"In the beginning, God created heavens and the earth." (Genesis 1:1)

It's debatable, but there is something good to say about the benefits of the mindset, "It's never too late to start over." Especially when it comes to the position that we are in on an everyday basis: being a coach. In this role, we hold the clipboard and the whistle, and it's almost a 100% guarantee that at some point, we will lose our cool and snap at our athletes.

Early in my career as a head coach, there was a wrestling practice early in the season when our goal of having a focused and effective practice was doomed from the start. The wrestlers came into the room talking loudly, spewing all sorts of off-color jokes, and completely lacking focus of any sort. I bit my tongue and began practice. I tried to tolerate and overlook the distractions, but no more than thirty minutes into training, I lost it. I blew up at them, my voice raised and my face turning a bright shade of red. As I yelled, the veins in my temple and neck stood out, and my rage climaxed with me throwing the whistle against the wall and sending the team home for the day.

Practice the next day was full of tension and fear, and the wrestlers were on pins and needles. I acted like nothing had happened the day before. The kids knew better, however, and they toed the line and gave no problems. I knew that one of the captains had given a stern talk in the locker room prior to the start of practice, and I'm sure I saw quiet looks of warning given by various seniors to some of the more squirrely underclassmen. Behavior-wise, was it a great practice? It sure was. But I doubt the focus of the athletes was as much on their training and skills as it was on doing everything they could do to avoid another explosion from their young coach.

That was my natural M.O. at the start of my career, and it was modeled after my own upbringing. It was nothing personal, and I had no problem turning the page and moving on, because that's how things went in my house as a child. Tempers flared at various times, but it was never anything personal. Things were said and done in anger, but the next day was a new day and we learned to start over and move forward as a family.

A key detail that I began to discover as I got further into my career is that starting over is absolutely worthless unless something is learned that we can use to continue moving forward.

A fresh start in which we erase or forget history does no good. We must acknowledge the cause of the emotional outburst, reflect on it, and then move forward. If need be, we should apologize to those whom we have affected with our actions and words. The overall goal is to be transformed by God and to follow the His way, which means to love and be forgiving.

God's creations are all blessed loved by Him, and each time we see a new beginning in the Bible, we can acknowledge this common theme:

• Noah and the flood
• Ecclesiastes
• The return of the Prodigal Son
• Job's restoration

The greatest benefits of a new beginning are hope and love. When we start over, whether it's a new day after a tough loss or an ineffective practice, we must keep these ideas in mind. As long as you hold on to the negative emotions of the past, you won't be able to move forward and turn the page. Likewise, as long as you completely reset and forget any valuable lessons from the past, you're only condemning yourself to making the same mistakes. We hope for the best for our athletes, and we love all of the members of our programs. Thus, it is vital for us to live up to God's standard of being loving and hopeful, especially when we are forced to start anew. I look at each moment with my athletes as a new beginning to continue to progress and move forward, and I encourage you to embrace the same mindset.

Moment of Kaizen:

• What were some times when your coaching practices might have become toxic? How did you recognize that toxicity?
• What are the costs of continuing the toxic path versus the benefits of starting over?
• How do you communicate your love to the program, and how can you re-establish your shared vision and goals with your athletes?

Related Passage: "Don't copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God's will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect." (Romans 12:2)

Starting over in any way can be the most difficult things we do, whether it's a new program, a new sport, or a new job or school. Remember what hope is, and share it with your program. Remember what love is, and share your vision so all can understand the why of what you're doing. Never plow under a field without a clear vision of the fruits you intend for the new harvest. Remember the flaws or evils that corrupted the old, and give rise to a Christlike atmosphere with your new beginnings.

September 5, 2021

This article is a part of a series of Coaches Devotionals that I will be writing over the course of the next year. Please click here if you would like to receive email notifications when a new devotional is published.