A saying doesn’t just ‘become’ an old saying…..

…..there has to be enough merit to the advice that the saying is dispensing, to warrant repeating that saying over the course of generations.

The old saying ‘don’t judge a book by its cover’ cautions us against making judgements about something based solely on a superficial inspection of it. I think that, universally, people agree that this particular old saying offers up solid advice.

Except, when it comes to athletics and coaching. Coaches and teams too often get judged based on a small, superficial snap shot of what they actually do……most of the time they get judged simply on wins or loses. Or, even worse, parents judge coaches on how many minutes their kids play, or how many points they score.

The line between winning and losing is incredibly thin…..yet, often in the public eye, whichever side of that line a coach or team is on, determines the success level of that coach or team.

Judging a coach strictly by wins/losses is exactly like ‘judging a book by it’s cover’. In a high school setting, there is so much more to that book, than it’s cover. There are the hours of planning and teaching in the classroom, there are the hours of video work, there are the hours of planning and scheming (both for practices and games), there are the hours of personnel discussions, there are the weekly (or even daily) discussions/counseling sessions with kids (both athletes and non-athletes), there are the stresses of literally hundreds of decisions to make each day that have some sort of impact on lives……in other words, there are hundreds and hundreds of pages that never get read if you only look at wins, points, or playing time.

I’m not typing all of this in an attempt to gain your sympathy for the time coaches spend…..not at all. Any coach or educator that wants you to feel sorry for them because of the time they spend, is probably in the profession for the wrong reasons….I really have no sympathy for them and will not defend them! I’ve stated that one of my goals with this blog is to create thought amongst coaches. I want to do the same thing amongst parents and even players.

I have the freedom to say things on here without worrying whether or not it will rub the wrong parent (or administrator, or player) the wrong way. So, while most of my posts will be directed towards coaches, there will be some directed at parents, administrators, and even athletes as well….all in a sincere attempt to help you enjoy your athletic experience with your child.

So, parents, I’m not asking you to blindly follow your coach. I am asking you to look a little deeper than whether or not your team wins or loses, and deeper than how many minutes your kid plays, or how many points they score. You might be able to enjoy (and more importantly, help your child enjoy!) their athletic experience more fully.