Category: Faith

Coaching is discovering

Posted On: 03-09-2012

After a few years coaching kids in baseball I realized I had it all wrong.  Coaching has little to do with telling or showing.  It is all about discovery … discovering ways for players to get rid of the obstacle, which keeps them from being the best they can be.  It is also true when teaching communication skills, leadership, personal development, or success training.  Great coaches help individuals and teams get past their barriers.

When I coached baseball I learned that many kids were afraid of the ball.  Trying to tell them how to catch a fly ball was useless.  They were focused on not getting hurt.  Catching the fly ball was not a priority.  After I discovered the obstacle I needed an action step to get rid of the fear.

I showed up with tennis balls.  Not just because the ball is softer, it is, but because tennis balls bounce.  So I sent my team to the outfield with the instruction to catch the ball on first bounce.  Here’s what happened.  They were less afraid of getting hit in the head with a bouncing tennis ball so they were able to focus on the instructions, the process of learning how to catch; proper footwork, glove technique, stay in front of the ball.  These are all skills that will lead to catching a fly ball, and the players, the kids, were learning without the fear of getting hit in the head.  Teaching how to catch a fly ball was now simple.

You can read instructions out of a book.  How to be a leader, how to give a presentation, how to find success, or how to catch a fly ball, but telling, showing, or reading will not move you beyond your obstacles.  Perhaps a coach is required, someone who is not concerned about telling or showing, but more concerned about what holds you back, that’s discovery.  Once the obstacle is discovered we can name it, tame it, and move on.

By the way, sometimes, even after the tennis ball process, some kids did take a ball on the head.  Then we brought out the catcher’s mask … and continued the process.

Buy in

Posted On: 02-27-2012

A few years ago Notre Dame beat Michigan.  My son is a Notre Dame grad and we are Irish football fans.  The teem had been struggling so victories were valuable.  This particular win was against a sub-par Michigan team.   The Wolverines had a new coach and they were struggling.   Nonetheless, Notre Dame had a victory.

My son called after the win,  “Dad, we’re back!”

“Troy,” I said, “Did you watch the game?  Michigan turned it over three times in the first quarter and Notre Dame couldn’t take advantage.  Notre Dame was kicking field goals when they should have been scoring touchdowns from close range.   Notre Dame  didn’t put on a very good display against a pretty bad opponent.”

“Dad,” came the reply from the phone.  “Don’t be negative, you gotta be a fan.”

That’s what he said.  What he meant was — are you in or are you on the sidelines?  Real fans buy in!

It made me think about commitment.  There are things I am really committed to in life and those commitments show up in everything I think and do.  As I look back at my past I can see where I was truly committed, and I see where I was partly committed, and I can see where I merely went through the motions, when I was on the sidelines.  It made a difference in the results.

Today I know what I believe and that belief guides my commitment in all parts of life;  faith, family and profession.

At a breakfast with a new friend this morning I shared  that self-belief, self-trust, makes life easier.  It becomes easier  because you know what to ‘jump into’ … what to ‘just do’ … what to commit to … and what to buy into.

Military Basics

Posted On: 03-22-2011

Spoke to the military a couple of weeks back.  I was the keynote presenter at the Kentucky National Guard Airman/Solider of the Year award.

I was a member of the Kentucky Air National Guard way back when.  In fact I was activated for 20 months of consecutive duty so I am classified as a veteran,  but I don’t wear the uniform anymore.  So it was eye opening to step back into the world of the military and share a message with the women and men who serve our country.  Serve is the key word and they understand the meaning of the word.  It’s about the basics.

Yes, the military follow procedures.  They are committed to the process as well as the outcome but they also understand it’s all about the people.  We sometime lose focus that the military is made up of people.  People who leave their families because they are committed to a bigger family.  People who grow lonely when they wake up in a place  far away from the people they love.  People who endure hardships to protect ideals and issues to which they are deeply committed.  That’s the key word, COMMITTED.  They choose to commit to a cause, issue, an ideal, and they stay with it.  It takes on a sort of reverence.  It’s more than words, it a way of life.  They live out their commitment through their actions.   It shows in the way they gather, the way they speak, the way they interact.  It becomes their procedure.

I showed up to thank them for their commitment and to encourage them to be resilient.  Sometimes it’s a challenge to stay committed to the important things …. God, Family, Self.  I thought I was there to motivate them.  But as often happens when we pay attention, we learn by listening.  I was encouraged and empowered to stay resilient in the basics … commitment to God, Family, and Self.   They didn’t say it, they showed it.   The basics!

March Adventures

Posted On: 03-21-2010

Started the month in Las Vegas at the Pizza Expo.  A huge Pizza industry show… great food and wonderful individuals growing their pizza businesses.  I shared a couple of seminars “How to build and I CAN PLAY attitude” and “A penny’s worth of adjustment”, dealing with change in challenging times.  It truly is all about adjusting.  Success is all about adjusting!

Back in Louisville, KY I presented a three-day mission at St. Paul’s Catholic Church.  The theme was “Christ is the Light” … how to find Him, absorb Him and give Him away.   It was a gathering of wonderful people.  We laughed, learned and grew in our faith.  It was truly an unforgettable experience.

I spent time with the staff at “Elite Homes.”  This is the company that built the house for the Hughes Family on the ABC Sunday Night Show, “Extreme Makeover!”  I can see why they were able to create and share the excitement needed to “…move that bus!”

Coming up …. two more 8th grade retreats.  The first one with St. Catherine Academy in New Haven,  Kentucky, then another with St. Bernadette Academy in Louisville, KY.    I learn a lot from the young people exploring and stretching in their faith.

April adventures include working with Mortgage Bankers Association,  Dayton, Ohio Head Start and a return visit to Lincoln Hills Development Corporation,  a Community Action Program in Tell City, Indiana.

Love ya Uncle Pat

Posted On: 02-02-2010

My family buried a great man yesterday.  My brother-in-law, Pat Butler.  He was a wonderful holy man in love with Jesus Christ … and he shared that love of the Lord with everyone.

I learned a lot of lessons from Pat Butler while he was alive, too many to name here but I learned a few more after his death.

I didn’t know just how far his influence had spread until I saw all the visitors he had at the hospital.  It was a constant parade of people to see, pray with and pray for Uncle Pat.  And then at the funeral home for visitation … a line of individuals waiting for over an hour to greet his wife and share their story of how Pat touched their lives.  The line was over an hour long all afternoon and while greeting the people in line I apologized for the long wait … they thought nothing of it and said so!   They said they expected a long wait.  Pat kept teaching me.

And then the service at church.  Prayer, song and a long line of individuals sharing their story of how my brother-in-law brought them to Jesus Christ.  It was a powerful message of a humble, kind, loving man who influenced people just by doing the simple things.  He cared for people, he listened to people and he shared hope with people.  And the people came to say good bye and share their stories of how this simple kind man helped others find a reason to live, laugh and love.  They found Jesus Christ in their lives.  Pat Butler pointed the way.  And he continues to teach.