I was fortunate to attend the Black Sports Symposium at the Mercedes Benz Stadium in Atlanta, GA, on April 13th-15th. It was an amazing event! The symposium featured many great speakers and industry leaders. During the event, I connected with like-minded people and discussed sports in various ways. I mean, what’s not to love?
Throughout all the networking and presentations, I realized one consistent message, “show up as yourself.” Coach Dawn Staley, one of the keynote speakers, kicked off the symposium. As she said in her opening remarks, she will always show up as herself because she cannot be anyone else. I heard many influential leaders speak throughout the symposium about this. Upon hearing the simple statement “show up as yourself,” I realized that many coaches don’t show up as themselves. Coaches often mimic tough or disciplined coaches or try to recreate an infamous coach. But why? You are uniquely you, one of a kind. You were chosen to lead young athletes because of who you are and what you bring to the table. You are not expected to be like anybody else.
Only through showing up as your authentic self will you become an authentic coach. The coach players look to as a trusted mentor. The coach the community respects. People see right through us whenever we try to be something we aren’t. We lose credibility and respect.
As coaches, we must remember who is always watching us, and we owe it to ourselves and them to always be honest. In the end, show up as you and nobody else. Your team will be better for it.
Stay Loc’d in!