The Role of A Coach

"When the student is ready, the teacher will appear. When the student is truly ready, the teacher will disappear." - Tao Te Ching

This is a quote that's been rattling around in my brain a lot lately.

As someone who works with predominantly high school and college athletes (and now some professionals) who are all trying to advance to the next level, this quote summarizes my role perfectly.

How can I get these athletes to truly buy in to what I'm telling them? And later, how can I get them to be their own best coach; hold themselves as accountable as I would; and no longer need me (or need me much less).

This is what I love about coaching: helping others pursue excellence.

For me, the biggest keys for the teacher to appear to the student are:

1) Help them instil an iron-clad belief in themselves, but more importantly believe that they possess within them ability to improve and develop their own talent and grit in order achieve all they can aspire to.

2) Get them to connect the dots and sacrifice what they may want right now for what they really want long-term. More simply put: discipline!

How? Believing in them and holding them to an extremely high standard - but doing this out of a place of genuine love and care, that this is what they want for themselves.

From there, how can I disappear?

1) Hold them to the standard. Over and over and over until they no longer need me to.

2) Educate! Show them the why behind things and teach and guide them in the process until they're elite at coaching and cueing themselves!

I hope you enjoyed today's post. If you liked it please feel free to share! Hated it? Create a burner and feel free to troll me.