Disciplined Communication
by Ryan Krzykowski
Joe Ehrmann writes, “If I was going to demand discipline from my athletes — in their practices, games and behavior — I had to demand it of myself. As a coach, I had to discipline each word, gesture, instruction and command. Discipline in communication is an infectious virtue — once we harness certain words, we usually begin to realize the effect all our words and gestures have on players.”
In the same section of InSideOut Coaching, Joe provides this list:
Nine Reasons I Swear
It pleases my mom so much
It is a display of my manliness
It proves I have great self-control
It indicates how clearly my mind functions
It makes conversation so pleasant
It leaves no doubt in anyone’s mind as to my upbringing
It impresses people
It makes me a very desirable personality to women and children
It is an unmistakable sign of my culture and refinement
Clearly, Joe is having some fun with this list. At the same time, what does our language and choice of words say about the value we place on people?
Let’s Coach With Purpose…
I remember coaching kids in basketball, a high emotion and most often not always high quality reffing in grade school games, I used to remind myself that I could only control what I could control, my thoughts, my words and my mouth as I had 8-9 kids, listening and watching my own behavior. I used to ref adult softball, what a hoot working with adult men and their whinnie behaviors that were taught to them, I used to remind other umps, 1-10 guys is mentally off center, today i might say, 4-10 days and coaches are off in la la land. They lost the purpose and the reason “why” they got into coaching, to coach up, encourage kids, build kids up to believe in themselves, the world is the bigger playing field of life.
Be Strong in building, count the cost if you do or if you don’t.