More Experience

In response to my post experience matters there was the following comment: “Would love to get your definition of experience as well. Some thirty year old coaches may have quite a bit of experience while some fifty year old coaches have very little to none. “ It is what a person does with what they know. It is like Joe Vigil says you can be coaching fifty years and have one experience fifty times or you can have fifty experiences. Too me it is all about the later. One thing I do know for sure now is that things are sure a lot clearer to me looking back over the years and reviewing past successes and failures in order not to repeat the failures and to build upon the successful experiences. I know now that I would not have been ready after five or tens years to assume some of the positions I see people in today. It probably reflects a different era. In 1979 I was one of four finalists for the position of Head Track & Field Coach at Stanford University. I was bitterly disappointed that I did not get the job, but I look back I was not ready for the job. I had only been coaching for tens years and definitely needed many more experiences and some failures to humble me. Last week Sports Illustrated ( March 19, 2007) had a superb article about the 1964 UCLA NCAA basketball team, John Wooden’s first NCAA championship team. The team had no starter over 6’5”!I recommend that everyone interested in coaching and excellence read it. Several points in the article he underscores the importance of experience. One of his guiding principles was “It’s what you, learn after you know it all that counts.” This man is considered one of the greatest coaches of all when he speaks I listen, I just wish I would have listened more when I was younger.