Playing with Fire

Last winter, on our team training trip down to the keys, I watched the team that was using the pool after us get set up to swim.  The coaches lumbered over to the starting end of the pool, talking to themselves more than acknowledging anyone on the team, yelled at the team to get in the water for 10 minutes, and then proceed to apply the sunscreen as they oriented their chairs so they could maximize their sun tan.  I shook my head as the message that these coaches were sending the team was that their tan was more important than what the team was supposed to be doing in the pool.  I can probably guess how productive the rest of that practice was.

I was talking with my pastor a year or two ago about a study they were doing in our church to draw more young people to church and keep them there.  There was a group that went and studied many different churches with different worship styles.  Some had more guitars, some had more organs, some were contemporary, some were more traditional.  They then interviewed many youth and young adults as to what they look for in a church and they were astonished with what they found.  It wasn't a certain type of service or whether the songs were lead by guitar or organ, my pastor said, "Children are drawn to fire."  In other words, you have to have a fire inside, a passion that you preach from and act on.   It also has to be seen and felt from your audience.

The same can be said about your team.  To many times, we focus on what we are doing and not how we are presenting it.   I heard a coach tell me this summer that "my team doesn't train to do the mile, they don't like those sets."  It may not be because they don't like that type of training, they may see that you don't like it.  Are you excited about how the practice plan you wrote is going to affect your team?  Make sure you show it.  There are a lot of coaches, trainers, and fitness leaders (you can even take this to the business world) that can write good practice plans and workouts.  The best will lead the workout, sell the practice, care about the results they are getting from their athletes, and their athletes will know it.

Each coach is different and can use different strategies to do this, however, sitting in a chair, laughing with your assistants, walking on deck like it is a burden to be there while your athletes are being asked to really go for it is not the way to do it.  Be professional, dress professional, stand on deck most of the time, limit talking to your assistants during practice, and care about what is going on in the water.  Your athletes will respect you, and want to come back.

BE THE FIRE that your team, class, family is drawn to.

Hosea 7:6
Their hearts are like an oven; they approach him with intrigue. Their passionsmolders all night; in the morning it blazes like a flaming fire.