Conversations for Coaches

By Rebekah Trittipoe

You are a coach. To whom do you turn to talk over both the joys and the challenges of coaching? Your deep-down desire is to lead a team well. But how do you do that? Wouldn't it be helpful to surround yourself with others who can-and will-challenge your thinking and spur you to become the best coach possible?

Conversat

• Language: English
• Publisher: Rebekah E Trittipoe
• Release date: Sep 10, 2021
• ISBN: 9781737089933

Book preview

CONVERSATIONS FOR COACHES

SUMMARY

Summary: This is a 15-week study that has its foundation in the ancient Proverbs of Solomon. The study uses the Biblical book as the main text, supplemented with an analysis of current thought in psychology, motivation, character development, and achieving athletic excellence. In a group setting, each session is designed to take approximately one hour to complete.

For whom: This is a study intended for coaches at any level. However, it is easily adapted for leaders in any capacity because the principles remain intact across any discipline; athletic, academic, business, or otherwise.

Format: This study is not necessarily structured to be a verse-by-verse exposition. Rather, those verses having application to coaching along with implications for ourselves and our athletes will be highlighted. The resource you hold in your hand is meant as a working guide for either the individual coach or a group of coaches. It is more like a workbook and discussion template than a full-blown narrative. See the suggestions on the next page for conducting each session.

The ESV version of the Bible is used for this study.

I AM LEADING THE GROUP. HOW DO I USE THIS GUIDE?

It can be daunting to be faced with the responsibility of leading a group through any subject matter, particularly if you did not author the material. The following are ten suggestions you might consider implementing as you lead your group of coaches through this chapter-by-chapter study of the ancient Proverbs.

1. Respect the coaches’ time. Everyone is busy, and coaches are no exception. Each of the fifteen sessions have been written to take the better part of an hour. As the leader, it is important to be the timekeeper, moving through the material at a rate that is neither too fast nor too slow. If you run out of time and find the missed information to be critical for your group, you may opt to continue the next week or follow-up with an email discussion. The key is to be attentive to the group’s needs and maintain focus and direction.

2. Assign the group a simple homework assignment before the next meeting. First, emphasize the importance of individually reading each of the Proverbs chapters slated for the next meeting. This familiarity will allow for a much more efficient session. Secondly, as they read the assigned chapters in Proverbs, ask them to turn to the Character Skills charts found in the next section. They are to jot down the chapter and verse in the appropriate column that applies directly or indirectly to a character skill. For example, Proverbs 2:20 implies the importance of being focused. Hence, jot down 2:20 in the Focused space.

3. The first order of business at the beginning of every session is to quickly read down the list of 26-character skills. If someone has a verse that fits a character skill category, they simply mention it. Everyone else can pencil in the reference. There is no discussion at this point. The goal is to see if, by the end of the fifteen weeks, each of the character skills can be validated in the context of Proverbs. From experience, completing the list each week takes no more than two to three minutes. As the leader, be sure you have done this in advance as well. Lead by example!

4. It is suggested that some of the commentary and discussion questions be read aloud to prompt thinking. This gives those who may not have prepared for the session time to consider the material and questions. Understand, however, that the questions are only a starting point; a launching pad, if you will. And, if the group wishes to concentrate on a verse not highlighted in this guide or desires to explore additional avenues of discussion, feel free!

5. Now is the time to get into each lesson. As a leader, it is your job to be as prepared as possible. The questions are to guide discussion, not dictate the production of pat answers. Be sure to spend time beforehand coming up with specific examples relating to the discussion questions that can be used to jump start the group discussion. From a practical standpoint, as you prepare for each session, in the margins of your book make note of any examples you could use. This way, you will not forget the great point you intended to make.

6. In general, a leader needs to listen carefully to where the conversation is going. In most cases, it is advantageous to keep the conversation on point. However, the coaches will sometimes want (and need) to discuss a related topic, sharing issues and situations on their own teams. Lock in on what is being said. If the discussion gets too far off-track, gently redirect the group back to the appropriate section of Proverbs. If their area of interest needs further discussion, make note, and come back to it later in the hour or at another time.

