Words cannot describe how proud I am of my travel ball team. We recently competed in a large tournament in Tallahassee, and ended up winning our bracket. Several college coaches were present to recruit incoming classes, including my own assistant coach from UWF. My girls went all out and performed extremely well, and really took in what I had been trying to get them to put more effort into for the last two tournaments, which is communication. My team is extremely talented individually, which has gotten them by throughout the years. But, there is always something to improve at, and communication is definitely something that I have been reminding them of (sometimes fairly loudly) each tournament.
It seems that I am finally getting through to all of them rather than just a few select girls, and I couldn't be happier. We got compliments from college coaches about our communication and overall teamwork. My assistant coach at UWF even took interest in one of my girls. How exciting is that? The world is your oyster when you are able to take constructive criticism. Being coachable and having the ability to adapt and overcome in order to better yourself isn't just a sport skill, it’s a life skill. In your job, in your family relations, in any aspect of your life, be able to take what people say into consideration. Even if it sounds crazy or it is coming from someone that you do not particularly like, still attempt to look at it from their perspective before it goes in one ear and out the other. There is always some type of learning to be done.
Handling constructive criticism is a lot easier said than done, especially if you are considered an “expert” at your craft. But, do not let your pride or ego get in the way of bettering yourself. Take a step back and look at the bigger picture. There might be something that is missing.