My Coaching Philosophy

Hello Friends,

I hope you are all healthy and happy. This year Ramadan is April 23-May 23. It is the ninth month of the Muslim calendar and the holy month of fasting. It begins and ends with the appearance of the new moon. I want to wish all those partaking in this great sacrifice and honoring of God continued health. What an amazing journey into one’s own capability, exploration of one’s nature, and discovery of what it is to be human.

Could this virus be a defense mechanism by Mother Nature? Is it Her way of forcing us all to slow down? Our carbon imprint has dissipated, waters clearer, and people are learning how to be together though seemingly far apart. Individuals are exploring who they are without the escape of responsibility and hustling of scheduled life. We are finding time to connect with each other the way we should always be connecting.

Although I feel personally right now that my future is unclear, something I pondered this week was my coaching philosophy. I believe in calm energy to achieve quality practice, reach high performance, and teach complex mechanics through simple progressions. I positively reinforce what student’s do well, rather than criticize a student’s errors, in order to build their confidence and believe in themselves to set goals. I live my principles as a human being and use them as a coach to inspire and teach. I strive to create a safe, tolerant, and fun environment that teaches values of trust, respect, and hard work through the journey of mastering a skill, and competing against oneself and others.

This belief system comes from who my father, mother, and sister challenged me to be, and the example they lived molded my character and value system. This value system is the core of my coaching philosophy and philosophy of life in general – who I am as a person goes hand in hand with who I am as a coach.

Another role model is my boss and friend David McNaughton. How he treats people, his positive attitude and reinforcement, and his presence on and off the court, has molded how I present myself and how I try to encourage, recognize, and speak to my students. I am also grateful to my students who have molded me over the years. The people they are, their best traits, what they respond to, all of these little pieces and influencers over the years. I have a dear friend who is a freelance writer who has continually inspired me as a person, and as a writer. He shows me how to be, encourages me as a writer, and even edits my material. His name is Ben Johnson and he has a blog on Tumblr called "Randoreviews" and has self-published works on Amazon. Check him out! So many of you who have touched my life in some way have filled in any holes and further perfected my coaching philosophy to make it a living, breathing organism constantly adapting and growing. Thank you.

What is your philosophy - of life, of your role in this world? How did you reach it, and who influenced you? What will you bring to your role when we return? Will you return to that job or will you start a new path more in line with your greater purpose? This is a lot to think about but worthwhile, while you still have the chance.

Survival Mechanisms:

Non-Screen Activity: Set-up a driveway tennis court with a junior tennis net or use stuff from your garage to create a barrier that could serve as a net. Then play around mock points with red, orange, or pickle balls.

Epic Walk: Old Town Hill, Newbury, MA

Article of the Week: Nostalgic look at movie theatres… https://hyperallergic.com/323313/hiroshi-sugimotos-otherworldly-photographs-of-movie-theaters/

Movie Recommendation: Ford versus Ferrari

Documentary Recommendation: Planet of the Humans – Michael Moore

Show Recommendation: The English Game

Smoothie Recipe: Carrot Cake Smoothie

1 cup almond milk

1 cup of carrots

1 cup spinach

1 banana

.5 tsp cinnamon

.5 tsp vanilla extract

Pinch of nutmeg

1 Tbs honey

Dinner Recipe: Homemade Burgers, Buns, and Japanese Sweet Potato Fries

Burger

1 egg

1 tsp mustard (regular or Dijon)

1 tsp Worcestershire sauce

1 small onion, finely grated

1 clove garlic, minced

.5 tsp salt

.5 tsp pepper

1 lb medium ground beef

Buns (the best part!)

1.) Whisk together the warm water, milk, yeast, and sugar. Then beat 1 egg.

2.) In the bowl of a stand mixer, add the flours, salt and butter (we used 2/3 whole wheat flower). Using the paddle attachment, mix the ingredients until the butter is the size of the crumbs.

3.) Stir in yeast mixture and beaten egg. Run the mixer on medium-low (we used #3 on our Kitchen Aid) until a dough forms, about 5-8 minutes.

4.) Scrape down the sides of the bowl if necessary, and shape the dough into a ball. Cover the bowl with a damp kitchen towel and let the dough rise until it has doubled in size, 1-3 hours @ 70 degrees F

5.) Line baking sheet with parchment paper. Using a flour dough scraper, divide the dough into 8 equal pieces

6.) To shape dough into balls, flatten each piece like a pancake. Gather the ends and pinch the dough to seal in the center. Flip the dough over, cup the surface with your palm, and roll into a ball. Transfer to your baking sheet, placing a few inches apart. Cover and rest for 1-2 hours, or until puffy and slightly risen.

7.) To make egg wash, beat the remaining egg with a splash of water. When the buns are finished with the 2nd rise, gently brush each one with egg wash. At this point you could add sesame seeds to the top if desired.

8.) Preheat oven to 400 F. and place skillet or metal baking dish on the oven floor. Before the dough goes in add about .5 cup of water to the pan to create steam. This will keep bread nice and moist. Bake for about 15-20 minutes or until golden brown. Transfer to wire rack to cool completely.

Japanese Sweet Potato Fries:

2 Japanese sweet Potatoes

Olive Oil

Salt and Pepper

Cut Potato into fries

Brush with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper

Bake at 400 F. for 15-25 minutes depending on thickness of potatoes