Leading through Disappointment

The more I see of youth athletics the more disappointed I get. This video is a fantastic exception.

I came across this video on Paul Sohn’s blog and I agree with Paul that it provides some great lessons for leaders.

First, let me tell you the problems I have with youth sports. People get their kids involved in sports in hopes that it will teach them some important life lessons. Unfortunately, most of the lessons taught in youth sports today are in complete contrast to what I want my kids to learn.

Watch an NFL game on TV with your kids. What are the advertisements? Mostly beer & sex. What do most coaches preach to their players – the importance of winning. Who do they praise – the gifted athletes. Who is often forgotten – the players with less talent, the players who don’t have as much to give the coach as he or she works to create wins. For far too many coaches, coaching is “transactional.” Focused on what the player can contribute to a win, not what you, the coach, can contribute to the life of each youngster in your care.

I was blown away by the message in the book “InSideOut Coaching: How Sports Can Transform Lives” by retired NFL player, pastor and coach Joe Ehrmann. That book completely changed my view of what can be accomplished in youth athletics and changed how I view and treat “players” on my work teams. That book is worth its own blog, and I’d highly suggest you read it.

Joe’s book and this video are two great examples of what can and should be taught through youth sports. Watch the video above and see what leadership lessons you can glean from it. The clip is Dave Belisle’s speech to his team after they were eliminated from the Little League World Series.

Below are the lessons I learned from Dave’s speech:

  1. Be Proud of Your Efforts – You fought hard. You fought well. You didn’t quit. There is no shame in loosing when you fought as hard as you could.
  2. Get on Their Level – “I gotta see your eyes.” Dave got on his knees. Got on the level of his players and had them look him in the eyes. He had their complete attention. He spoke from his heart.
  3. Love – “I love you guys.” Coach Belisle was not afraid to show his emotions, to show his kids how much he cared.
  4. Celebrate – This team had gotten to play at the highest level of the game. They had made their coach, their parents and their home town extremely proud. That was something to celebrate. It was not time to mourn a loss, but to celebrate all of the victories.

What leadership lessons did you learn from Coach Belisle’s speech?

Thank you for being a part of our values driven community!

By: