Everyone can use a good coach.
Each person holds so much power within themselves that needs to be let out. Sometimes they just need a little nudge, a little direction, a little support, a little coaching, and the greatest things can happen.
Pete Carrol, head coach Seattle Seahawks.
I love that this great football coach recognizes that everyone could use a little nudge, a little coaching to get at the great things that are within them. Not just athletes. Parents need coaching too.
Parenting is a really hard job, and when you add youth sports to the mix, it gets even more complicated. It’s okay if you think you don’t have all the answers. We all feel that way. That’s why coaching is so beneficial. For athletes, coaching means they are pushed and can reach their potential to achieve goals. For the rest of us, coaching means that we learn to see things from a fresh perspective and that we can literally transform the state and quality of both our behavior and our ability to reach our goals.
Most of us are very set in our ways, and unless we have an objective third-party helping us see things, we may not see what’s holding us back. I’ve always joked that I “self coach” but now that I’m being coached, I realize that I’ve missed out on a lot because I was trying to always figure things out on my own.
I’d like to suggest a few reasons that you may need a life coach:
You’re stuck. Perhaps you have a decision to make. Do you let your child play travel ball? Do you enroll him in a clinic or get a private coach? Which team should she play for? You’ve heard everyone else’s opinion and your mind is full of voices that are confusing you. Your head is full of what if thoughts: what if she doesn’t like it? what if he hates his coach? what if she doesn’t reach her goals with this coach?
A parenting/life coach will help you dig underneath the “what if’s” and discover what’s really important to you as you make this decision. A life coach won’t make the decision for you, but will help you sort out all the voices in your head and clarify what you really want.
You’re done with therapy and wonder what’s next. Therapy helps you heal from the past and a life coach can help you move forward as you pinpoint what’s next for you. Some therapists do a little life coaching too, but if your feel your therapist has helped you as much as he or she can, then find a life coach that can help you answer the question, now what?
Life coaches may not need to know about your past. We’re more concerned about where you are now and how you can move forward towards where you want to go.
You’re frustrated with your relationship with your young athlete. Perhaps you are trying to motivate your child and it’s not working. Or maybe you are struggling to help him see the importance of academics as well as sports. You’ve tried bribing, yelling, grounding…and are getting nowhere.
A life coach can help you sort through what your parenting goals are, what has worked, what has not worked, and come up with a plan of action that will point you and your child in the direction you both want to go.
You feel like you are drowning in all the things you have to do. Every parent wishes they had more hours in the day to get things done. A life coach cannot give you those extra hours, but he or she can help you set priorities, establish boundaries and even create margin in your life so you can stay above the surface of your busy life.
You are always feeling stressed or anxious. When you add up all your responsibilities–work, family, your kids’ practices and games, volunteer work for the team–it’s no wonder you are feeling stressed. Getting the perspective that life coaching brings will help you move past those negative emotions.
You are having conflicts with your child’s youth sports coach. Maybe you just don’t like her personality, or you don’t agree with his strategy. A life coach can help you sort out how to work with a coach in such a way that your child is the one who truly benefits.
You are stuck at START. Maybe it’s with a goal you have as a parent or a coach. You just don’t know where to begin. Having big goals can be overwhelming. It’s hard to get clarity when you feel like you just don’t know where to start. For instance, you have a goal to “be a better parent.” That’s a huge goal! Where do you start?
Life coaches can help get you on the path towards taking action that will move you closer to your goals.
For years I’ve been telling sports parents how to do their jobs, giving tips and resources to help them as they strive to give their kids a better youth sports experience.
It’s time for me to do more. Now I want to coach you so that you can discover answers for yourself. It’s easy for me to tell you what I think you should do, but when you discover your own solutions through coaching, you will not only be better prepared to face the situation, you will learn how effective life coaching is and begin to use the strategies on your child.
Please email me at sportsparents@rcfamilies.com and let’s talk about whether parent life coaching is right for you.
More resources: 7 Reasons Why You Need a Life Coach