My wife and I love going to this restaurant in Pittsburgh called Hyde Park.  It is downtown right by PNC Park.  We call and make a reservation.  When we pull up the valet parks the car for us and we walk right in and are seated at our table.  The waiter or waitress always comes right over and makes sure we have everything we want at all times.  My wife always orders a salad, filet mignon and french fries.  I typically get the wedge salad and an enormous prime rib.  The food always comes out exactly as we ask it to be prepared.  When we leave the car is always waiting for us curb side and in the winter they even turn on the heated seats!  All-in-all we love going to Hyde Park because they provide us with everything we want in a very comfortable environment.

If you are looking for a great restaurant I am sure you’ll agree my experience at Hyde Park is spot on.  However, if you are looking for a good coach to truly progress a player then the last thing you want is someone who acts like a waiter or waitress and brings a player what they want.  Instead you need a coach who brings a player what they need.  I tell my players this all the time, “my job is not to make you comfortable and bring you what you want like a waiter in a fancy restaurant.  Instead, my job is to give you what you need to improve and continue improving.”

I like to think of a coach as a guide you hire to get you to the top of the mountain.  Why hire a Sherpa guide to help you climb Mt. Everest?  Plain and simple the Sherpa has been to the top and knows the path to get you there.  The same is true with a good coach.  They know what you need in order to get you better.  However when a coach knows how to get to the top of the mountain and they are willing to prioritize a players needs over their wants, you have a great coach!