Overcoming Loss--Coaching for the Long Term

Last season, I began coaching for a high school soccer team. I began working with the girl’s team in hopes to share my passion for the sport with the girls I coached. This being my first season with a high school, I believed I would do fairly well. I played through college, so I would simply apply the philosophies there, and everything would be fine. However, things did not turn out that way. The season proved to be trying both mentally, physically, but even more so, emotionally. I quickly learned my coaching strategies required change.

In my past, the main coaching strategy through college was punishment for loss. The philosophy—if we can’t beat them with skill, we’ll beat them with fitness. So we ran…and ran…and ran. As I began coaching, I adopted that philosophy. However, once the season began to turn out different than I hoped, I began to take a new approach—be the coach I wish I had.

I continued the season and began to teach them what you think about, you bring about. Reinforcing positive thoughts became the strategy, and I quit punishing for lack of performance. Instead I rewarded and had team building exercises. As soon as I adjusted my attitude and teaching, we began to win.

You see, beating someone when they are down accomplishes nothing. It takes a very strong person to rise in the face of adversity. If all we focus on is the negative aspects, that is what we eat, sleep, and breathe. Therefore, this is what we live.

The next time you encounter a losing season or face adversity, instead of beating yourself or the team up, remove all negativity and think about what you want to bring about.