I’m A Salty Coach, And Proud Of It

No matter the truth in our message, we lose the effectiveness of the delivery if it is not filled with grace and seasoned with salt. When we “season with salt” we are are purposefully making our words “tasty” which encourages further dialogue. #DailyMight

The bible says in an encouraging way that all our conversations should be full of grace and seasoned with salt so that you may know how to answer everyone. Speaking from experience, I’ve been in a locker room after a tough loss and had to address a team – my team – and remind myself that all our conversations should be filled with grace. Early on I was salty coach. I had that part down, especially in those moments. Or so I thought.

In my coaching career I have been lucky to have strong mentors who understood early that transformational coaches are rooted in positive, healthy relationships with their players and fellow coaches. I would see this first hand when adversity struck, as it does inevitably throughout a season. Bad calls, unlucky bounces, heartbreaking losses. Check. All of them – often. But one sticks out to me, still to this day.

One particular year I helped lead a strong team. Talented, hungry to learn players who gave their everything in everything (my favorite kind of people). We gelled especially well in the state tournament and breezed through play until the championship game. It was our destiny to win. This was our time. We got down early but stormed back easily in the game and entered the third period tied 2-2. I knew we were going to win the game, I could feel it. But we didn’t, and ended up on the wrong side of a 5-3 score to take 2nd place. As the players headed to the locker room, some in tears, the coaches stayed back. We needed a plan of what message we were going to deliver.

My favorite coach and mentor is also my twin brother. A strong man of character and faith, a perfect role model in transformational leadership. A gifted leader entrenched in grace, and saltiness. There were a few kids who were angry about the loss. They should have been. We were more talented, it just wasn’t our period. It happens.

Reality is, no matter how much sense your message makes, we lose effectiveness if we can’t deliver it in a way that is understood and acted upon. We want to be a respected mentor, our knowledge absorbed, but respect is built through relationships and communication happens in those types of healthy relationships. My brother, the Head Coach, entered the locker room and everyone quieted, and took a seat. That was customary and a reflection of his connection with his teams and the respect they offered.

“Seasoned with salt” means that what we say should be “tasty” and should encourage further dialogue. It’s a true metaphor just as it would be to eat something graced with salt. An enhancing mechanism that wants you to keep eating, digesting.

I watched in awe as my brother delivered our message to the team. He held them accountable for their play, as any great coach would. Detailing skills, strategies, and situational awareness that each could improve on moving forward. He went through each kid, shaking their hand, thanking them for their dedication to improvement, to us the coaches, and their teammates. He gave each of them a nugget of encouragement through detailed explanation of at least one skill he loved them for as a player. He seasoned the moment with salt. He leaned into his players in that moment, and they responded to his grace, and saltiness.

Several of those kids went on to play at the next level reaching the Division 1 pinnacle of hockey before turning pro. I get to run into them from time to time when they are back home visiting with family. Hockey is a small world and it’s fun catching up and celebrating their accomplishments. The relationship is strong.

I’ve coached hundreds, probably thousands of games since that day I learned first hand what Paul explains to the church in the fourth book of Colossians – and modeled by my favorite coach. I never let an opportunity pass for my players to know about salt. And I’m proud to say that I’m probably the saltiest coach you know – the right kind of salt. And I wouldn’t want it any other way.

Give everything your everything. And then some.

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