A Return to the Courts

I hope everyone had a great Easter with plenty of time with family and friends. I spent part of my weekend coaching AAU basketball…. I know some of you are saying, “aren’t you retired?” In the almost year that I have been “retired,” I have kept busy and involved with sports through mentoring new coaches and working with athletes in skill development sessions. Earlier this spring, a great coaching friend and a group of parents from an area school whose high school players I had worked with reached out about coaching a middle school group through practices in town and some tournaments this spring. It was a chance to invest in young people and get back into some coaching again. I always told people who asked about coaching again I would never say never….so here I am-coaching an AAU team team again after stepping away from the game.

So far, it has been a great experience and has reminded me of what I loved most about coaching: the relationships you develop with players, parents, other coaches, and even officials! The kids and parents I am working with have been awesome and have been so appreciative of my efforts which makes coaching so much easier. I still get asked often about how retirement is going, and my response is always I very much enjoy it but also very much miss the daily interactions with people and the connections you develop. It just isn’t the same in retirement!

Although the goal in each tournament is to win, the focus is on teaching effort, building relationships, and playing the game the right way. Wins are still great, but growth is what matters. There’s definitely something energizing about being back in the gym as well! The joy of watching a player figure it out, the excitement after a big play, the shared struggle of tournament weekends-it’s still worth it! When you’re not focusing on anything but growth, enjoyment, and relationships, you coach with more intention. I’m also probably more patient in this role which is a positive for everyone involved!

Coming out of retirement to coach AAU isn’t just a return to the court-it is a return to purpose. One of my main purposes post retirement has been creating better athletic experiences for athletes, coaches, and families. Coaching AAU has been an opportunity to do just that and I feel I have gotten much more out of this experience than what I have given!

Do you have a gift, a passion, or a calling that still stirs something in you and could be used to benefit others? If the answer is yes, don’t ignore it. I challenge you this week to look for one way you can use your experience to make someone else’s journey better-because purpose in life should never retire. The benefits for you-and for others-make it well worth the effort. Have a great week!