How Can I Help You?

If coaching is considered to be associated with playing a game, then let's consider, for one moment, that our life is our game and you are the player….

Dear Player.
Thank you for hiring me as your coach. We have a lot of work to do!!
Please allow me to set the stage for our work together by sharing with you what I'm all about.

My purpose
I have one purpose and one purpose only: I am here to help you win.
I will help you to play better and win more games. The games, the rules, the definition of winning, they are up to you. But no matter what, our objective together is for you to win. Everything else we will do - and we'll do a LOT - is a byproduct of that single purpose.

Playing to win is not a common thing
I honor you for your courage; for your willingness to step out onto the field and give everything you have to your cherished objective - this game you love. Playing a game that truly matters takes guts and heart. Most people choose to go through the motions in other peoples games. Not YOU! You want to play your game and you want to win. I admire you for that. It is not a common thing.

Winning requires courage
Winning takes courage because in order to win, there MUST be the possibility of losing. If you can't lose, it's not really a game worth playing. And losing is hard. The truth is, you will lose some games, maybe a lot of games. But I promise you that each game lost will teach us something about what we need to do to help you play to win the next game.

Winning is a responsibility - But it's FUN
The funny thing is, that while winning is a thrill, it's hard too! Winning requires dedication, a willingness to focus and to practice. It also requires that you make sure your that whole world is in harmony with you and your game; this takes some work But the biggest challenge is that becoming a winner puts you in a position of responsibility. Once you start winning, people will look up to you, they will count on you and expect more winning from you. But if you are willing to take the responsibility, it can be A LOT OF FUN!

How do I do what I do?
Well I have a process, a method, a way of working that is designed to help you win.

Essentially we'll do five things:

Clarify your game
What game are you playing? Why are you playing it? What does winning look like? What are the rules of your game and how do you keep score. Basically, in this phase I'll be asking you a lot of questions and you'll be doing a lot of thinking.

Personalized skills and strategy
We'll work together on practices that improve your skills. As your coach I'll help you practice well so that you play well. Then we'll work on your overall strategy as well as your game plan for each game day.

Expand your awareness of the "inside game"
The simple truth about playing to win is this: the more you can see, the better you will play. This is where the "inside game" comes into the picture. If your thoughts or feelings or emotions are mixed up - and you are not aware of it - it will take you out of your game. We can't have that. We need you to be all there at game time.

Design your winning environment
My ultimate job with you is to help you design the world around you so that your game comes to life. Once your game comes to life the rest is easy. We'll work on getting your friends and family into your game in a supportive way. We'll organize your home and office so that there are no obstacles that prevent you from playing well. We'll create a support team to take care of the things that help you win. And we'll make sure that there are people around you who challenge you and inspire you.

Evaluate wins and losses and learn from them
On a regular basis we will evaluate your progress. How are you doing? What have we learned from recent games? If we need to take a different course, this is where we will do it.

How is coaching unique?
Often players wonder what distinguishes a coach from some of the other wonderful helping professionals available. This is a BIG question. Here are a few quick thoughts to create a basic understanding…

Consultant
A consultant will help you understand a situation and share expertise and knowledge;
I'll share with you everything I know if and when you need it. If I don't have some expertise you need, I will help you find it.

Counselor
A counselor will share wisdom and help you make decisions
When you are troubled it is very hard to play well. I'll do this whenever your trouble is related to the game we are playing. If it is outside the game, I'll help if I can. If not, we'll find you someone who can help.

Therapist
A therapist will help you heal wounds from the past
I have some skills in this area. But if the wound is too deep and we need a professional, I'll help you find someone to help you. Then when you are ready, we'll get you back into the game.

Psychologist
A psychologist will help you understand your behavior
Well, everyone knows that a coach is a part time psychologist because the mental game is so important to winning. But if we can't figure out where you are blocked, we'll call in an expert.

Trainer
A trainer will teach you new skills
This is one of my main jobs as a coach. I'll teach you the skills you need to win and I'll design it just for you based on your situation. If we need to find you a specialist for some skill that you really need that I can't teach you, we'll do it.

A Coach
As your coach, I'll do any and all of those things when you need me to. But only when they will help you play better and win more games!
Many professionals are trained to stay uninvolved; to maintain a cool, professional detachment. And for most professions that is wise. But I am not like most other professionals. I am YOUR coach.

So… Will I be involved? Do I care about the outcome? Do I have a stake in it all?

Your damn right I'll be involved! I want you to win. I want you to play well. I want you to be the best player you can be AND I want your life to be great at the same time.

I DO have a stake in the outcome. If you win, that helps me attract more great players who also want to win. THAT'S MY GAME; To coach great players in BIG games. By helping you win, that helps me win.

I promise to always keep my agenda clear and on the table AND I will never put my agenda before yours. But I do have an agenda: I want you to win.

I will console you when you lose. But it you don't play well, I won't be happy; I won't say "It's OK". It's NOT OK! Get your game together and get back out there!

I will maintain objectivity, though. I won't get caught up in the swirl of your emotions; I won't internalize your situation. If I did that I'd be of no use to you when the game gets tough. But I WILL BE INVOLVED. I do CARE. I WILL LOSE SLEEP if it's not going well for you. And I will dance with joy when you win. WE ARE IN THIS TOGETHER.

YOU WILL WIN!

Keep Playing!

Your Coach.

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