Stepping Up

I'd like to share a response I received from a coach about the last email we sent out about speaking well of others. Coach Henry Hunt is a 5th-6th grade football coach from Lousiville, KY. I've had the honor of knowing Coach Hunt for 7 years now.

This sums up SportsLeader so well - coaches striving to grow themselves in virtue so they can help their players even more.

Thank you, Coach Hunt.

Virtue = Strength, Lou

http://sportsleaderusa.blogspot.com/

...

Lou

This is my personal goal as a person and coach for the 2011 season.  I have a natural tendency toward being critical.  As a perfectionist, I am always trying to make things better.  Continually improving what needs to be corrected.

The challenge is that it comes across negative many times.  I get so focused on "correcting" the bad, I miss "reinforcing" the good.  I take the good for granted.  I find that living on the "negative" side many times makes you more likely to be perceived as the negative guy; or to use more negative words; or even get more negative thoughts.  Subtle, but true.

I have done a decent job over the last year, eliminating many negative comments.  In business, I have dumped many emails that were just plain negative.  In coaching, I have tried to take negative out of my explanations, evaluations and interactions.  I have done the same with my family.  But getting the negative out is only part of the battle.

I used to hate people like Mary Rogers.  Those type people give out complements for any and everything.  To me it didn't seem to mean anything.  Now those people are my heros.  It is not good enough to refrain from saying something bad.  We need to say something good.  Get focused on the good.  Even smile more and bigger.  It is a whole different language that sets a whole different level of potential.

Fixing mistakes can make you better, but encouraging better can make you great.

I want to be like Mary.

Henry

PS  Football starts today.  That is fantastic.