Athletics and Memories

As we work with individuals within the realm of athletics, it is good to keep in mind that rarely do athletes remember scores and specific games. As a rule, participants remember specific moments of games or practices. Perhaps more to the point, athletes remember their interactions with team members and coaches.

I remember one specific play in 9th grade. I really don't remember who we were playing, but I remember a friend of mine, who had the flu, was playing middle linebacker. From my outside linebacker position I remember hearing the official ask Steve if he was alright. He screamed back, "I’m fine…." followed by an upchuck of lunch. I can still see the vomit flowing through his mask. I remember thinking "wow…this guys is one tough stud." I don't know who we were playing, or the final.

I will never forget the High School football coach, Don Requa. I had him for algebra. He was a teacher on and off the field. He was tough, but kind. He taught us how to play football, and how to be contributing adults. When he retired, hundreds of past high school athletes threw a retirement party, and gave him a golf cart and a bunch of other stuff. What a testimony to his coaching style of "people first, score second."

I am sure that, as you read this account, your own memories came. What did you remember? The score? The coach? Your team members?

Here is a question for all coaches…"What kind of memories are you making for your athletes?" …for that is what will stay with them all their lives! Do you yell and scream? Curse the officials or team members for mistakes? Or do you take advantage of teaching moments? What is the message or lesson that you want to leave with your athletes? I love sports and athletics because of the lessons learned, and the people I was with.

Robert McGowan
Coaching & Sports Section Editor

Coach Training Alliance

Spiritual coaching taps into the power center, both within the client and within the coach. Giving credence to this immaterial intelligence, coaches can aid clients in hearing the messages in their heart, supporting them to take action and effect changes from that place of inner strength. More...

Leadership coaching is a highly specialized field of coaching. This is indicative of the many different styles of leadership philosophies that vary from Ghandi-ish to Patton-esque types of leadership. More...

Should Women Play Sports?
By Scott Jonas, Jan 4, 2005

I have read many great articles by Christian men and women regarding the participation of women in the workforce, politics, and in the military. These are activities that most women didn't participate in until fifty years ago. However, I feel there is one other major activity these writers have not addressed. For some reason, they've overlooked women's participation in sports.

For quite a long time, women resisted the feminist call to play sports, since they just weren't interested like men were. But this didn't sit well with the feminists; they felt this was the fault of male oppression. In the name of "equality," feminist leaders poked and prodded and pushed women to join the games, until women in droves finally succumbed to the pressure. I think this should give us strong reason to pause and consider the question, "Should women participate in sports?"

Over the years I've noticed that Christian parents, as much as any parents, encourage their daughters to participate in sports. This is all the rage in our public schools, especially since the passage of Title IX by the feminists. Since most Christian parents send their children to the public schools, it doesn't surprise many of us that Christians are influenced more by the secular school culture than by the culture of the Church. Worse, the Church itself is being more heavily influenced by the culture instead of the other way around. One of the trends in schools is the participation in sports by women; therefore it shouldn't surprise us that so many Christian daughters today participate in sports. But is this really all that bad?

The University Classroom Redefined: Coaching & Teaching

Arlene Gorton, Professor Emerita
Robert J. Rothenberg, Track
Matt Kredich, Men's & Women's Swimming
Stuart LeGassick, Men's & Women's Squash
Carolan Norris, Field Hockey
Scott Roop, Crew
Norma Taylor, Tennis

At the annual Brown Hall of Fame dinner in November, 2000, Bob Rothenberg, head coach of Track, gave a moving speech in accepting his award. He described his decades of experience as a coach at Brown and reminded the audience that the connection between academic and athletic endeavor should be fully integrated at an Ivy League institution. He noted that his own career had begun as a high school history teacher following his graduation from Brown in 1965. His approach to coaching track was a direct outgrowth of his experiences as teacher of an academic subject. More...

Player Tips: To win the game is great, To play the game is greater, To love the game is greatest .

Kids tell us that what they want most in sports is to have fun, to learn new skills and get better at the skills they already have, to develop physical fitness, and to compete against other children. Your coaches try to do their best to help you achieve these goals. But you have to help too! What can YOU do? Here are some ideas:

	Always try as hard as you can, both in practice and in competition. Remember that practicing your skills is the most important thing you can do to make yourself a better athlete.
	Everyone makes mistakes when they play sports, even the very best athletes like the professionals. Don't get upset at yourself or others when mistakes happen. Just try harder the next time. No one is perfect.
	Help you teammates to get better too. Encourage them, don't criticize them. Pay attention when your coaches are teaching you skills or strategies. Ask questions if you don't understand what they said.
	Your parents may not know very much about the sport you are playing. Talk to them about your sport. Explain how the sport is played. Tell them what you do in practices to learn your sport.

Is winning real important to you? Think about this little saying: To win the game is great, To play the game is greater, To love the game is greatest.

By Richard Stratton

Get a Life Coach and Start Living a Life That You Love!

Having the assistance of a professional life coach can help get you moving forward, get you past what has you stuck, and coach you to greater success in almost any area of you life - your relationship, your career, your physical fitness, your weight, and life. If you want better results, then you've got to do something better than you are right now. Coaches help you figure out what to do next, and motivate you to make a plan, stick to it, and get RESULTS.

	You've tried doing it on your own, and it hasn't worked.
	You are overwhelmed by things that need to be done, and don't have the energy.
	You need to stop wasting time on meaningless detail.
	You want more success at work, and in your relationships.
	You want to move up and perform better in your career.
	You want to lose weight, get fit, and feel better about your body.
	You need to get yourself, your stuff, and your life organized.
	You want to finish (or start) a big project.
	You need a plan, and you need help sticking to it.
	You've tried doing it on your own - AND IT HASN'T WORKED!

Read the rest...

If you've never really given thought to the concept of 'mistakes' in regard to sports, read Rethinking Mistake Management, and Strategies for Mistake Management.

A Coach's First-Aid Kit - A list of suggested items to have in a first aide kit, along with a big list of other items you may want to add..

Fun Games that Teach Skills - A long list of really fun looking games that improve soccer skills.

Coaching Conferences, Events and Training Seminars - This page provides conferences, training, and events all over the U.S. as well as all over the world. 'Current Events' is listed first, the 'Previous Events.'