This past week I wrote the phrase “Uncharted Territory” on the whiteboard in the weight room.

I had planned on talking to the students about how many of them, after breaking, (reaching a new max) are training with more weight than they ever have… and how that can be scary.

I quickly realized 1^st hour that the students had no idea what this expression meant… literally or figuratively.

How could they? They are from a generation that has, at their fingertips, via Google Map a “chart” of literally any place on earth… satellite view, street view, hybrid… and turn by turn directions (walk, drive, bus) on how to get there.

The concept of traveling to an unknown destination without a chart (map) and directions is inconceivable to them.

If they didn’t grasp the literal concept of this phrase, then the figurative probably eluded them too.

And I began to wonder….

With so much information at their disposal… with so much of the “literal” territory of their days “charted”… does that make the figurative “uncharted” even scarier?

Does it make the innate “fear of failure” and the negative voice we all have in our heads even louder?

I think that it probably does.

Which makes our job as coaches even more important and challenging.

Motivating young athletes (students) to attempt new and difficult things… teaching them not to fear failure… getting them to expand their comfort zone… inspiring them to understand that They Can Do More.

Ours is an awesome job with awesome responsibilities.

Every year at this point in the season, there are teams entering uncharted territory… teams that are comprised of athletes that have little to no experience making a run this deep in the playoffs…. that are being navigated by skillful coaches.   Notable teams this season…

• 1A- The Skyline Tigers led by Brandon Shelby
• 4A- The Odessa Bulldogs led by Mark Thomas
• 6A- The Blue Springs South Jaguars led by Greg Oder

Hats off to these coaches and programs, and to all the other squads sill playing. I am looking forward to watching the next two weeks of football!

Related Posts:

• Breaking – it’s a good thing!
• Failure is Your Only Option
• Expanding Your Comfort Zone
• The Negative Voice
• The Uncomfortable Hat

You Can Do More… your brain is lying to you… Don’t Believe It!

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