I started to add a daily coping tip to the SQLServerCentral newsletter and to the Community Circle, which is helping me deal with the issues in the world. I’m adding my responses for each day here. All my coping tips are under this tag.
Today’s tip is to look for the positive side of a challenging situation.
Recently I had a kid that I coach get upset with the amount of time she spent on the court. She is a player that is weaker in some areas, strong in a few, but struggling to find a place on this team. To be fair, we coaches struggle to find ways to use her. We do, but not much.
She was upset at a competition where she didn’t play much. I know how hard this is, and could see her body language in talking to her father. I’ve been that Dad and watched my kid sit on the bench for long periods.
I decided to make this a learning opportunity. I went over to the Dad and asked him to meet, saying I’d like to try and salvage her time with us. He agreed, and we met the next day, trying to help this kid see the reality, learn to be a part of a team, and give her ways to improve that might help. However, we also were honest that things aren’t likely to change a lot in the short term.
I love this kid. I’ve known her for 4 years and this is my second time coaching her. I wish her the best, but I also had to give the hard advice I’ve given my daughter in the past. A very challenging time, but I think it was worth the effort to try and make it more positive.