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There I was walking the hallway before I gave my final instruction to my boys’ varsity basketball team. I was extremely excited and nervous, because it was my first game as a head coach, and I was just 23 years old. My team came out and executed well, and we got our first win of the season and my first win as a head coach. It was awesome!
So how old do you have to be to coach? Or how old do you have to be to share knowledge with others? I personally don’t think there is an age limit. Some things might be better served if the information comes from people of age and experience, but certainly not all.
When I was coaching at the age of 23 I did not have a lot of head coaching experience, but I was blessed to have gained a lot of knowledge. I grew up with a father and brothers who were all very successful coaches. I learned more about coaching at a young age than most people do after 20 years of coaching. This was because I wanted it. I was a sponge. I looked everywhere for knowledge. By the time I was 23 I had been learning the skills to coach for many years. All I needed now was time on the bench so I could make decision under pressure.
I have had people say to me that people who are young (early 20s) shouldn’t be giving information to others in the form of clinics or products. My response is always, “Says who and why?”
One of the brightest people in the fitness industry is Eric Cressey. Eric was in his early 20s when he published many articles that were extremely informational. The fact that he was young had nothing to do with his knowledge and what he could share with others.
If you are willing to research, read, and do the work to gain knowledge, age doesn’t matter. Age is more of a roadblock when matters of experience come in to play. You would not want a President of the United States to be in his or her 20s or early 30s simply because experience in decision-making is crucial, but if you are just sharing knowledge, age is not such a hurdle.
The next time you read or attend a clinic of someone young make your judgment on the information given, not the person’s age.
Yours in Speed,
Lee
P.S. One of the best ways to overcome lack of knowledge and experience in a field is to gain information from those who have been doing it for a long time. I created a product for people who wanted to have a study course that would speed up their knowledge of speed training for court and field sport athletes. Go to www.GroundBreaking2.com so you can learn how powerful it is to have in-depth knowledge of technical multidirectional speed training.
P.S.S. Ground Breaking 2 is not for the novice coach or trainer who doesn’t really care about the art of coaching speed. It was designed for the serious coach and trainer wanting to go to the next level of coaching. www.GroundBreaking2.com
Excellent point Lee!
While more veteran coaches have the benefit of experience, many have lost the ability to question the current line of thinking. The young will always bring with them creativity and passion.
Thanks Mark! Sometimes we let our ego’s get in the way when a young gun comes along with answers. I believe experience comes with time but knowledge can be gained at any age and if it is used appropriately there is great value.
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