Here in middle America this story has gotten plenty of run, so you might be familiar with it already. Kansas State Head Football Coach Bill Snyder makes it a habit to write notes to others – opposing players, supporters of the Kansas State program, jazz musicians, and more. Coach Snyder’s notes have become legendary, and some of the recipients have shared them publicly.
Maybe it’s a little sad that the idea of writing encouraging and appreciative notes to people merits an article on espn.com, but apparently that’s where we are. As Coaches, this is pretty easy. There’s certainly no shortage of people for us to thank and/or encourage — athletes, their parents, other Coaches, officials, opponents, administrators, and the list goes on. Bill Snyder’s notes are usually about 4 or 5 sentences long. I’m pretty sure I can find time in my schedule to write five sentences, look up an address, and put a note in the mail. I plan to begin doing this once a week, so don’t be surprised if you get a note from me someday. Perhaps you might like to join me in this and begin (or continue) writing some notes yourself.
You probably won’t have espn.com writing a big article about how thoughtful you are for writing to people, but you’ll almost certainly make a difference in people’s lives by reaching out with encouragement. Why not give it a shot?