Shouting at other people's kids

Folks,

I break my own rules all the time – one of them is coaching my kids. 

Grassroots coaches are in the majority, and nearly all stick around in their sport only as long as their kids do. We might talk about community, knowledge sharing, and the love of the game, but nothing it seems, is as strong as your kid playing on the weekend. When your kid quits, or moves on, your reason to coach goes too. 

Yesterday, my kids were not at football; they were at Grannies. I stood on the sidelines shouting at other people’s kids. Mostly, about shapes and spaces, but you get the idea. 

I used Uno cards in an experiment to decide who played and who didn’t. I stood on the side of the pitch and talked to the kids who weren’t playing about what they could see on the pitch, what they were going to do, and how they were going to do it. 

But, more than anything, I wondered what grassroots sports would be like if coaches wanted to be there more than they wanted their kids to be on the team.

Before I go here is my take on developing a competitive advantage - do what others dare not do in a marketplace that people understand. 

Play nicely,

Simon