Thank You For Coaching Me

A leader in our district shared a story about a local football program and talked about the impact that it made on him, the impact that it is making on his kid, and how that impact is having a ripple effect on his teams and athletes.

The Highland Park High School football program is one of the best and most consistent football programs in the state of Texas. They have won 6 state championships, and they have produced NFL talent like Doak Walker and Matthew Stafford.

When a coach from Highland Park was asked about some of the things that separate them from other programs, the coach said that one of the things that all of their athletes are taught is to go to their coaches after every practice, to shake their hands, and to tell them, "Thank you for coaching me today."

When a coach is at practice, they are sacrificing time away from their family to be with the team. They are giving time, energy, and resources to others, and many coaches don't get paid to do so. The simple act of thanking your coach can go a long way to making them feel better about the work that they do. Also, the simple act of saying thank you is a good skill to know and use in all walks of life.

Parents and coaches, take some time during the next practice to teach your athletes the importance of saying thank you and how to say thank you to people who offer their time, energy, and resources.

Coaches, it is also okay to tell your athletes, "Thank you for allowing me to coach you today." This is a great way to model the behavior that you want to see.