"I Coach Because..."

    “I coach because…,” she began.
    As soon as she delivered the prompt, most of us began busily scribbling.
    A moment later, she smiled and said, “Don’t write a book…”
    Already done that, I thought.  Different time. Different topic, of course.  But that was actually easy compared to this.
    After a few minutes, Dox opened the floor for discussion.
    Many comments, well-conceived, cogent, and insightful, flowed from the assemblage.
    All the while, I sat quietly in the back, listened, and reflected.
    Finally, I pulled out an envelope I’d stuck in my hip pocket a couple of hours earlier and jotted some thoughts, but as I’ve often found, words are an imperfect expression of true feelings.
    You see, it’s quite difficult to articulate the experience of coaching, a calling, a passion, and a huge part of my life for well over 40 years.
    I’ll try, though.
    Here goes.
    Royce Jones (track), Dick Wallace (cross country), and Leo Anthony (basketball) were my varsity coaches at Norfolk Academy back in the ‘60’s.
    My desire and enthusiasm far exceeded my talent, but those guys gave me a chance, taught me to compete, and inspired me to do what they did.
    Then, I arrived at Collegiate and learned very quickly that Petey Jacobs and Jim Hickey were men whose styles I wanted to emulate.
    As AD, Coach Jacobs set the tone for the entire athletic program and modeled all that is right with sports.
    To this day, the premise behind every coaching move I make is this: Would Petey be proud?
    Coach Hickey oversaw Collegiate track and field for 37 years.  He taught me more by example than word how to manage a large team, nurture and empower a staff, and respond appropriately to both success and disappointment.
    By watching, studying, picking brains, making plenty of mistakes, and even getting a few things right, I developed a philosophy that hopefully has benefited the young men and women – the runners – entrusted to my care.
    While methods, techniques, and training plans have evolved over the years, the truths I learned and have attempted to convey have remained rock solid.

•    Find joy in the challenge of hard work.
•    See each task through to the very end.
•    Summon an inner strength that you might never have thought you had.
•    Respect your opponent, the weather, and the terrain, but never fear them.
•    Compete so that if your opponent finishes ahead of you, he absolutely will not beat you.
•    Enjoy the team experience.
•    Make your teammates better.
•    Round every corner.
•    Develop good health habits that will last a lifetime.
•    Be sportsmanlike.
•    Understand that we become better runners and people by confronting and overcoming adversity.
•    Always strive for excellence.  Achieving that lofty goal comes not from wishing but by attending to details, especially when no one is watching.
•    Never complain. Never whine.  Never make excuses.
•    Accept victory with humility and defeat with grace, and regard both as positive experiences.
•    Create memories that will allow you to look back and say, “I had a great time competing for Collegiate.”
•    File away the lessons you learn because, chances are, you’ll need them later, especially when life becomes tough and the stakes much higher than defeating your cross-town rival.

    Notice that I didn’t mention winning.
    Winning is awesome. Truly it is.
    Life’s real victories aren’t sports-related, however.
    They come from facing challenges and not backing down, competing with every fiber of your being, and experiencing the exhilaration of leaving it all on the field or course or track or court, regardless of the outcome.
    Sports provides the template, the road map.
    Sharing the journey with so many and paying forward my mentors’ gifts…that’s why I coach.
        -- Weldon Bradshaw