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Cal Bouchard is a colleague in the world of Leadership Development and Executive Coaching, and she’s also the first Canadian to be drafted into the WNBA. I could go on and on about the accolades Cal’s racked up throughout the course of her basketball career, but what I loved about our recent conversation was how she paid homage to the pivotal coaches that set her on this path.
I asked Cal what some of her first memories of basketball were, and without hesitation, she said, “I didn't get introduced to basketball until I was in the sixth grade. And I still remember my sixth-grade gym teacher, Mr. Smith.” She smiled and noted, “he introduced basketball, and then he took the time to show me how to shoot and show me the fundamentals of a shooting motion. And I really just got hooked.” She went on to describe more about her initial experience in the sport but came back to the fact that “it all started with Mr. Smith and just the simple shooting motion” that sent her down the path that would ultimately lead her to represent her country at the Olympics.
Most of us that have played sports as professionals, amateurs, or even at the local rec league can think back to that coach that made all the difference. That coach that did things just a little bit differently, that took the extra time to break something down and drove us to want to play to our potential and beyond. For me, that was Coach Schaibly.
I met Coach Schaibly in fifth grade when I transferred elementary schools. She was the Physical Education Teacher and the head coach for many of the junior and varsity athletic teams. She commanded respect from students but was always aware when someone needed a little one-on-one time to talk through whatever was going on in life. She was the first person to spark the inkling in my mind that I might one day be a head coach for which I’ll forever be grateful.
My conversation with Cal was a good reminder of the impact good coaches can have on a young person’s life. It also reminded me that we often don’t take the time to let these people know just how much they’ve meant to us; how much they’ve shaped us as adults. It prompted me to reach out to Coach Schaibly and make sure she knows, and I’d encourage you to do the same if you remember that one coach that made all the difference.
Thank you to all the caring coaches out there…the ripples you’re creating are so far beyond what you can imagine.
-Derika
Cal Bouchard is a colleague in the world of Leadership Development and Executive Coaching, and she’s also the first Canadian to be drafted into the WNBA. I could go on and on about the accolades Cal’s racked up throughout the course of her basketball career, but what I loved about our recent conversation was how she paid homage to the pivotal coaches that set her on this path.
I asked Cal what some of her first memories of basketball were, and without hesitation, she said, “I didn't get introduced to basketball until I was in the sixth grade. And I still remember my sixth-grade gym teacher, Mr. Smith.” She smiled and noted, “he introduced basketball, and then he took the time to show me how to shoot and show me the fundamentals of a shooting motion. And I really just got hooked.” She went on to describe more about her initial experience in the sport but came back to the fact that “it all started with Mr. Smith and just the simple shooting motion” that sent her down the path that would ultimately lead her to represent her country at the Olympics.
Most of us that have played sports as professionals, amateurs, or even at the local rec league can think back to that coach that made all the difference. That coach that did things just a little bit differently, that took the extra time to break something down and drove us to want to play to our potential and beyond. For me, that was Coach Schaibly.
I met Coach Schaibly in fifth grade when I transferred elementary schools. She was the Physical Education Teacher and the head coach for many of the junior and varsity athletic teams. She commanded respect from students but was always aware when someone needed a little one-on-one time to talk through whatever was going on in life. She was the first person to spark the inkling in my mind that I might one day be a head coach for which I’ll forever be grateful.
My conversation with Cal was a good reminder of the impact good coaches can have on a young person’s life. It also reminded me that we often don’t take the time to let these people know just how much they’ve meant to us; how much they’ve shaped us as adults. It prompted me to reach out to Coach Schaibly and make sure she knows, and I’d encourage you to do the same if you remember that one coach that made all the difference.
Thank you to all the caring coaches out there…the ripples you’re creating are so far beyond what you can imagine.
-Derika
