Part of my job here is to report back on observations from the field. Little things I notice 
that might have an impact in our world of coaching.
I want to share something from my coaching-adventures this past weekend that could play a role in your wild ride of coaching sports.
A Coaching Frame
This is simple, but it is one of those details we often miss. A painting, no matter how wonderful, achieves a higher level (or lower) by the frame around it.
The same can be said for any other effort — especially coaching. The frame can bring things to a higher level. Last weekend, competing at the national championships, I saw a special (and beautiful) frame.
Let me know if this makes sense, okay?
A Frame In Action
Surrounded by a dozens of coaches, I saw a three-piece frame:
Piece 1: Cohort – people involved in a simultaneous effort make a cohort. There is power in a cohort which often goes unnoticed. From building a community playground to patiently waiting in line for the next StarWars franchise to competing for the big-one, cohorts surround us. The first time you feel the positive-power of a cohort, you won’t forget it. It can be quite moving.
Piece 2: Compete – here’s where it gets dicey in sports. Bluntly, to be successful another must fail. For me to get mine you must lose yours. Competition is the true focus of team sports but trouble happens when the focus on winning blinds.
Piece 3: Support – here’s where the good stuff, and most difficult part of the frame, lives. The value of those “other people” (the competition) is not that they are in your way. Nope, their value, a higher value, is that your competition is your ally in becoming better. Because of them you move to a higher level. Meaning, they should get your support. The mechanic who is trying to fix my car during a roadside breakdown gets my full support, as does my doctor because they are helping me. So is your competition. This is piece of the frame often missing.
Cohort – Compete – Support
That’s the frame, and framework. Of course, there are other frames at play in coaching. Unfortunately, many of those are negative and can be quite destructive.
Yet, this cohort-compete-support frame brings out the true beauty of coaching. When it works, coaches, athletes, and the sport benefits and the impact can be amazing. Especially as athletes reach a higher level, parents get on the helpful-train, and youngsters discover the love of being an athlete. The list of positive results from this frame can be quite long.
Action You Can (and should) Take
I have three actions to suggest. First, can you define your coaching cohort? Who are those coaches you are growing with? The ones you see (and compete with) consistently, interacting with often.
Second, how could you support one of those cohort-coaches? Is there a positive deep supportive action you can take? For instance, a handshake after a contest is a surface-action. Whereas a handwritten note with words of support/congrats goes deeper, building bonds and trust.
Third, if you decide to use this frame around your coaching, there will be times when it will be difficult to do. Be patient. Look at the larger picture … and realize it will look better with a nice frame around it.
Let’s make this an amazing week, whether you’re coaching or not. If you’re enjoying the articles here, would you mind giving them a share? Thanks!
Coach well … we need you!
– Mike
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