Being a Coach/ Teacher is a difficult profession.
We put our product… our self and our team… out there for everyone to see and “evaluate” many times a year.
As Coach Greg Schiano said,
“There are two things every man in America thinks he can do: work a grill and coach football”
Or volleyball, or basketball, or soccer.
And our harshest critic is typically our self.
If we lose, we shoulder the blame and analyze everything that could have been done differently or better…
When we win, we heap praise on those around us and immediately start scheming for the next contest, often without taking time to enjoy the one that finished bare minutes ago.
Here is a suggestion, as corny as it sounds, to help achieve some balance when the negative voices (including those of our own making) start getting too loud.
Many years ago my wife suggested that I keep a “Happy File”… a file to hold all the nice things that come my way… cards, letters, notes, etc. I file that I could pull out every so often and get reminded of the good work… the good people… that have happened to me.
I started my “Happy File” over 30 years ago and it has traveled with me throughout my career.
I have letters from athletes that I coached during my first head coaching position at Osceola High School.
I have a letter from the mother of the first athlete I recruited and signed while I was at the University of Central Missouri.
I have notes from principals, Athletic Directors, Journalists, Assistant Coaches, and English teachers.
When I pull that file out … like recently when I added some things to it… and glance through its contents, I am immediately taken back to that time… that event… and the emotions surrounding it. It is powerful… visceral… real.
And it always lifts my spirits.
It does not make the job any easier, but keeping a “Happy File” is a pretty simple way to help achieve some balance when you hit that inevitable rough patch.
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Remember – You Can Do More… your brain is lying to you…. Don’t Believe It!
Jeff Floyd – youcandomore1@yahoo.com