I like the word.
Eloquence.
The art of using language with fluency and aptness.
Imagine being both fluid and apt. Imagine being an eloquent coach. I like the thought of that as much as I like the word.
Eloquence.
Here is where I erred as a young coach and err even to this day. I assumed that the language was synonymous with words spoken. While that may be partially true, it is not entirely so.
I have come to learn that training is a coach’s language. I speak through the activities I choose and the relentless faith I have in my players to master them. I now understand that an exercise is fluency when it perches players on the precipice of failure overlooking the glorious abyss of success.
I have come to learn that silence is as powerful as a spoken word. That a high five, hug, or a handshake is a form of eloquence. I speak through my patience. My persistence. My passion.
I have come to learn that a pat on the back is eloquence when delivered with a measure of inspiration. That a nod of approval is eloquence when delivered with a mountain of advocacy.
Oh, I still babble far too long and far too often. I have many miles yet to travel on the road toward fluency and aptness.
But I am more confident now knowing that a coach’s eloquence is not bound by the words of a wise one, but by the actions of a kind one.
I like the word.
Eloquence.