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That's The Goal

Oct 25, 2022

“Bailey listens well and is willing to learn”.

That’s the feedback we received from our daughter’s soccer Coach after a recent game. As parents, my wife and I certainly appreciate and value this feedback. It’s nice to hear, and it’s also a testament to her Coach’s: Commitment to these kids, Awareness of each player’s needs, Respect for the game, and his ability to Empower each one of them. In Game On terms, we call this C.A.R.E. (Commitment, Awareness, Respect, Empowerment), and when these four elements are in play, we’re all bit closer to “Leading with Compassion”.

Bailey’s eight years old and in her first year of soccer. She’s the youngest and smallest on her co-ed team, and she’s learning the game for the first time. She doesn’t play as much as others, but when she gets in there, she gets after it and she’s fearless. This courage comes from good coaching, solid teaching, and compassionate leadership, which also includes tough choices and difficult decisions, like some kids starting and some kids coming off the bench.

When Bailey’s on the sidelines, waiting to get in the game, she stands right beside Coach Jason, looking up to him, except when he comes down to her level. He’s a grown man, so he won’t always be speaking to them at eye level. He’s an adult, so he’s not going to be their best pal or act like a peer. He’s their coach, so he corrects them when needed, teaches them with discernment, and encourages them consistently. When this is all said and done, he’s in a much better position to lead them with compassion.

We’d all benefit from starting from this position of compassion, but let’s not stop there. Throughout our journey - as leaders, coaches, teachers, and parents - let’s make sure we don’t just tell people what they want to hear, but also love people so much we can tell them what they need to hear…and be okay with that. When we’ve arrived there, earned that right, shown up with consistency, and proven that we CARE, we’ll all enhance our ability to listen well and be willing to learn. That’s the goal!

Compassion On. Coach On. Goal On. Game On.

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