At our work all-hands meeting on January 11, we had a local high school football coach as a speaker. He has coached at the college level (Michigan, Navy, etc.), and was very knowledgeable. He has taken the local team from 0-12 to 6-5 to 12-1, losing only the championship game.
One of the things he learned from Bo Schembechler is that you do not coach young football players, you have to teach them football. That got me thinking, that at the high school level, it is all about teaching. At the college level, it is a mix of teaching and coaching, and at the professional level, it is all about coaching.
I think there are parallels in other walks of life as well. We must start with being taught, then move to seeking out or learning, and end up maintaining.
Never lose the desire to learn new things and seek continuously for improvement. Keeping the mind active is the best way to stay young.
3 comments:
I think that's very true. An excellent coach will understand which approach they need to take.
:) Beth
I concur on the teaching and coaching model. Going to college is sort of like a having a gym membership. First, you have to show up. Second, you have to determine what results you are after, and then learn what the equipment does and how to use it. Finally, you have to actually use the equipment. It is important to have some reinforcement and guidance along the way. It takes a willing student, the right teachers and coaches to make it work well. A little cheer leading (supportive family and friends) is great too.
If find that my mature adult learners are often the most successful because they really want to learn and they seem better able to focus at the task at hand. I think they also want to "get it done" as they see life as infinite in possibilities but finite in time.
Great analogy, Relatv! I also liked what you wrote about older students: "they see life as infinite in possibilities but finite in time." I think we do get to a certain point where we realize that the months and years aren't stretching out quite as far as they once were.
Beth
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