Coaches have what kids want: playing time. Not surprisingly, many of the young men that played under his influence serve today as high school coaches, athletic directors, heads of school and in various other high-level leadership capacities.Īs an athletic director, this part of my past drives me to help coaches understand what’s possible through sports. This man realized the power of influence that he possessed and used it to impact dozens of young men over 15 years. My college coach reached beyond my limited attention span to teach me about the benefits of exhibiting humility, discipline, commitment, hard work and character. However, it was my basketball coach who changed my life.
#Undistracted attention how to
The son of a Baptist pastor, I grew up in a loving, two-parent home, attended a private school, and was part of a youth group where a pastor tried to teach me how to live. As a young person, I had plenty of people speaking to me. I’m a bona fide geek when it comes to things that blink and hold a charge. I have an iPhone, iPad, Apple watch and MacBook. Like most high school coaches, I conduct our practices after school and insist that the athletes leave their phones, laptops and tablets in their gym bags or lockers room. Delaware County Christian School is a liberal arts, private school in suburban Philadelphia. As such, this presents coaches with an unbelievable opportunity to capture the hearts and minds of their players in a way that no other adult can. Coaches are among the only humans left who get teenagers each day for two hours of technology-free interaction. Even pastors are preaching to congregations distracted by smartphones and tablets. It makes parenting a challenge, and teachers are forced to use technology in the classroom. Technology is a major part of children’s lives, and that’s not going to change. This is largely due to the fact that coaches are the last people who get to interact with teenagers uninterrupted by technology. Despite the pressures that assail coaches, these leaders must keep this in the forefront of their minds: In today’s society, they’re the most influential person in the lives of young athletes. On an almost daily basis, articles are published about a coach who is worn out by the pressure of winning or beaten up by complaints about playing time. Coaching in the 21st century has its challenges.