Encourage
Your Best Plays Are Ahead
Pivoting isn’t failure, it’s recognizing a new strategy is needed. It’s ok to explore other options. Success might be simply casting in a different direction.
How many times have we been “fishing” exclusively from one side like Peter did in the book of John? Pivoting isn’t failure, it’s recognizing a new strategy is needed. It’s ok to “cast from the other side of the ship” or explore other options. Success might be simply casting in a different direction. #DailyMight
I love in the book of John when Jesus shouts from the shore to “cast your nets on the right side of the ship.” Peter and his company of fisherman pals had spent the entire night casting their nets on the other side of the ship exclusively with no success. Taking Jesus’s advice, the scripture goes on to say “when they did, they were unable to haul in the net because of the abundance of fish.”
The book of John details several miracles Jesus had performed for those around him. Net fishing is all about location so moving the nets by a few feet (like changing sides of a small fishing vessel), would seemingly be a wasted effort and of little difference. Good fisherman know you need distance if you’re not catching fish in a certain spot. Peter and his boatmates were desperate, thinking they would come back to shore empty handed. They listened to Jesus’s advice even though it was a seemingly nonsense suggestion to fish on the “other side.” They tried a new strategy and it worked.
Jesus said, “Throw your net on the right side of the boat and you will find some fish.” When they did, they were unable to haul the net in because of the large number of fish.
John 21:6
The valuable lesson that Jesus was teaching Peter is a lesson that coaches need to model for their young athletes. How many times have we been fishing on one side only? Down a single path, exploring a single thought, or isolating to one bad idea. How would “casting your net on the other side” positively effect the rest of the season. The rest of a game or practice? Pivoting isn’t failure, it’s the recognition that a new strategy is needed.
I encourage you to be open to the other side of the ship. Explore other options, approach your athletes differently with the intent of connecting better. Try new drills, or a different communication style. Your success might be as close as casting your net on the other side of the ship.
Give everything your everything. And then some.
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