Put Me In, Coach!

Did you catch the season premiere of The Biggest Loser this week? Trainer Jillian Michaels is back! Oh boy, is she back!

Jillian was downright brutal in her training, having no ounce of empathy toward any of the contestants. Whether they fell down on the treadmill, fainted, or threw up, she pressed them to either get back up and get moving or walk out the door. 

Maybe it’s just me, but I don’t tolerate that kind of belligerent behavior very well. Whether or not it may work toward the end goal, people are human and sometimes frail in spirit. Aggressive behavior toward others can do more damage than good. 

As it turned out for Jillian, her brutal method of coaching didn’t seem to work. One contestant chose to walk out the door. And her team wound up in last place, thereby eliminating yet another team player.

“A coach is someone who can give correction without causing resentment.”   –John Wooden, Hall of Fame Basketball Player and Coach

Of course I’m competitive and I love to win. Don’t we all? But being on a team is a lot more than just winning the game. It’s also about building team spirit and pride, confidence, courage, strength, agility, and character. And an exceptional coach is the instrument for weaving all those qualities together.

“Make sure that team members know they are working with you, not for you.” –John Wooden

At one of my daughter’s recent basketball games, her coach kept her on the bench the whole game. Without explanation and without apparent reason, she sat, stoically, and watched her team play the whole game without her participation. On occasion, she’d looked up and make eye contact with me. I wondered what she was thinking. Was her spirit broken?

All my children know that I’m not a sports lover and that the only sports I love to watch are the ones in which they play. That is what she was thinking about, she later told me, as she sat through that game. She was more concerned about disappointing me. That broke my heart.

I was proud of my daughter for the way she handled that situation. She is talented not only in basketball, but also with her maturity in dealing with the curveballs that life throws her way. She is a true leader.  She motivates her team, promotes unity, and generates enthusiasm.  Perhaps her coach could learn something from her.

*****
Basketball Image courtesy of jscreationzs / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

About the Author

Sharon Lape

Sharon Lape is both the permissions manager and the editorial assistant in the periodicals department at Franciscan Media. She also researches and provides content for the popular Minute Meditations feature. Sharon is a wife and a mother of four children.