SO YOU WANT TO BE A SUCCESSFUL COACH?
You better learn to Fail
Failure is NOT an option- Failure is a prerequisite
Failure- failure |ˈfālyər| noun
Failure (fail, phail or flop) in general refers to the state or condition of not meeting a desirable or intended objective. It may be viewed as the opposite of success.
People Who Have Failed
Pete Carroll was laughed out of Foxboro (where he coached the NE Patriots) and the NFL before he became the most dominant coach in college football. Now he is back in the NFL in Seattle.
Terrin Humphry made the USA National Team for the first time 1 year before making an Olympic Team.
Most people achieved their greatest success one step beyond what looked like their greatest failure…..
In business there is a philosophy that he fastest way to succeed, is to double your failure rate. At my gym, we call it, “swinging at pitches.” You are not going to get a hit every time. But if you don’t swing, you will never get a hit.
As coaches we need to learn to tolerate failure. It is part of the learning process. If you make a correction you will probably mess something else up. THAT IS OK, I EXPECT IT. The best example I can think of is on Vault. If I ask an athlete to run faster, and they do, they will most likely mess up their steps. (and by the way- if they didn’t mess up their steps, they probably didn’t run faster!) IF I WANT THE GYMNAST TO RUN FASTER- I HAVE TO DEAL WITH THE FACT THAT THEY ARE GOING TO MESS UP THEIR STEPS. I will fix that next.
What should my reaction be as the gymnast runs faster and mess up their steps?
“Great correction! Nice Job.” then “Now you need to move your steps back (or up, or whatever)”
The gymnast learned that making the correction got her a verbal reward.
Without being willing to fail, how can you succeed?
Albert Einstein defined Insanity as: Doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.
In our sport change is necessary. Otherwise we would still be:
- Tumbling on horse hair mats
- The Beams would still be made of wood
- Bars would be close enough to hit your hips on.
BECOME A FAILURE TOLERANT COACH
Keep in mind- you are teaching WAY MORE than just gymnastics
FAILURES CAN ALSO HELP YOU PUT THINGS INTO PERSPECTIVE
‘Be careful what you ask for, because you just might get it.’ How many times have we pursued a goal we thought was important, only to find it didn’t bring us the rewards we expected? Have we succeeded or failed in our attempt? Billionaire J. Paul Getty blew through five wives and is alienated from his children. Is he a success or a failure?
Our failures highlight our values, and help us to define what is important in our lives. The man who puts family first will probably not have a skyrocketing career, but can certainly be a successful husband and father. The woman who thrives on a high-powered career requiring 80+ hour weeks will undoubtedly be a financial success, but may have to forego success in the relationship department. One truism in life is that we can have everything we want in life, just not all at the same time. Our failures may help us choose in what area we would like to have success so we can focus our time, effort and energy on that area, and we happily let the rest go to the sidelines.
One of the greatest gifts of failure is the knowledge that failure is never final, unless we choose to give up. Discovering that we can turn our lives around, choose a different path, or embrace a new idea at any age or in any set of circumstances is liberating for the soul, can motivate us to seek the wisdom and experience of others who have had different experiences, and can provide the momentum we need to propel us to successes beyond our imaginings.
I recently was sent this video. Enjoy
