Coach Dad

Since I have been a coach for most of my professional life and I have been a father for all of my children's lives, it only makes sense that these two paths would cross and intertwine throughout the years. With teaching/coaching as our background it has been Patti's and my pleasure to allow our girls to find their passion in sports without forcing it into their lives. Once they chose sports they like, my background in coaching gave me some unique opportunities to help our daughters have success . . . their own "private coach." Recently I was in the gym with Alyssa and Lauren. Being the youngest, Lauren is just now learning fundamentals about all of the sports. On this day she was shooting a basketball. As I was explaining how she can tell if her arms and shoulders are in the right position based on the flight of the ball, and how to fix it if she misses, she made a statement that stopped the workout and inspired this entry. She said something like "Dad it is cool how you showed me this because that way I can fix it on my own." A big smile came on my face as well as Alyssa, having been down this same path before, knew what was coming next. My response was right in line with my whole philosophy of coaching . . . teach the fundamentals so well that in the game if something is "off" they can fix it on the run . . . on their own. I told her that's right because, although from the stands I can usually identify a "follow-through" or "balance" problem you might be having, I can't come down out of the bleachers and tell you . . . you have to take care of it, you have to keep playing the game. Patti and I have embraced this same type philosophy in the raising of our children, it just makes good sense.

In Proverbs 1:8 Solomon is pleading with a young son to "Pay close attention, friend, to what your father tells you; never forget what you learned at your mother's knee." This verse assumes that good, sound, fundamental, instruction and teaching "coaching" is coming from the parents. Isn't it the fundamentals of time spent with our Father; prayer, reading the bible, reflection on our lives, listening and applying His principles . . . in daily quiet quality time . . . that "fixes" things when they get off in our lives? 2 Peter 1:5-7 says "So don't lose a minute in building on what you've been given, complementing your basic faith with good character, spiritual understanding, alert discipline, passionate patience, reverent wonder, warm friendliness, and generous love." Complementing your basic faith . . . fundamentals!

Erica just graduated from high school, and it was interesting that the deeper she got in her high school athletic career, the less time she and I spent "hammering the fundamentals" in the gym. They were already there! It was a joy to watch her play, work through and fix problems on the run, and have an incredibly successful athletic career.

While we will always be there to help when they ask us, as our children grow older, our prayer is that they will be so grounded in the faith that they will instinctively know how to fix it on the run, as they have to keep in the game, and finish the race. By the way, I wouldn't trade one second of quality time I have spent building with my daughters the kind of memories that can only come through the hard work, sweat, and tears of the practice court.