The most important advice a coach can give a team is to teach them how to tune into their spiritual self. Too often a coach wants too much control over her team and this eventually causes athletes to rebel or cling to negative emotions. When things go wrong, players harboring negative emotions can lash out at others or themselves and, in most cases, lose their competitive edge. The biggest destructive force that a coach and his players have to learn to deal with is their own ego and how they handle opposing situations or conflicts.
A key to dealing with adversity or other challenges is for a coach to teach the team to look beyond the ego. The ego manifests itself externally and to look beyond one must look within, at their spiritual self. In competitive situations, this is not easy as the ego is strongest during competitive events. The more a person practices, the easier it becomes to attain the spiritual self. The spiritual self must become more powerful than the ego so that you can find it when you need it. Some people are born with a strong spiritual self and find it easy to deal with negative emotions. If you’re reading this, you’re probably not one of the lucky few. You have to learn to be strong, spiritually, especially if you plan to coach athletes.
Spirituality is not the same as religion. Simply put, spiritual is being in tune with your soul, another word for spiritual self. It is the opposite of anything material, physical or tangible. Being in tune with your soul means that you are aware that you are part of something that is not of this earth, something bigger and invisible but that you know is somewhere. Knowing of its existence and believing in its power gives you the strength and wisdom to handle any situation positively and calmly. Another benefit of knowing and strengthening your spiritual self is that when you are in tune, you are more successful in all kinds of challenges you face throughout your life, not just competitive situations.
A spiritual athlete is a very powerful influence on the team, although he can go unnoticed. These are the team players who are capable of keeping a broken ship afloat. They have the ability to see beyond what meets the eye and take advantage of what is not seen on the surface, while protecting themselves from negativity. Spiritual athletes tend to have meaningful goals that are positive win-win situations for themselves and the team. They see obstacles as an opportunity to learn, develop character and strength. They know that by overcoming obstacles, they are rewarded with opportunities.
Therefore, a spiritual coach who is successful in teaching the team about their spiritual self will have a powerful advantage over the competition. A coach who is open and aware of the power contained in the human spirit is a happy, fulfilled and successful coach. Building a spiritual team is the best way to build a winning team, even if the scoreboard shows a loss.
The spiritual coach who builds a spiritual team will usually have smooth daily routines that involve hard work, dedication, and focus. A spiritual team needs fewer disciplinary actions, and the environment provides a more enjoyable experience for the entire team.
