Coach Macy, Coach Macy, and The Lightnings

Coach Macy (me) and the other Coach Macy (my dad) held our first practice last week for The Lightnings (five-year-old Wyatt’s soccer team, named because “lightning is super-fast, and so are we!”). It was a windy, thirty-something, half winter / half spring day here in Colorado, but we got those little guys going anyway. You’ve got to be tough if you want to live in the mountains, and cold fingers and noses make for “good mental training,” as the elder Coach Macy would say.

Our team focuses on three principles:

Play hard
Play with class
Play as a team

The teacher in me hopes each of our players can remember two of the three principles by the end of the season and that--maybe--one or two of the boys will actually understand the abstract concept, “Play with class.”

Growth mindset here: Even if “class” doesn’t make sense in now preschool, I bet if we talk about it at every practice for a few years it’ll be truly ingrained by second grade.

Or maybe third.

The Lightnings have me thinking about coaching and why I like it so much. I knew by 9th grade that I wanted to do work that focuses on helping people. In college, my pre-med quest sizzled out when I realized helping people in the clinic would probably involve sacrificing too much of my other, self-centered quest for endurance racing and travel. Teaching entered the picture, and it worked for awhile.

Now, finally, coaching is even better.

I feel fortunate on a daily basis to coach adult athletes to become faster, healthier, and happier; working professionals to be more accountable and effective; teenagers in preparation for post-secondary education; and The Lightnings, primarily towards scoring in the right goal.

It sounds kind of contrite, but I really think it’s true: If you want to get inspired yourself, start by helping someone else.

Thanks for reading,

Travis

PS- Here’s a coaching spotlight on one of my endurance athletes, Dave, who will be racing this weekend at the Gorge Waterfalls 100k in Oregon. Go, Dave!

"I have been running ultras for a couple years now and have been lucky enough to earn a few belt buckles along the way. During training efforts, my relationship with running had been a bit of a love-hate process. I wanted to go out and do the big runs, but had a hard time staying consistent in my training. I knew I was not reaching my true potential and wanted to get back on track. Having a set schedule and planning for my hard run days has made everything easier. I'm having so much fun on my easy days just going out and enjoying the trails!"
- Dave, Vermont

________________________Travis Macy
High performance consultant
Endurance athlete and coach
Author, The Ultra Mindset:
An Endurance Champion's 8 Core
Principles for Success in Business,
Sports, and Life
(with John Hanc, Da Capo Press, spring 2015)www.travismacy.com
@travismacy