I’m not good enough! I’m confident that I’m damned good at what I do and I’m sure you are too. But I know, with all my heart, that I have a long way to go to become the best sport psychologist I can be. I need to be relentless with my mastery mindset – I think you do too.
The idea of searching for mastery hit home last week when I read an article that stated the English Premier League spent £660 million on international transfers in 2013. So this is my message to every coach who is employed by the world’s best league (it is something I need to follow…in fact, all coaches need to follow.)
Repeat after me:
I am not good enough at coaching. I’m good, but I can improve. I need to be better at facilitating my players’ journeys towards their dreams – whatever they may be. My communication isn’t good enough. My football knowledge isn’t good enough. My patience needs to improve. The coaching processes I have set in place aren’t working well enough. I am not a good enough prescriptive coach. I am not a good enough inductive coach. I need to explain more at times, say less at times, and spend myself in a worthy cause whenever i am with my players. I need to be relentless in my journey towards mastery – towards being the world’s best. Life as a coach is unacceptable any other way. Compromise is unbearable to me. Mastery is the only path I tread.
It is coaching that will increase participation in soccer. It is coaching that will engage footballers for life. It is coaching that will help all players be the very best they can be.
Believe in the coaching process…believe in your progress!
