Creating leaders with today’s kids is tough. Leadership is a skill, and in the past, it was much easier to see than today. I saw my leaders work hard, respect their peers and athletes, protect their people, and keep their word. Many of people today that kids view as leaders lack these qualities, but here are a few ways we as coaches can challenge our kids to be leaders!
Teach them to think for themselves.
Music, TV, IG, FB, Twitter, their friends, teachers all fight for our kid’s attention. They all have something to say about what they should believe and how they should think. Your voice, as their coach, needs to be the loudest and we need to teach our athletes to think for themselves.
Teach them to stand for something.
The world is trying the nullify the truth, and make our kids believe that whatever you want to believe to be true is true. The fact is that the truth is the truth. Base your beliefs on facts and not feelings, otherwise the truth will no longer exist in your reality.
Show them what leadership looks like.
Leadership is not about proving yourself to others, but rather thinking of others before yourself. Respecting others is paramount to having a productive relationship as a coach, teammate, or manager of a workforce. Lead by example and the example should be that there is no job too insignificant for a leader to do! Scrubbing toilets is not fun, but if you do it, so will your people.
Teach them the skill of time management.
We are all stewards of the time we have. Too many of our athletes waste time on their phones, computers, and playing video games. While these things are not inherently bad, the time spent on them is non-productive. As coaches we need to remind our athletes of such, and lead by example by limiting our screen time in their presence.
Teach them to be dependable
Good leaders hold their athletes accountable. Too many today make excuses for their athlete’s short comings. A true leader will make sure his athletes follow through on their commitments. Creating dependable athletes today will make the leaders of tomorrow.
Teach RESPECT.
If you want respect you first must give it. Respect is taught and over the last thirty years of my coaching career I have seen it taught less and less. Yes sir, no sir, yes ma’am, no ma’am, please, may I, and thank you are our canned responses for all our athletes. If we use this vernacular our athletes will as well.
Serve a bigger purpose than yourself.
I found my calling in life, coaching, at a fairly young age. I truly believe that God created me to serve others and mold them into better people. I found the Parisi Speed School and that became my vehicle to fulfill my life’s mission of making a difference.
I want to give a shout out to my fellow Master Coach, Eric Mitchell. He did a Facebook live on Tuesday the 14th and he inspired me to write this piece. Thank you for the inspiration and thank you for the statement below.
“A True Leader… has the confidence to stand alone, the courage to make tough decisions and the compassion to listen to the needs of others. One does not set out to be a leader but becomes one by the quality of their actions and the integrity or their intent. In the end, leaders are like eagles…. they don’t flock, you find them one at a time!”
Douglas McArthur
About the Author
Chad Coy
Master Performance Coach
Chad CoyChad Coy has been a part of the Parisi Speed School family since signing as the 13th Franchise in 2006. A graduate of Purdue University in 1991, Chad studied Exercise Science and Nutrition. Chad still has a strong commitment to as an athlete, and has competed as a professional strongman since 1998. He has won Masters’ America’s Strongest Man “3” times and placed second at Masters’ Worlds two times after 10 years as an open Pro ,where he averaged a top 10 placing. A Powerlifter from 1994 -1998, he has also won 2 National Powerlifting Championships, 1 World Championship, and held 4 American Records and 3 World Records. Chad joined the Master Trainer program in the winter of 2014 and takes great pride in helping educate the future coaches of the franchise.