As the spring time comes and the snow starts to get slushy, I used to be sad that the ski season was coming to an end. I am excited this time of year, excited for the season that was and the one that is yet to come…BASEBALL SEASON!! Skiing and Baseball gives me the perfect combination of coaching. They do not really overlap so when I am at one practice, race or game, I am able to give those athletes my undivided attention because I am not distracted by the other.
Coaching kids gives me an escape from the “real world.” I am at peace when I am on a baseball field or on the side of a snowy hill ripping around with a bunch of kindergartners. The kids always help me keep things in perspective, keep my life balanced. Being around the kids gives me the chance to feel like a kid again. Yeah I am the coach so of course I cannot be a kid; however this is the closest I can be to till being one.
The combination of skiing and baseball allow me to transition from one to the other smoothly as the seasons begin to change. In the winter I am able to be more of a “father figure” I feel that skiing allows me to be more influential with these kids. I can use skiing to help gives these kids tools to navigate this complex thing we call life. “I always tell my athletes, we are great skiers but better people.” The biggest thing is we respect the sport, other skiers, our teammates and the mountain. That is a start to the kids understanding the world.
During the warmer months, more than a baseball coach, I am a friend. Parents fear their kids get caught in the wrong crowd. I am not going to tell the kids how to live their lives; rather I will use my experiences to help lead the boys to make the right decision. I am going to demand the most from them while they are at practice balanced with having fun with the boys. As teenagers I respect them as players and as people, I trust that they will make the right decision. When the wrong one is made I make sure they understand why it was wrong, and when they make the right one I praise them for that.
My experience is that good coaches know how to get the most out of their players. Coaches try to get there in many different ways. This is where I seem to think that I am doing well with because whether the kids are in elementary school or getting ready for high school, we are all individuals and we all hav something unique about us. I try as a coach to try and maximize that uniqueness in a way that benefits everyone.
