The other day I was walking our dog, Finn, and asked myself this fairly simple question…
Why do I coach?
It made me think back to when I was a little kid and how much I loved sports.
Growing up in the country – with literally ZERO kids my age within miles of me – sports were always something I could fall back on.
I could go out and hit baseballs off the tee.
I could kick my soccer ball against the barn door.
And I always had my trusty basketball and hoop if I wanted to go out and get some buckets.
But as I got older and realized I probably wasn’t going to be playing sports professionally, at the very least I could coach.
So even at a young age I was obsessed with hanging out in the gym, breaking down film, and watching every game I possibly could.
Over time and as I got more into working out, that focus shifted.
Instead of just watching games, now I was reading muscle rags, watching videos, and trying everything I possibly could out on myself and my friends.
So I’m giving you all this background to circle back to my main point…
I started off coaching as a selfish endeavor – because I loved it and it was incredibly fulfilling to me on a professional level.
Now that doesn’t mean I was any good when I started out, because I wasn’t… 🙂
But I LOVED it, and I knew that if I worked at it I could get better.
So that’s what I did – damn near every day for the past 20+ years, I’ve worked to become a better coach.
And you know what’s crazy?
After a while I started to get pretty good.
I started seeing the results with myself, my clients and my athletes.
But with age comes understanding (and hopefully some wisdom).
I started to see there was more to coaching than just sets and reps, hitting PR’s or jumping higher than ever before.
Sure those things were important, but the lessons we can teach inside the gym can be applied to virtually every area of life.
Hard work, dedication, perseverance, teamwork, camaraderie – those traits can come in handy virtually anywhere.
So what started out as a selfish endeavor, now become a more altruistic one.
Over time, coaching wasn’t just about me any more: It was about the people I was working with – helping them grow not only athletically, but as human beings as well.
And I think this is an important distinction to make – why you start something may not be entirely why you finish it.
Sure I still love coaching, and I think the people I’m working with are getting better results than ever before, but I don’t coach solely for myself any more.
And I would say as I continue to coach, the reasons why have started to shift once again.
Anyone who has kids will tell you that they change your life.
This was especially true a little over 10 years ago when Jess and I had Kendall.
This little girl absolutely changed my life – and she was one of the first things that was more important to me than my career and coaching.
So my goal back then was to find a balance.
How could I ever hope to balance my passion for coaching with the love I had for her?
Now any parent that tells you they 100% have this figured out is either wrong, lying or both.
But here’s how I reconciled it…
I coach nowadays not just for myself and my clients/athletes, but because I want both Kendall and Kade to realize you can absolutely find a career you love and are passionate about.
Too often, I see people sleepwalking through life…and especially their work.
They hate their job, aren’t excited about their careers, and are basically numb for 40, 50, or 60 hours out of every week.
And that’s no way to live.
So while it may seem counterintuitive, one of the biggest reasons I coach today is to show my children what your future can look like.
I can say with 100% honesty that I have the best “job” in the world.
I look forward to going to work every day.
And I know that the only reason I would ever get bored, disgruntled, or lose my juice is if I’m not pushing myself to get better everyday.
But enough about me: Why do YOU coach?
I’d love to hear from you in the Comments section below if you’re willing to share!
All the best,
MR