You aren’t playing anymore.
Some of what you learned as an athlete will serve you well for the rest of your life.
However…
Most of it, won’t make you a better coach.
A lot of playing was competition-based.
Fear-based.
Scarcity mindset.
“I need to be better than him so I can keep my spot on the powerplay this week.”
“I need to beat him in all the drills so I can stay in the lineup.”
You learned how to play many zero-sum games.
What you’ll need for long term sustainability in coaching:
Infinite/Abundance Mindset
Connection
Collaboration
Competing is the Stupid Game
Understand if you’re competing with others in the coaching game, you’re playing the wrong game.
And the hockey coaches are playing the competition game to the max.
Don’t believe me?
Try emailing a coach to connect. Take out your fancy email signature so you don’t give away that you have “perceived importance” in the hockey world.
Just say you’re a coach looking to build a bridge and connect. Maybe even share some of your work.
Let me know if you get anything back…
Still waiting? While you wait…
Look to a sport like soccer if you want a beacon.
Collaborating is the Better Game
Run the same experiment with a soccer coach. Reach out and say you coach hockey and are looking to connect.
Your success rate in getting a response will 10x.
Why?
Soccer either dropped the ego long ago or never had an ego… I don’t claim to know the history.
But in talking to a few coaches in their sport, “big timing” other coaches isn’t part of their ethos.
They are willing to learn from anyone, even coaches in a different sport.
They are willing to ask questions and learn from younger coaches because they don’t think they have all the answers.
They take the invite for coffee or a Zoom chat.
They aren’t too busy or “cool” to be helpful…
Or learn something from someone else…
And more well rounded coaches can draw from experiences other than their own… Can help more players.
And that’s supposed to be why we are doing this job anyway.
So take the call.
Respond to the email.
Take the invite for coffee.
Play the Right Game
In the short term, you can have “success” playing the “stupid game.”
But eventually, you’ll need to be well versed in the “better game.”
There are better prizes playing that game anyway.
And the sooner you start playing the “better game…”
Well… The sooner you’ll start winning some great prizes.
Get in the correct game.
Don’t coach how you played.
You’re not competing.
Share with coaches who think they still are.