We lost another game. I’d like to say we looked better, have turned a corner—but we haven’t, not yet.
Sometimes, when we’re working to be better, we look worse before improvement and the effort show. That’s part of the learning, part of the growth—doing before we’re fully prepared but must do, still, because life and games go on in their own timing of days and not our own preparedness.
That’s not to say it all was bad, and that’s not on what anyone should dwell.
We did some things right, some times—but there’s much to improve; and when we say that in notice and critique of others we speak it foremost of ourselves, especially when we are coaching.
What can we do to put our players (whatever age) to have better success?
What can we do to better reward and encourage build up our players in the positive?
How can we better coach and critique when we need further work, in a way that builds up instead of breaking down?
How do you teach toughness without putting kids in positions to get hurt?
We can ask an infinitude of questions, but for most of them the answer’s the same—by example.
If we want our kids to be better prepared—we should be too.
If we want our team to build each other up and encourage one another—we should too.
If we are coaching and critiquing—show, don’t just talk, expecting someone to understand in words whose language is body and movement.
How do we teach toughness—reinforce it when you see it, make it the example, recognize it, call it out, reward it so that others emulate example.
It’s difficult to rebuild something when confidence in itself has been lost. It’s true of a person. It’s true of a team. It’s true at any age—but it’s possible.
Reset. Refocus. Remove and reconfigure situations that are cause and source of disillusion. Get back the basics, rebuild, and call out every success in progress so that all of us see the improvement—as small as it may be.
Today’s a new day. Today’s a new week. Reset. Refocus. Begin again, and remembering too—it’s not about winning—it’s improving and getting better (whatever metric that is for life or game); and it’s supposed to be fun. If we lose that too, how do we get it back?
Reset. Refocus. Begin again. Recognize and make example of the moments when it is.