PLAYERS: It takes DISCIPLINE | COACHES: Accept and Understand

For Players

When you are bored, what do you do?  Do you do something that gets you closer to your goals, or do you play with something that is a distraction?  Do you find ways to work on your game or do you have other outlets like your phone or your TV?

The best players know how to fill their downtown appropriately.  A lot of times this means rest, relaxation, and getting away from the game.  A lot of other times, this means practicing on your own, watching film, doing skill work, stretching, conditioning, or watching YouTube videos that can help you get better.

Someone is always working, even when you aren't.  A big difference between good players and great players is how much time and effort they put into getting better.

For Coaches

I used to worry about parent phone calls, parent meetings, and parent emails.  Then I realized that parents just want to do things:  

1) What's best for their kid and 

2) To be heard.

Of course, what's best for the kid isn't always what's best for the team, and some conversations are much more difficult than others, but once I started operating from the standpoint of listening and understanding those two things, my peace of mind and anxieties changed for the better.

Listening with the intent of understanding can change the interactions that we have every day.

When that parent comes in to complain, most of the time they just want what's best for their kid and to be heard.

Just listen...
Show you care...
Try to understand...
Gain trust.

For Parents:

Tell your kids, "I love watching you play!!"