![]() I took on a new challenge this year and I have to say, it has been wonderful! Roughly ten days prior to the start of the high school track season I spoke with my former coach and he mentioned they are still looking for a throws coach (shot put, javelin and discus). I threw my name in the hat as someone who can lend a hand and he graciously took me up on it. Two things happened since that conversation: One, I realized I really missed coaching high school athletics and two, it reignited this idea of the importance of having a third place. But first, to answer the question that you are probably thinking: What is a third place? Sociologist Ray Oldenburg refers to our first place being home, the second place being work, and the third place as an area where we exchange ideas, have a good time, and build relationships. This is exactly what coaching does for me. Why may we need this? In my example, coaching gives me something to do off our property where my 1st and 2nd places are, it has helped restore connections, has me involved in the local community again, and basically gives me an identity. In addition, a third place is a powerful antidote to isolation and exclusion. It helps you build relationships and these relationships will keep you young…literally. In one study shared by the Stanford Center on Longevity, they found that after looking at data from over 300,000 individuals, stronger relationships increased likelihood of survival by 50%. Strong relationships are our greatest asset and so vital to our health and happiness, and third places are a haven for them. If you are lacking something in life and can't seem to put your finger on what it is, it may very well be a third place. So how do you find one? Circling back to Ray Oldenburg, he defined eight characteristics for a third place and after reading them, I decided I could not have set it better myself and listed his breakdown below.
Chris Fluck
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