7. Do not panic if there are a few moments of silence when you pose a question. People need time to think. Do not rush ahead or keep on talking, but be prepared to rephrase the question or insert a personal example that you have pre-thought. (This is where your preparation comes in handy.) Honestly, there may be some sets of discussion questions that fail to resonate with your group. That’s okay, too. No need to panic. Move on, but be thinking how you can transition to the next section.

8. As much as possible, keep the same schedule for each session. Though there will undoubtedly be folks who cannot attend every week, a consistent meeting time will help the coaches value and protect that time slot. Publish the start date and the end date. Folks are more apt to commit if they clearly understand the parameters.

9. If you have a session that seems slow or will end early, you could consider asking the coaches to share specific examples of how they have applied principles to their coaching in the week prior. As we know, knowledge is one thing. Practical application is totally different.

10. Pray over each session. Understand your obligation to prepare well. But beyond that, what the Lord does with the material in the hearts of your coaches is His doing. Simply be obedient. God will do the rest.

CHARACTER SKILLS WORKSHEET

In What Drives Winning , Brett Ledbetter lists 26-character skills he purports to be essential to teams, athletic or otherwise. He suggests these are characteristics that enable high performance and may lead to increasing the chances for winning teams and individuals. Ledbetter proposes two categories of these skills: those of a moral nature (which he also calls relational skills in later works) and others of a performance nature. Many, if not all, of these character skills have a biblical basis that can be found in Proverbs (among other biblical books).

The following pages should be bookmarked as we have our discussions, and as you read through the chapters on your own. Become familiar with the 26 skills. If you recognize a skill by direct reference or implication, write in the chapter and verse beside the skill you see illustrated. This will give us the ability to affirm the validity of incorporating these skills into our lives and teaching them to our athletes. Each week, we will begin each session by reviewing the investigative work you completed.

Week 1:

BACKGROUND, INTRODUCTION, PROVERBS 1 AND 2

In the Hebrew bible, the book title actually gives credit to Solomon by entitling it The Proverbs of Solomon. However, there were apparently many more than the 513 proverbs contained in the book.

But what is a proverb? It means to be like. These are simple, moral statements or illustrations that teach fundamentals about living.

Read Ecclesiastes 12:9-14

Besides being wise, the Preacher also taught the people knowledge, weighing and studying and arranging many proverbs with great care. ¹⁰ The Preacher sought to find words of delight, and uprightly he wrote words of truth.¹¹ The words of the wise are like goads, and like nails firmly fixed are the collected sayings; they are given by one Shepherd. ¹² My son, beware of anything beyond these. Of making many books there is no end, and much study is a weariness of the flesh.¹³ The end of the matter; all has been heard. Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man. ¹⁴ For God will bring every deed into judgment, with every secret thing, whether good or evil.

Solomon (the Preacher) took responsibility to teach the people these sayings by handling them three ways. Specifically, Weighing and studying and arranging many proverbs with great care.

Discussion: How does Solomon’s approach to these pithy sayings inform our approach to know and apply the truth?

Look at verse 11. Goads and nail refer to sheep and ox tending tools. The goad is a long pointy implement used to get the animals to do what they are supposed to do. The nails (the crudest of which pre-date Solomon by 2000 years) are used to protect.

Discussion: How might this apply to coaches and our athletes?

Vs 13 and 14 gives us a window into the overarching purpose of learning how to think and act, and why that is important. Write those verses in the box to help us remember.

Read 1 Kings 4: 29-34

And God gave Solomon wisdom and understanding beyond measure, and breadth of mind like the sand on the seashore, ³⁰ so that Solomon’s wisdom surpassed the wisdom of all the people of the east and all the wisdom of Egypt. ³¹ For he was wiser than all other men, wiser than Ethan the Ezrahite, and Heman, Calcol, and Darda, the sons of Mahol, and his fame was in all the surrounding nations. ³² He also spoke 3,000 proverbs, and his songs were 1,005. ³³ He spoke of trees, from the cedar that is in Lebanon to the hyssop that grows out of the wall. He spoke also of beasts, and of birds, and of reptiles, and of fish. ³⁴ And people of all nations came to hear the wisdom of Solomon, and from all