Take a step back and look at what players need to aspire to be great
When I run into people from my youth-sports days, they tell me what a great coach my dad was and how they still remember some of the ways he motivated them to work harder and be better.
It’s funny because my dad was never actually a coach for any of my teams—at least not in the traditional sense; he wasn’t even an assistant. It all began with older brothers who both wrestled in school. As a one-time, nationally ranked high-school wrestler, my dad never missed a match. In fact, he showed up at many practices to help the team. But since he wasn’t a teacher, he wasn’t allowed to coach. What I think he realized during that experience was what he really brought to the table was an ability to motivate athletes far beyond teaching fundamentals or specific moves that might help them win a match. I can still see him on the bench right next to the head coach, talking to each wrestler before they took the mat.