Whether you like it or not, you are role model for your players. Your athletes (you’re your kids) notice everything you do. They do not miss a beat. Today’s post is the first in a series looking at the subtle and often unexamined ways we model life skills (or the lack there of) for our athletes.

 

We expect our athletes to handle their daily lives. Yet, how do we do as coaches? What do your athletes see you do in terms of managing the days demands? Are you always rushing from one appointment to another? Are you a master multi-tasker? Does practice routinely start or end late? Do you eat lunch on the run?

 

Do your actions around “time” model life skills your players can rely on when they leave your program?

 

Each of us has our to-do lists, and we are supposed to be proficient at “time management” in order to get everything done. For student athletes, the time-management challenge involves a balancing act between school, sports, homework, social time, personal time, and family activities. Coaches face a similarly daunting challenge.

 

There are literally thousands of books that claim to teach us how to juggle all of these tasks and effectively manage our time. Of course, “time management” is a bit of a misnomer. No one can literally manage time—time just keeps moving regardless of what we do. However, what we choose to do with our precious time determines the degree to which we will fulfill our potential and realize our goals.

 

Accomplishing goals and mastering the art of coaching does not happen by accident; it is the result of planning. You and your athletes have the same amount of time as your competitors do. How you choose to spend that time is what matters most. Do your choices support your quest for success? Do they move you closer to your goals?

Chances are that your choices won’t enhance your success unless you do some thoughtful planning. Planning your activities allows you to focus on the things that you decide matter the most. We talked earlier about the importance of planning your practices – the same principles apply to planning your day.

 

Effective planning is a skill, not a gift. Like all skills, it can be developed with practice. This is an amazingly powerful skill to model for your athletes. Successful people (coaches, athletes, students etc) are proactive in their lives – they plan, perform, evaluate, and plan some more. Above all, they organize and manage their time around what’s important to them based on their values and beliefs. They put their time and attention on the things in their lives that produce results. Successful people don’t just do things differently. They do different things!

The following popular story illustrates my point.

A professor stood before his class with some items on the desk.When the final student was seated, the professor picked up a large glass jar and proceeded to fill it with rocks about two inches in diameter.

The professor asked the students whether the jar was full.

They agreed that it was.

He then picked up a box of pebbles and added them to the jar, shaking it lightly. The pebbles rolled into the open areas between the rocks.

“Is the jar filled now?” the professor asked. “Yes,” said the students.

The professor picked up a bag of sand and poured it into the jar.The sand settled in the spaces between the rocks and pebbles.

Once more the professor asked whether the jar was full. After some thinking the students said that it was.

The professor then took a large glass of water and poured all of it into the jar.

After the laughter subsided, the professor spoke.

“I want you to recognize that this jar represents your life,” he said. “The rocks are the important things in your life: your family, your friends, your health things that if everything else was lost and only they remained, your life would still be full.

“The pebbles are the other things that matter, like school, your sport or job, and your car.

“The sand is everything else. The small stuff.

“If fill the jar with sand first, there is no room for the pebbles or the rocks. The same goes for your life. If you spend all your time and energy on the small stuff, you will never have room for the things that are important to you.

“Pay attention to the things that are critical to your happiness and success. Take care of the rocks first¾the things that really matter. Set your priorities. The rest is just sand.”

[NOTE – this is a great story to share with your team. Better yet, replicate the actual exercise – cause seeing is believing!]

So coach, make a commitment to model better “time” management. This includes setting aside time for weekly and daily planning. I’ve noticed over the course of my career, that the most successful coaches use some sort of tool to manage their activities. The tools ran the gamut from small calendars to elaborate paper day timers or sophisticated electronic versions. The choice of tool was personal, but the results were the same.

 

Pick your own tool, and take twenty-five to thirty minutes at the beginning of each week to plan the week ahead. Sit down in a quiet place, take out your calendar or day planner, and decide what you want to accomplish during the coming week. Remember to filter out the unimportant things. Reconnect with your vision, your dream. Review your goals and set objectives for the week.

Follow up by spending ten to fifteen minutes each day reviewing and revising your plan. Ask yourself, “What can I do today that will move me closer to realizing my vision?” Base your day’s actions on your answer.

 

Let your athletes see you planning. Refer to your planner during meetings. Share your process with your team and encourage them to start planning today!