I coach my kid’s soccer team.
It’s ten 7/8-year-old-boys who all want the same thing: to be better.
Some are natural athletes. Some aren’t.
Some focus on the game. Some get distracted by airplanes.
Some are competitive. Some aren’t.
I am competitive myself — I like to win.
But my job as a coach isn’t to win. It’s to develop my players.
Some may go on to play college soccer. Some will retire their jersey at 7.
But they all have to play now. Everyone plays on my team.
Before each game, I give each player two different colored wristbands.
When it’s time to for more playtime, I tell a player, “Go in there and switch with someone.”
That means go find a player wearing a same-color wristband and take his place.
We don’t always win trophies.
But all my kids participate.
I want them to have a chance to discover their real interests and talents.
They can only do that if they get a chance to play.
If you’re managing people, I imagine you want the same for your team.
