6 Comments
Jul 2, 2021Liked by Brent Olson

I love coaching. It's made me a better person. When I first started though I didn't understand a lot, mostly about myself, but also about physiology and young minds.

All they want to do is please you and have your attention. My job as a coach is to let them be comfortable - trying new things, being ok with failure, and having fun. That's it. Teaching the game, winning are things that would be really cool if they happen but I don't worry about that as much (mainly because I've learned if I do the other, then those things happen).

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Jul 2, 2021Liked by Brent Olson

I so admire people who coach and do it well. I had one really good coach, Bo Henry, who taught me the importance of self respect and hard work. Forever grateful to him.

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Jul 2, 2021Liked by Brent Olson

Glad you got that off your chest . Games are supposed to be fun...

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Jul 2, 2021Liked by Brent Olson

This should be printed and posted in every little league dugout across the country. And, in locker rooms of junior and senior highs as well. Oh, have I mentioned parents? Several years ago there was a sweet little teenage girl playing "point guard" for her high school team. As the teams walked off the court at the end of the game her father would be in her face nearly yelling about the mistakes he had witnessed. She never left the court with a smile, and then about a third of the way through her senior year she abruptly quit. Her father, complaining to friends in the neighborhood bar, simply couldn't understand why. And I don't recall anyone ever pointing it out to him, either. If your child is crying over your criticism of his or her actions in a sport, you're either a bad coach or parent!

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Bravo. Bravissimo.

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I so admire good coaches. I am forever grateful to Bo Henry, my wrestling coach, for teaching me about self respect.

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