Coaching youth sports can be as challenging as it is rewarding. For the last seven years I've had the opportunity to be involved with an elite baseball club, the North Shore Twins. As an assistant coach, I've worked extensively with our 16U Junior Twins team passing along lessons and knowledge to kids with huge goals and aspirations. It's allowed me to stay involved in something I'm passionate about and has provided an opportunity to give back to a community that played such a large role in my more impressionable years. But, I've gotten so much more out of the experience than I ever could have hoped. Done selflessly, coaching molds better leaders, developing tools and characteristics transferable to the workplace. Each year I've become a better coach and a better leader. Here’s what I've learned from the kids year after year.
Talk less, listen more
We've all experienced micromanagement somewhere in our lives—that manager who doesn't inspire thought or provide feedback, but instead simply believes in process. Active listening is one of the most undeveloped skills available to us, yet critical in order to be present and authentic. As a coach, active listening allows for a greater opportunity to connect with players, leading to more trusting and open conversations. Most importantly, I can gather a better understanding of how a player may interpret something we've talked about, allowing us the chance to work together and create a clearer path to our goals. Which leads me to the next point …
Ask why, don't tell how
One of the most rewarding moments of coaching is letting a player figure something out on their own. There’s nothing more satisfying than leading them with thoughtful questions and watching an inquisitive look turn to one of confidence when everything suddenly makes sense. Players, like colleagues, will rarely excel when treated like the cogs of a machine. There's an irrefutable difference between knowing how and understanding why. The sense of empowerment comes along with the latter.
“A word of encouragement during a failure is worth more than an hour of praise after success.” —unknown
Connect daily activities with long term goals
The basis for increasing a batting average or delivering more strikes to the plate is no different than increasing sales or operational efficiency. It doesn't happen overnight. It rarely comes without grit. And it certainly never comes if we are constantly changing focus. Long-term goals require a clear, shared vision and micro-goals along the way to the final destination. In baseball, as in business, it can mean deconstructing a process entirely, or spending weeks on one small adjustment. Chances are it’s going to feel uncomfortable at first, or there will be some failure along the way—but maintaining a long-term vision and supporting the team or individual will ultimately lead to newfound success.
Motivate and inspire
Truly the simplest traits a leader can employ. It doesn't mean one needs to rehearse Any Given Sunday's "Peace with Inches" (although it wouldn't hurt). It means showing up every day with both the attitude and commitment to success that you expect from those around you. It means leading by example. Off days most certainly arise, and sometimes we have to fake it for our players and our colleagues, but morale is just as important in the office as it is on the field. Leaders need to celebrate successes, generate enthusiasm, and take charge.
Note: Don't be afraid to find out what motivates each person individually. Some love public displays, others a bag of sunflower seeds. Coaching on the baseball field has undeniably enhanced my leadership in the office. I know this from the feedback I've received, the stronger relationships I've built, the results I've achieved, and the excitement I've felt while elevating others and witnessing their success.
Moral of this article? Get out in your community and make time to coach your passion. You'll be amazed at how much you'll grow as a person and a leader.
This story was originally published on Matt Council’s website, which you can view here.
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Say hello to my little friend...literally.
TikTok shocked by 15-year-old unhinged viral clip of kids performing Scarface in school play
Think about the most outrageous film that could be adapted to the stage. Now, imagine the cast of that theatrical production is entirely children, ranging in age from 7 to 10. Now, film it and let the world react.
That’s what director Marc Klasfeld had in mind when he held auditions with professional child actors for a shocking video, meant to look like an elementary school production of the cult film-favorite Scarface. In a now 15-year-old interview with Entertainment Weekly, when asked why he thought this was a good idea, Klasfeld admits, "I thought this would be a nice fit into the kind of YouTube arena of viral videos. And I was right."
The result? Kids yelling “mother-fudger,” piles of popcorn meant to look like cocaine, and outrageous, lengthy scenes of children pointing Super Soakers at one another.
Marc, mostly known as an accomplished commercial and music video director, later adds, "I enjoy making provocative art. I like stirring debate and causing conversation. You're going to get two sides of the coin no matter what you do. People are going to love and hate everything. People loved and hated Avatar. People loved and hated the Jennifer Aniston movie. And people love and hate this. I guess that's a part of having something that's successful out there. There’s got to be certain people that hate it for people to love it."
Once they got their perfect cast, it didn’t take long to put together. He shares, "It was a one-take, so it was pretty much just choosing the right take. About a month altogether."
People sure did react, as it acquired millions of views and comments from all over the Internet. Some were horrified, some were outraged, and many thought it was the funniest thing they'd ever seen. But Marc emphasizes that the kids in the video were not scandalized. "They’ve heard the f-word. They’ve seen more violence in their everyday lives for as long as they can remember. So for this, they’ve seen worse things than this all the time. So this wasn’t that big of a deal for them."
Enter TikTok. The clip (which just popped up again recently on Facebook) was reposted a few years back, and, once again, the comments continue to run the gamut from indignation to full praise. One TikTok user exclaimed, "Bro, I can’t even remember my grocery list, how the fudge did these kids memorize this whole scene lol?"
Others expressed confusion: "I'm not sure whether to be angry or amazed." Some chose anger: "Just imagine, you know these kids watched the movie to get the characters right. And the parents cheering? Yeah, yeah."
Many commenters believed it was a real school play and commended the production for "keepin' it real": "That school keeps it real. Nowadays, kids know so much about guns and drugs, might as well teach them that bad choices don’t end well."
Yet another enjoyed it but was concerned that the parents of the children would not. "Love the tray full of popcorn. But my God, I would hate to see the hell these parents probably raised."
For the most part, the reviews were glowing. Many complimented the acting, and one claimed they definitely would have "preferred this play over their own school production of Macbeth."
And perhaps the biggest compliment? "Al Pacino will be proud."