Coach

In high school, I was a pitcher on our softball team. I had learned the basics of pitching, and with practice, I was decent. I could get the ball over the plate and into the strike zone, both good basics for a pitcher. There came a point,though, when my improvement stagnated. I picked up some speed and was able to vary my placement a little, but I got stuck.

I had the opportunity to work with a coach one-on-one. In our first session, my coach observed me pitch. He pointed out some things I was doing well and then gave me one thing to adjust. As my arm came down from the top of my windmill motion and I felt it brush my side, he told me to flick my wrist. With a few exercises to practice this change, the ball started to zip out of my hand and cross the plate with increased speed. It was a tiny change, but it got me unstuck.

After a couple of months of biweekly lessons, my pitching improved dramatically. We followed a similar pattern of observation, encouragement, a small change, some practice, and improved pitching.

This is what great coaches do for us. They observe, encourage, provide some insight, give us direction, and follow up. I went from being stuck to knowing what to do.

After high school or college sports are over, we move into the “real” world. While some are fortunate enough to stumble into a setting that provides a boss, coworker, or friend who functions as a coach, most of us miss this crucial member of our team. We are often left to figure out on our own what our next steps are and in which areas we need to grow or develop.

Finding someone who can listen, observe, encourage, discern, and provide accountability is crucial if we want to develop in our personal and professional lives, in our relationships, or in the pursuit of our mission or vision. A good coach will launch you forward.

Coach Challenge:

Look at the different areas of your life: personal, professional, relational, mission. Where are you moving forward? Where are you stuck?