Many of the great pleasures in my life have had to do with coaching others. I began more than twenty-five years ago by coaching middle-school soccer teams. At the start, I knew almost nothing about the game, but I learned. Later on, I coached successfully at a high school.
The things that I am good at are mostly fitness or art related. For a while, as a volunteer, I coached a troubled but artistically talented teen develop his drawing and painting ability. Years later, I led fitness kickboxing classes at a health club. Some of the students changed their lives through regular participation and now live fitness lifestyles.
The thing is, all of these things happened in my post-“retirement” years (admittedly, I left the business world still a relatively young man). Today, through my newsletter, blog, and website, I try to influence, urge and cajole mature adults to make the most of life through a fitness lifestyle. In a way, I see it as still coaching, at least indirectly.
My readers range widely in age. Some are not seniors at all, but most have reached the 50 year mark and on up from there. The e-mails come here from all around the U.S. and overseas. (A Google report for the past 30 days shows visits to my web site from 44 different nations and territories.) Some of the stories are wonderful. Some are from seniors who have stayed super-fit their entire lives. Others are embarking on an exercise program for the first time. Many are overcoming health problems or other obsticles to their progress, and I am often surprised by their creativity, ingenuity, and determination (some examples will follow in future posts). Sometimes they thank me for information or for my prodding them to take care of themselves. Does it make me happy? Yes, it makes my day.
Thank you.
No comments:
Post a Comment