I recently asked this question to a group of school coaches from various sports in a professional development workshop I facilitated.
Here’s what they came up with:
- Total inclusion
- Orchestrate ethical and moral growth
- Pursue personal excellence
- Guide and support young people on their journey of development
- Learn how to engage positively with others
- Develop teamwork
- Overcome adversity and develop resilience
- Learn to be part of a team
- Build relationships
- Communicate effectively
- Increase technical skills
- Display commitment
- Have fun
- Express oneself
- Open the doors of opportunity
- Deal with success and failure
- Understand oneself
- Gain diversity of experience
Above is the accumulation of everybody’s thoughts. While similarities existed among coaches, everyone in the room gave their unique perspective.
The thing is, our actions are a product of our beliefs. Yet, as a result of a diverse range of past experiences, we all believe different things.
If we want a highly functioning system (and all the coaches I spoke to told me they do), we need to unambiguously define what we (all) believe in.
It requires vulnerability, openness to change and a trust in the power of collaboration.
Then we can get to work on achieving it.
