What's A Coach Supposed to Do?

It's been a dead week in Coachville.  My schedule had only one game, originally for tonight, moved to tomorrow night.  My son's high school baseball schedule had one game, scheduled for tonight.  The high school softball schedule had a single game on Monday.  I'm used to three games in one night, let alone an entire week.  Even the dog knows who I am again.

Many people would believe that's how it works.  I can tell you that a good coach has something different on the docket.

We were scheduled to practice this week, and the weather won both days.  Practice plan would have strengthened the team.  It now has to be done on the fly.  Adjustment is the essence of coaching.

I have games to re schedule, three of them to be exact.  One is complete, still waiting on the other two.  It takes time to track down other coaches and make sure my own field is available to schedule games.  Watching videos to learn new techniques for teaching skills.  Watching college games to look at techniques and strategy.  Even the high school game on Monday was used to teach one player, my daughter, how and how not to do things.  Running over scenarios in my mind for batting orders, defensive alignments, and designing ways to teach individuals some skills they need to advance.

Good coaches are always looking to improve themselves and their teams.  Good coaches try to get players to mine the best of themselves, not force it out of intimidation or fear.  Good coaches are always working.  Good coaches find a way to get players to keep working and getting better.  Good coaches command the player's respect because they are working, too.

It would be egotistical for me to say I am a good coach.  I've worked for and around some great coaches.  Two of them have 700 victories in their chosen sport, one basketball, one softball.  Another won a National Championship while I was a student manager and finished runner up another year.  I have seen a great Little League coach win a President's Tournament, and a travel coach that helped me become a better organized and efficient coach.  I've learned from every coach I ever worked around, even the ones who were my assistants.

The process will not stop as long as I must help players get the best out of themselves.  Maybe, someday, someone will consider me a good coach.  I'm not worried about that.  I'm looking to help my team.

So...am I off base?