The ministry we have with
coaches cannot be overemphasized in its importance. To influence the
influential, to coach coaches, to nurture a multigenerational approach to our
ministries is very wise and most effective. The Apostle Paul wrote of this
dynamic, in his second letter to Timothy, at chapter 2 and verse 2. There we
read, “And the things that you have heard from me among many witnesses,
commit these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also.”
When we invest our lives in
coaches, we not only have an impact upon their individual lives, but also their
families, their teams, their colleagues, and even their communities. Below are
some simple, but effective ways of making connections with coaches that can be
transformational to their hearts. I hope you will try some or all of these.
Attend their events. Go to their clinics. Attend
their training events. Invest your time in their practices, games, matches,
tournaments, etc… Be where the coaches are, rather than expecting them to show
up at your events.
Live in their world. Take the time to learn, to
understand, and to embrace the culture of sport where they live. Some parts of
it may be uncomfortable for you. It may initially feel like a poor fit. You
must find ways to live in and to enjoy the world of sport to ever have influence
in it. To simply import Church culture into the sports world is wholly
inadequate.
Help them achieve. If you care about every
facet of their lives, including their professional development, you will begin
to be profoundly influential. For you to suggest, purchase, or loan books to a
coach is greatly appreciated. For you to suggest clinics, networks, websites, mentors,
or events that can further the careers of the coaches you serve is among the
strongest ways to build trust with them.
Help them clarify values. This is a little trickier,
but it’s worth it. When you ask good questions about why they coach the way
they do. To ask coaches about what is most important to them, to ask what they
hope to achieve in the lives of their players, to ask about their values
related to their coaching staff, is a simple way to assist them in clarifying
values for their programs. Coach Joe Ehrmann’s questions from Season of Life
and InSideOut Coaching are most helpful: “Why do you coach? Why do you
coach the way that you coach? How does it feel to be coached by me?” Probing questions
all, they help clarify values and set a coach’s direction for his or her
program.
Help them gain perspective.
Coaching a sport, at any level, can be terribly consuming of the coach. The
higher the level, the higher the salary, the higher the profile of the coach,
the more pressure is applied to the coach’s heart and the more perspective is
lost. Compulsive or obsessive behaviors, broken family relationships, shouting
tirades, breaches of ethical and legal boundaries, and more are right at the
doorstep of coaches as they lose perspective in pursuit of power and success.
We can be the ones who help them gain perspective. When we ask questions about
individual players, about their families, about their health, about their
marriages, and other “off the field of competition” matters, we help them gain
perspective. When we discuss process more than results, we help them gain
perspective.
We may be uniquely qualified
to help coaches in these specific areas, to nurture their hearts, to affirm
their calling, to encourage their progress, and to enhance their influence with
the people they coach and with whom they labor. Let’s love them extravagantly and
serve them selflessly.
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