I told one of my former players that I was pregnant a couple of weeks ago, after she congratulated me her reply was "That baby is going to be tough as sh!t!" Now, some people might have taken this as an insult but I thought it was a great compliment. Through coaching I've realized that toughness is something you can't teach, it's the same with hustle, dedication, and desire. Athletes either have these traits or they don't, and if they don't an infinite amount of coaching, motivating and bribing probably won't instill it in them. I have some girls who will play through anything, the girl who made the comment above was prone to concussions and we literally had to force her sit down even after she was hit on the head. Other girls, will take to the sideline if they get a splinter. Of course the really great players, the ones you love to coach, are tough as nails.
Lindsey Vonn, is the perfect example of toughness, as she battled a bruised shin to win gold today. This is the same woman who was airlifted from the slopes in Torino, and competed 2 days later. I'm sure her coach sees her as a coach's dream, oh wait, he sees her as his dream girl too. Lindsey's coach is her husband! I really can't even imagine being coached by your husband. I personally think that it's a bad idea to coach your own kids once they get to a competitive level. Parents are naturally going to be more critical of their children, therefore making it very difficult to treat them the same as the other players. I think it would be even worse to coach your spouse. It must make for some interesting conversations after a bad practice or meet, and how do you ever get away from the sport if you are sharing a bed with your coach?! Maybe, Lindsey's husband as her coach is more of technicality, obviously throughout her career she has had other coaches who helped make her the skier she is today. Anyway, I do hope our baby is tough as sh!t, maybe I have the next Lindsey Vonn growing in my belly.
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