The Weekly Word: November 14th, 2022

What I've Been Thinking About...
Last weekend we had a fundraiser for our daughters school. The day began with a 5K Run and a 2.5K walk. As we were getting prepared to start, I took a look around and saw some pretty special things. There were mothers lacing up their shoes alongside their daughters, fathers were warming up with their sons, and entire families were out there getting ready to create a memory with one another. At one point in the race, Emi and one of her buddies were running alongside the head of their school and I thought this is a very interesting commingling of families and staff across a diverse population.

As we were walking/running, I thought an event like this has the power to change a kids life and encourage them to live a physically active lifestyle. When you see your parents, teachers, or other role models taking part in physically challenging things, it could be the spark that lights the fire inside youl to do the same. If you surround yourself with positive influences they can, and will, wear off on you. (Side note: I am super proud of Emi and her friend for deciding they wanted to run/walk the loop. It made me happy watching them go, not because they were exercising but because they chose to try something hard and kept at it all the way to the finish line. These tough little girls weren't afraid of a little challenge and that put a smile on my face).  

Fitness Tip of the Week
I had a moment this week where a few mothers who pump iron at the gym mentioned their newfound interest in pickle ball. I haven't seen this sport since high school P.E. and was surprised to hear about its rise in popularity. As I thought about what skills the sport requires, I decided it may be time to switch up our training a bit. Pickleball demands a lot of starting and stopping, quick change of directions and tons of rotating as they make contact with the ball. In addition, the cardiovascular system is stressed with quick bursts of energy, done repeatedly over the course of a game. It is not like going out for a simple jog. Its short bursts of effort over and over again!

So what did we do? Well, since these ladies plan on doing athletic things, we must begin training like athletes. We did some box jumps, got the agility ladder out to work on some change of direction skills, built some strength in the lower body to help injury proof the legs and pushed the sled like there was no tomorrow. As we were doing this, I came to realize that this was fun for everyone involved. Training with purpose and intent and having fun while doing so are not mutually exclusive things. They can exist together and if you can find some joy in your training, you will be much better off! 

Are there "Rules" for Coaching?
The world of youth sports is crazy. You can go to a sport field on any given weekend and see great examples of coaching and you will also see poor examples of coaching. If I had to break down three areas of improvement that come up often with coaches and parents it would be the following...

1. As coaches, we need to develop a holistic approach and focus on building great human beings. When we emphasize qualities like being a good teammate, having a good attitude, and playing with great effort, good things are going to happen. You don't need sport skill to do any of those things. The kids will prioritize what you prioritize so choose wisely.
2. The next step is to build a caring and trusting relationship with each athlete. This takes time. It will never happen over night. You build rapport by asking questions, listening, and caring about what each kid has to say. Remember the adage, they don't care what you know until they know that you care.
3. Finally, you need to have a relationship with the parents so that they can continue to build on the qualities established at practice. The focus should be on improvement, not on wins and losses. We want to foster a love of sport and remove some of the external pressures often applied to kids by coaches and parents. Every kid should have an opportunity to practice and explore things on their own terms. Give them some space, allow them to work problems out, and ALWAYS have their back!

If you want more on this topic, check out podcast episode 161: Coaching is not Telling & Yelling
What I've Been Reading
Keep the Aspidistra Flying by George Orwell

This year I went on a quest to tackle all of George Orwell's books. At the moment, I believe this is book number five or six of his and I have to tell you, George Orwell is the man! His writing is creative, comical, and interesting. I often sit back and wonder how people can do such incredible things with their writing! This book was first published in 1936 and it is critical of society at the time. In it, the main character George Comstock is a spiteful and bitter man. The cause of his bitterness is money, or better yet, the lack thereof. As Gordon moves through life, he ruins friendships, quits jobs, never gets the girl and doesn't finish any of his writing. He tells everyone it is because of a lack of money and if he had some, his life would be completely different. 

If you are wondering what an aspidistra is, you are not alone! I had to look this up prior to reading the book. It is a hard to kill house plant commonly associated with the upper middle class during this period. Gordon Comstock despised this class of people!

Quote of the Week
"A leader is one who knows the way, goes the way, and shows the way" -- John Maxwell

I hope you all have an awesome week!
Chris Fluck