“Coaching is the catalyst for transformation.” -Vikram Kapoor
Those who want improvement and greatness know that they can rarely achieve it on their own, because they may have desire and talent but need vision and training and to be pushed beyond their comfort zone. This is why coaches exist.
A coach may teach fundamentals to six-year-olds on how to position themselves and kick. This may seem trivial but it is these fundamentals from which excellence is built, and it is the fun the beginner experiences that makes them want to come back and try again tomorrow to get better and eventually master the basics. This is the most critical part of coaching: instilling a love of the game and a willingness to work, because nothing else can happen in terms of growth and development if the beginner quits.
A coach might teach theory, of how the cello is played or around debate tactics. These are more advanced than the mechanics of execution, the why over the how. This leads to a deeper understanding of the body and mind plus how to practice more effectively as well as strategy so as to compete more intelligently.
A coach requires accountability, to the game and the team and most of all to the self and the future that could be. Whether it is avoiding certain behaviors like drinking or exploding in anger or embracing things like the 5:00 am run, being answerable to someone and something greater than the current self is needed to metamorphosize from the current state into a better, higher one.
Most people don’t want to be coached, because they don’t want to be uncomfortable. The greater the goal though the more discomfort required to reach it, be it the summit of Everest or the summit of a profession such as sports, business, or an art. In transforming ourselves and our lives, we need the catalyst of the coach to help us achieve excellence in our endeavors.