“A good coach can change a game, a great coach can change a life.” –John Wooden

Far too often in today’s ultra-competitive coaching world, the success of a coach is judged by wins and losses. Although winning is an important part of the job, when it comes to leaving a legacy, impact will be remembered, while records and details will be forgotten.

Your legacy as a coach will be remembered by the impact, both positive or negative, you make on the lives of your athletes.

To fully understand the power of leaving a legacy as a coach, we can look no further than the role of the honey bee.

The honey bee has a job to do, gathering nectar and bringing it back to the hive to make honey. This is their direct role in this world.

However, while gathering nectar, the honey bee is indirectly serving its purpose in this world by pollinating the plants and flowers—plants that you and I, and many other animals, rely on for food.

The honey bee is directly focusing on the X’s and O’s each day. However, they’re purpose is much greater than themselves and their job.

Although we like the taste of honey, we as humans are positively impacted by honey bee’s legacy, pollinating our plants and gardens. 

As a coach of young athletes, you have the opportunity to serve a purpose much bigger than the honey you make: your wins and losses. You have the opportunity to pollinate our communities with stand-up humans beings, who, by coming through your program, have learned principles, values, and skills to positively impact the world around them.

Athletes who graduate from your program, who know how to operate from a place of integrity, treat others with empathy, handle life’s obstacles and respect and honor women and men, will be in a far greater position for success in life and ultimately become positive examples in their communities. This is a legacy.

Now guess what happens when you purposefully focus on building a principle- and value-based program, with skills to help athletes thrive on the field as well as in life? More wins on the field and more wins off the field.

Your athletes will remember these types of wins and where they first learned and developed the principles and skills for excelling in life after sports. Your legacy will continue to grow once your athletes begin sharing your teachings with their children, or potentially the athletes they coach.

I certainly remember my old ball coach, teaching me the importance of celebrating every day, even the smallest of victories. For the life of me, I cannot remember our record.

Unlike honey bees, mosquitos draw blood to lay eggs, but indirectly spread disease. Similarly, poor or inappropriate behavior, language, or negative experiences for your athletes can tarnish a legacy.

As a coach, you have the opportunity to serve a purpose greater than yourself and have the ability to positively impact and change the trajectory of a young athlete's life. The real legacy will be looking out and seeing the good, the success, and the positive impact you have indirectly made on this world.

As founder of The Recovering Athlete™, Cletus Coffey teaches and trains coaches, teams, athletes and professionals how to take skills and success learned on the field and apply it to life off the field. As a former defensive back/receiver in the CFL and Arena Football League, and as a first team all- conference football player and a college decathlete at Lewis & Clark College, he faced even bigger challenges once his athletic career was over. By combining his success as a professional athlete and a business/industry expert, he now helps others win at the game of life, not just sports. To connect with Cletus Coffey, email him  info@cletuscoffey.com, follow him @cletuscoffey, or go to https://www.facebook.com/cletuscoffey/ to learn more.