We may well be familiar with the wonderful story by Loren Eiseley entitled ‘The Star Thrower’, which tells that “a man was walking along the shore after a big storm had passed and found the vast beach littered with starfish as far as the eye could see, stretching in both directions.
Off in the distance, he noticed a small boy approaching. As the boy walked, he paused every so often and as he grew closer, the man could see that he was occasionally bending down to pick up an object and throw it into the sea.
The boy came closer still and the man called out, ‘Good morning! May I ask what it is that you are doing?’
“The young boy paused and replied ‘Throwing starfish into the ocean. The tide has washed them up onto the beach and they can’t return to the sea by themselves,’ the youth replied. ‘When the sun gets high, they will die, unless I throw them back into the water.’ The old man replied, ‘But there must be tens of thousands of starfish on this beach. I’m afraid you won’t really be able to make much of a difference.’ The boy bent down, picked up yet another starfish and threw it as far as he could into the ocean. Then he turned, smiled and said, ‘It made a difference to that one!’”
Consider another well-known story, this time of a dinner time conversation between a wealthy CEO and a lady, where the former taunted the lady for being a teacher and provocatively asked her what she made.
The lady replied, "You want to know what I make? Well, I make kids work harder than they ever thought they could. I make a C+ feel like the Congressional Medal of Honor… I make them question. I make them apologise and mean it. I make them have respect and take responsibility for their actions. I teach them to write and then I make them write. Keyboarding isn’t everything.
“I make them read, read, read. I make them show all their work in math. They use their God-given brain, not the man-made calculator… I make my classroom a place where all my students feel safe… I make them understand that if they use the gifts they were given, work hard, and follow their hearts, they can succeed in life. Then, when people try to judge me by what I make, with me knowing money isn’t everything, I can hold my head up high and pay no attention because they are ignorant. You want to know what I make? I make a difference. What do you make, Mr. CEO?"
What then of a school sports coach? Is he more like the CEO or the teacher? A quote from Coach Lisle may be instructive where it is said that “A coach’s worth is not found in his win/loss record but in the impact made in his players’ lives”.
- A star grower
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There speaks the wise teacher, not the arrogant CEO. It relates well to what Gordon B Hinkley, an American religious leader, has been quoted as declaring, namely that “Being humble means recognising that we are not on earth to see how important we can become but to see how much difference we can make in the lives of others.”
Coaches are not there to show how amazing, clever and talented they are but to make a difference in the lives (not just the playing ability) of their players; they are there to help children learn and grow – not to show how important they are, through victories. They are there to make a difference.
It is interesting and relevant to remind ourselves of the truism that players must “Touch the line. Finish the drill. Run through the line. The little things make the biggest difference” (taken from a ‘Coach’s Diary’) – the little things make the biggest difference. That applies in sport – a slight change of grip, feet position, angle facing may make a huge difference. So too, more importantly, in life.
The fundamental truth is that it is not just children who are to do the little things but coaches too. We do well to reflect and consider in how many lives we are making a difference through sport. And how? Are we actually making a positive difference? The coach’s goal (as commented on previously) must be to make a difference in the lives of children, especially to help them be humble and not think they are more important than others - even if it is only one child, it is worth it.
Coaches must quietly go about their business, throwing their star pupils back into the ocean of life after storms, without calling attention to themselves. Coaching is not about us, nor is it about being important. Coaches can actually be star growers, helping children who are washed up by the tide of popularity, dried out by pressure, stranded without help. Make a difference – it starts with us.
