Dear Coach: Your Words Matter

Dear Coach: Your Words Matter

Dear Coach,

You may think you’ve gotten into my head.

You may think that by constantly criticizing my mistakes, pointing out every flaw, or nitpicking every detail of my game, you’ll somehow make me better.

Maybe that’s your intention.

Maybe it isn’t.

But here’s what I want you to understand.

I’m learning.

That’s what athletes do.

We learn.

We make mistakes.

We adjust.

We grow.

We put our best foot forward every single day and try again. What surprises me isn’t always the criticism directed at me.

Sometimes it’s hearing how you talk about other players when they’re not around.

Sometimes it’s the comments made under your breath.

The frustration in your voice.

The body language.

The small things that many people think athletes don’t notice.

We notice.

More than you realize.

Athletes are constantly reading their environment.

We hear your tone.

We see your reactions.

We feel your disappointment.

And long after we’ve forgotten the exact words, we’ll remember how those moments made us feel.

I’m not perfect.

My technique isn’t always perfect.

My decisions aren’t always perfect.

And my performance certainly isn’t perfect.

But I show up.

I work.

I listen.

I try.

I care.

Every single day.

The difference between us may be this:

You see me through your lens.

I see myself through mine.

You may see mistakes.

I see growth.

You may see what I can’t do yet.

I see what I’m becoming.

You may focus on the flaws.

I focus on the opportunity to improve.

What you don’t know is that my confidence doesn’t come from your approval.

It comes from the work I’ve put in.

It comes from the people who believe in me.

It comes from knowing that every day I have another chance to get better.

So, Coach, remember something important.

Athletes remember.

We remember the coaches who challenged us.

We remember the coaches who inspired us.

And we remember the coaches whose words made us question ourselves.

Leadership isn’t just about teaching skills.

It’s about helping people believe they can become more than they are today.

Your words matter.

Your tone matters.

Your actions matter.

And so does the example you set.

Because one day, many of us will become leaders too.

And we’ll remember exactly how we were treated.

Sincerely,

The Show Up Athlete