This relationship has the potential to help player AND coach grow on and off the field.
“The evolution of the athlete/coach relationship is one of the most gratifying constructs on earth.
You get to see who they are today..
Help them develop into who they are tomorrow..
Then, if you do it right, you forge an unbreakable bond that last forever.”
-Ray Zingler on X
This past weekend, I had one of the most magical experiences of my life.
In an attempt to make an extremely long story short, I was able to see an athlete I started training as a teenager, not yet old enough to drive a car, start in & score an incredible goal in her 2nd (1st home) ever Pro soccer match, while playing the 8. If you don’t know much about soccer, that position, while critical and physically demanding, isn’t typically a goal scoring position.
While I could write a dissertation on her athletic ability (that I had very little to do with) and talk about her journey from high school, to college, to semi-pro, to pro, that’s not what I am going to talk about.
And the reason is because this person, would be in the very same shoes she’s in today, athletically, with or without me.
This past weekend was very special for me, not because “that was the girl I used to do squats, sprints, and deadlifts with..”
In all honesty, I haven’t consistently trained her since 2020/21 when she was home more often during the pandemic.
When I started training Hal, I quickly saw that there wasn’t much I could or really needed to do, that was going to elevate her God given abilities. My goals with her were twofold:
1) Keep her healthy.
2) Challenge her physically and mentally.
And this was what created the relationship we have today.
It was never about “strength & conditioning”.
I just gave a shit about her and that opened the door for me to be a trusted resource in her life. And if you get that opportunity as a coach, you never take that for granted.
Fast forward to the end of her game this past Saturday night, after all the autographs, pictures, interviews, media obligations, and embraces from team personnel, she was grateful, but overloaded, I could see it.
After sifting through all the people, Hal and I eventually sat down together in the “Family Room” for her to relax.
And I didn’t get the girl who was currently going viral on social media.
I got Hal.
The same Hal she’s always been.
We were the last 2 people to leave the building.
Build relationships.
Love your people.
