Coaching a Leader

One of my favorite memories growing up as a child was making trips with my family to my sister's volleyball tournaments on the weekends. Those memories are filled with being a part of an exciting atmosphere, sitting in the stands and watching the action-packed games. Along with watching my sister play, I recall two other players by the names of Christy and Liz, who stood out to me because of their athletic talent on the court. Over the four years of my sister's high school career, I followed their volleyball careers as well because Christy was my sister's teammate, and Liz was a player from a rival school.

Several years later, I started high school sports, and during the off-season, joined a club volleyball team. When I met my coaches, I was surprised to find out that it was Christy and Liz. They were coming off of seasoned volleyball careers on the collegiate level. I was eager at the opportunity to play under the direction of two favorite athletic role models.

When I think of that one particular season with my two coaches, I recognize it as the best season that I have ever experienced. Likewise, I can distinguish Christy and Liz as the best coaches whom I have ever associated with. As far as my physical abilities and coaching guidance are concerned, I had the best physical and mental growth with volleyball under their coaching.

As effective coaches, Christy and Liz have demonstrated ideal qualities that have made a positive contribution to their coaching abilities.

Leaders as athletes: During their playing careers, Christy and Liz were both the go-to players on the court, the MVPs of their team, and arguably the most exciting players to watch. Their leadership attributes were demonstrated by making amazing plays and scoring many points for their team. Christy and Liz were not just any former athletes; they were the elitist among their teammates. Their leadership as players transitioned easily into their new roles as coaches. As coaches, they would expect the same standards that they were up against when they were players. Those high standards elevated us to challenging, but very attainable goals.

Player experience: There are many pros of being a former athlete turned coach. First of all, Christy and Liz could empathize with us because they also had played on the court. They knew of the competition and conditioning needed to excel in volleyball. They knew firsthand how hard it was to balance sports, schooling, and other activities at the same time. They knew what to look for in their players' potential. I remember feeling more confident when my coaches gave me one-on-one advice about what I needed to work on to become a better player. I appreciated their mentoring because I knew it was backed by their own experiences on and off the volleyball court.

Enthusiastic and energized: I have come across many athletic peers, and the ones who have succeeded are those who have played for the love of the game. Athletes can perform at various levels of talent, but if their heart is not 100% into the game, they will most likely not continue playing much longer. My coaches had incredible talent as players, but it was not without their enthusiasm and giving their all on the volleyball court, that improved their performance. Their positive energy excited us as players and it impacted the way we were playing. At practices, Christy and Liz actually played against us, giving us much competition and hands-on coaching. Their animation on the sidelines and constant feedback and advice was very motivating.

I credit Christy and Liz for being the best coaches to me during my playing days in high school. What sets them different than any other coach whom I have had was that I had the opportunity to see them as players years before they were coaches. They obtained leadership coaching through their many stages of playing volleyball and brought that to their coaching game.

Stephanie Tuia is a Client Account Specialist with 10x Marketing.

To learn more about Leadership Coaching and CMOE's experience with organizations around the world please visit CMOE or contact one of our Regional Managers at (801) 569-3444.

