My coaching days are but a distant memory. Most of my memories are good, but not all of them. I don’t miss the bus rides to and from away games. Having to wait until late at night for all of my players to get picked up. The time I missed with my own kids. The tough loses. The angry parents. Truthfully though, most of that stuff is overshadowed by the positive memories, and there are plenty of those.

I am a firm believer that the best coaches are often the best teachers…and I have a theory as to why. My theory comes in three parts:

1. Coaches have plenty of time to build great relationships with kids. Players get to know their coaches more intimately than any other adult in their school
2. Coaches teach team work and the importance of working together, relying on each other, and taking care of each other
3. Coaches are able to identify specific areas needing improvement and are able to address them during practice

These skills and opportunities manifest themselves in classrooms. Way back when I coached, just about every coach in the school also taught in the school. That is no longer the case. In Fauquier, roughly 50% of our coaches are parents and/or community members. Nothing whatsoever against them. We greatly appreciate their willingness to work with our kids and we would be in big trouble without them, but we need more teachers who are also willing to coach. It makes a huge difference in the lives of our kids. They need that positive influence, that person who can teach the importance of team work, practice, and building relationships both in the classroom and on the practice field.