We're told constantly to know our athletes, their lives and pressures and stories, but nobody ever tells coaches to know themselves with the same curiosity. That's the cheat code these three videos are pointing at, because the better we know ourselves, the better we know our athletes, and our perspective on everything downstream shifts when we do the inner work first. This is not a self-help detour, it is a coaching tool that nobody ever handed us. Each video has a worksheet to turn the watching into actual practice, and the work compounds when you do them in order.
Most of us coach the way we were coached. Some of what we inherited is gold, and some of it came from environments built on fear that we never thought to question. This video is an honest look back at where our coaching came from, so we can decide what we want to carry forward and what we want to quietly retire.
Key points:
- We coach the way we were coached, until we examine it
- Fear-based leadership often dresses up as discipline or "the way it's done"
- You cannot unlearn what you have not yet seen
- Both trust and fear can win games, but only one builds humans who stay grounded long after the season ends
This story is one of three from Nick Rothwell - be sure to explore them all!
Worksheet (Mentor Audit): Pick three or four mentors who shaped how you coach. For each, note how they taught you, what they taught you, and whether their approach came from a place of trust or a place of fear. Sit with the patterns that show up.
