that are still in High School have hopes of being coaches when their time comes. My coach in college taught me more about life by being on that track with me than I can ever tell you. Thank you, Coach! Thanks for staying with me so many nights at the high jump when everyone else had gone. Thanks for the kick in the butt when I needed it. Thanks for the hugs and affirmation when it was necessary. Thanks for being you and being a huge part of my life. It mattered. It still matters.