---

Google News Updated : Mon, 13 Oct 2008 11:51:33 GMT Dodgers stand up to Phillies in Game 3 win - FOXSports.com Washington Post Dodgers stand up to Phillies in Game 3 win FOXSports.com - 4 hours ago by Ken Rosenthal Ken Rosenthal has been the senior baseball writer for FOXSports.com since Aug. 2005. He appears weekly on the FSN Baseball Report and MLB on FOX. LA revitalized at Moyer's expense MLB.com Kuroda's pitch serves its purpose for Dodgers USA Today New York Times - Los Angeles Times - Boston Globe - Philadelphia Daily News all 2,467 news articles Publ.Date : Mon, 13 Oct 2008 07:00:36 GMT European, Asian markets bounce back - The Associated Press Vancouver Sun European, Asian markets bounce back The Associated Press - 1 hour ago LONDON (AP) - European markets opened strongly Monday following Asia's lead in response to the widespread government efforts over the weekend to shore up the world's troubled financial system. The financial crisis A light at the end of the tunnel? Economist World stock markets welcome European bank rescue AFP MSN Money - New York Times - New Straits Times - Voice of America all 769 news articles Publ.Date : Mon, 13 Oct 2008 10:23:04 GMT 1.5 million G1 Android phones pre-ordered - TG Daily Product Reviews 1.5 million G1 Android phones pre-ordered TG Daily - 6 hours ago By Wolfgang Gruener Chicago (IL) - T-Mobile’s upcoming G1 may not be the best-looking iPhone rival, it may not have the most complete feature set and T-Mobile may have undersold the device at the recent launch event. Get ready for next-gen mobile InfoWorld HTC G1 Android Phone Racks up 1.5 Million Pre-orders eFluxMedia Brighthand - InformationWeek - ReadWriteWeb - ZDNet all 153 news articles Publ.Date : Mon, 13 Oct 2008 05:21:21 GMT UK government takes stake in three banks - CNN International Canada.com UK government takes stake in three banks CNN International - 32 minutes ago LONDON, England (CNN) -- The British government on Monday said it would make a multi-billion investment in three of the country's major banks to help them through the "first financial crisis of the global age. In quotes: Bank bail-out reaction BBC News TEXT-Lloyds TSB terms for acquisition of HBOS Reuters guardian.co.uk - Wall Street Journal - Bloomberg - AFP all 1,923 news articles Publ.Date : Mon, 13 Oct 2008 11:18:47 GMT Fantastic finishes: 5 NFL games down to the wire - Washington Post Washington Post Fantastic finishes: 5 NFL games down to the wire Washington Post - 3 hours ago Dallas Cowboys' Mat McBriar (1) has his punt blocked by Arizona Cardinals' Sean Morey as Monty Beisel (52) looks on during overtime of an NFL football game Sunday, Oct. 12, 2008 in Glendale, Ariz. Blocked punt downs Dallas San Francisco Chronicle Backups Burst Through Line and Lift Cardinals in Overtime New York Times Sports Network - FOXSports.com - Houston Chronicle - Philadelphia Inquirer all 749 news articles Publ.Date : Mon, 13 Oct 2008 08:15:50 GMT Manatee dies before reaching rehab site - Boston Globe WHDH-TV Manatee dies before reaching rehab site Boston Globe - 4 hours ago By Emily Canal After a 27-hour trip to Florida, Dennis the manatee, rescued from the frigid waters of Cape Cod, died in Orlando yesterday as SeaWorld employees carted the mammal to a rehabilitation center. Video: Rescued Manatee Dies After Mass. Rescue AssociatedPress Manatee rescued off Cape Cod dies en route to Florida Sea World New York Daily News WFLA - eFluxMedia - Cape Cod Times - South Coast Today all 565 news articles Publ.Date : Mon, 13 Oct 2008 07:21:21 GMT Forecast: Summery Sunshine Sticks Around - Washington Post Chicagoist Forecast: Summery Sunshine Sticks Around Washington Post - 2 hours ago Columbus Day will feel a lot more like Labor Day as temperatures climb to around 80 degrees. This unseasonably warm weather will continue for the next several days. Enjoy a warm, sunny Columbus Day Times Herald-Record Beautiful start to the work week The Star-Ledger - NJ.com The Capital Times - Journal and Courier - Richmond Times Dispatch - The Virginian-Pilot all 241 news articles Publ.Date : Mon, 13 Oct 2008 09:03:26 GMT RSS Parser Increase Online Traffic

PARLOT::Ebooks, Scripts, Websites, and more...

Adsense websites

Always Be Open To Learning

"We should not only use all the brains we have,... Read More

Transformational Leadership

"What is leadership?" When this question is asked most of... Read More

How to Become a Great Leader & Improve Your Leadership Skills

A great leader is able to inspire his/her workers to... Read More

In Leadership, Good Enough Is Pretty Bad

The first time I meet a leader to decide if... Read More

Ten Qualities Of A Great Leader - Plus 1

Great Leaders are optimists first and foremost. Their tendency is... Read More

E=MC - Is It In Me?

How many times have you seen the E = MC2... Read More

Thoughtleading: The Art of Separating Yourself from the Pack

Lately the age-old business dilemma of how to stand out... Read More

It Begins Like This

Jonathan was drunk multiple times before ever completing elementary school;... Read More

8 Questions to Ask if You Want to be a Better Leader

Those that have successfully made the transition from manager to... Read More

The SAMMER Test: Leading People To Get The Right Results At the Right Time In The Right Way

As a leader, you do nothing more important than get... Read More

Why Not Lead With Emotions?

Studies have shown that companies that have acquired competencies to... Read More

Leadership Training Seminar - What Makes A Great Leader?

At one point or another, we have all been either... Read More

The Four Laws Of Leadership (Part One)

Leadership is motivational or it's stumbling in the dark. After... Read More

Exceptional Leadership Inspires the Best Effort in Others

There is a steady stream being written and taught about... Read More

Mentor? Who Needs A Mentor?

Who needs a mentor. . .everyone who is truly serious... Read More

The Death of Potential

... Read More

UNCLOS III Process model

The United Nations Conference on Law of the Sea was... Read More

How To Get To Know A Disabled Person

When you first meet someone who is blind, deaf, or... Read More

Creating Unlimited Belief for Success!

What's holding your team back from experiencing "breakout performance"?It may... Read More

Leadership is About Growing Others - Its Not About You!

"Before you become a leader success is all about growing... Read More

Leadership Prep

So you want to be a leader? Or you want... Read More

Leading In The Face Of Disaster

The date was Saturday, April 11, 1970, the time 13:13... Read More

Managing Monsters in Meetings - Part 2, Multiple Conversations

Side conversations ruin meetings by destroying focus and fragmenting participation.Approach... Read More

The Defining Moment: The Straw That Stirs The Drink Of Motivational Leadership (Part Two)

In Part One, I described the importance of establishing deep,... Read More

Quality Leadership

The Lakota tribe of Native Americans has no word in... Read More