A Coach's Diary

“You have to believe in yourself when no one else does – that makes you a winner right there.” - Natalie Coughlin Do you believe in yourself? When is it hardest for you to believe in yourself, and what helps you push through it? Natalie Coughlin is one of the most accomplished swimmers in U.S. history. She’s a twelve‑time Olympic medalist—winning 3 gold, 4 silver, and 5 bronze medals across the 2004, 2008, and 2012 Games. She once said, “You have to believe in yourself when no one else does – that makes you a winner right there.” But how? Where does that belief and confidence in yourself come from? Self-belief isn’t about arrogance. It’s about trust—trusting your preparation, your effort, your character, and your ability to grow. It comes from showing up, doing the work, learning through failure, and proving to yourself that you can keep going. Belief isn’t built in one moment. It’s built over time, through moments. Coughlin also said, “Success is not about being the best. It’s about b...

  “If you have a service, story, or a product that helps people, it is your responsibility to make yourself visible to those people because every single day that goes by that you’re not making yourself visible to the people that you can help is another day that those people are going to follow someone else.” - Jen Gottlieb Do you let the fear of what other people think of you hold you back? Jen Gottlieb is a speaker and best-selling author. She says, “If you have a service, story, or a product that helps people, it is your responsibility to make yourself visible to those people because every single day that goes by that you’re not making yourself visible to the people that you can help is another day that those people are going to follow someone else.” She’s big on social media and encourages people to boldly share their stories and messages with the world — but this also applies to leaders and athletes. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve seen great athletes and potential leaders...

“The formula for success is simple: practice and concentration then more practice and more concentration.” - Babe Didrikson Zaharias How strong is your concentration? Babe Didrikson Zaharias redefined the boundaries of athletic possibility. She excelled in virtually everything: track & field, basketball (All-American 1930–1932), baseball (she even pitched in Major League Spring Training), swimming, diving, billiards, bowling, and more. She even helped co-found the Ladies Professional Golf Association, or LPGA. Babe was named the Associated Press Female Athlete of the Year six times between 1932 and 1954, the “Female Athlete of the Half Century” in 1950, and the “greatest female athlete of the 20th century” by the Associated Press. How? Babe said, Practice and concentration. She said, “The formula for success is simple: practice and concentration then more practice and more concentration.” She also said, “Luck? Sure. But only after long practice and only with the ability to think un...

“Have the mindset of: Coach me, Coach. I want to be coached.” - Vontrell King-Williams Do you take tough coaching personally, or do you want to be coached? When talking to a group of high school athletes, college football coach Vontrell King-Williams explains that he is a demanding, fiery coach and tells them to never take tough coaching personally. He says, “When I’m coaching you hard, your response should be, ‘Yes sir, Coach,’” and you should always have great body language. Coach King-Williams shared a story about watching one of his top recruits at practice. Because the recruit’s body language was so bad, he stopped recruiting him. He said he couldn’t take the kid because he didn’t have the time to coddle him and baby him — they have games to win. He said the recruit will still get offers to other schools, but he limited his options because of bad energy, a bad attitude, and bad body language. Coach King-Williams then said, “It ain’t never personal. Have the mindset of: Coach...

“The only way you can grow is to push yourself out of your comfort zone.” - Laila Ali When was the last time you did something hard? My 3 daughters play sports, and they go to a trainer in the summertime. Today, one of them said, “The workout was sooo hard because we had to run sooo much.” As she was telling me this, I was looking up quotes from former boxing champion Laila Ali. She was the daughter of legend Muhammad Ali, but she made a name for herself, finishing her boxing career with a perfect 24-0 record. The quote that I came across from her was, “The only way you can grow is to push yourself out of your comfort zone.” I shared the quote with my kids and said, “If you want to  grow — whether as an athlete, a leader, or a person— you have to be willing to do things that stretch you, like running harder, further, or longer than you are used to. Staying in your comfort zone might feel safe and easy, but it keeps you stagnant and stuck in the same place. Growth happens when...

  “You don't have to win the race. You just need to win your race. And winning your race means falling in love with the process. Fall in love with the process, not the podium.” - Katie Ledecky Which do you love most: The game or the trophies? Sports are driven by outcomes — did you win, and how well did you play — but when you focus too much on the result, you can lose the joy of the journey and overlook the small details that lead to real growth. Having won 14 Olympic medals, Katie Ledecky is the most decorated swimmer in U.S. Olympic history. In a commencement speech she gave at her Alma mater, Stanford, Katie said, “You don't have to win the race. You just need to win your race. And winning your race means falling in love with the process. Fall in love with the process, not the podium.” External victories — like being the best, scoring all the points, and finishing first — are what we all want, but they aren’t the only definition of success. True success is about being your ...

“I'm not afraid of anyone, but sometimes I'm afraid of myself. The mental part is very important.” - Justine Henin Who is the person you are most afraid of? Justine Henin is a retired Belgian professional tennis player, widely regarded as one of the greatest female players of her generation. She once said, “I'm not afraid of anyone, but sometimes I'm afraid of myself. The mental part is very important.” I’m not going to lie, I’ve faced some tough competition, and honestly, I faced some people and teams that I was afraid of. But the most important person we face is ourselves. When Justine gave this quote, she was highlighting the inner battle athletes often face, especially at the highest levels of competition. She wasn’t intimidated by her opponents, no matter how strong or accomplished they were, because she had the skill, experience, and belief to compete with anyone in the world. The real challenge wasn’t always across the net — it was inside her own mind. She’s refe...