🏆 The 5 Hard Truths of Coaching

Some truths hit harder than others. Especially in coaching.

Author

Greg Berge
October 02, 2025

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The 5 Hard Truths of Coaching

Some truths hit harder than others.
Especially in coaching.

No one really prepares you for the emotional weight, the unseen sacrifices, or the long-term ripple effects of this job.

From the outside, people see the game-day energy and final scores.
But on the inside? Coaching is deeper, messier, and far more human.

After three decades in coaching and leadership, here are five truths I’ve learned the hard way.

Maybe you have too.

1️⃣ You’ll be judged by people who know the least.

Parents, fans, and even people in your own building will form strong opinions without knowing the whole picture.

They won’t see the extra hours.
The private conversations.
The personal sacrifices.

You’ll want to defend yourself. And sometimes you should.
But most of the time? The best response is consistency and integrity. Let your work speak over time.

👉 Coaching Takeaway: Don’t base your worth on outside noise. Base it on your values.

2️⃣ Culture is not built in big moments.

Big wins don’t build your culture.
The daily stuff does.

Culture is built:

  • When you stop a drill to correct effort

  • When you address the locker room vibe before it gets toxic

  • When your seniors echo the same standards you preach

It’s in the weight room. The classroom.
The text you send after a bad practice.

👉 Coaching Takeaway: Culture isn’t a one-time speech. It’s the small things you demand and repeat.

3️⃣ Coaching is way more emotional than it looks.

You pour your heart into this.
You care deeply, and that comes with a cost.

One rough meeting.
One kid going through something heavy.
One moment of feeling like it’s all on your shoulders.

And it stays with you long after the lights shut off.

👉 Coaching Takeaway: You have to protect your own energy. Not by caring less, but by caring wisely.

4️⃣ You’ll lose sleep over the kids who won’t buy in.

It’s not the wins that keep you up.
It’s the ones you couldn’t reach.

  • The talented kid with a bad attitude

  • The quiet one who never felt connected

  • The leader who never led the way you hoped

You replay it all. You wonder what you could’ve done differently.

👉 Coaching Takeaway: You won’t reach everyone. But you can show up consistently. That still matters.

5️⃣ Your impact will outlive your win-loss record.

You’ll forget some scores.
But the kids? They’ll remember how you made them feel.

Long after the final buzzer, they’ll talk about:

  • The confidence you gave them

  • The standard you held them to

  • The belief you had, especially when they didn’t have it themselves

👉 Coaching Takeaway: Wins are great. But legacy is louder.

Reflective Questions:

  • Which of these five truths hits you hardest right now?

  • What are you doing to stay grounded in what matters most?

Want Tools to Lead With Confidence?

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✅ And stay focused on what really matters

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Good luck this week,
Greg

P.S. I love this video from Kara Lawson. A great one to share with your team:

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📜 GREAT QUOTES

"The challenge of every team is to build a feeling of oneness, of dependence on one another because the question is usually not how well each person performs, but how well they work together."

Vince Lombardi

“If you want to win, do the ordinary things better than anyone else does them day in and day out.”

Chuck Noll

🔗 LINKS FOR LEADERS

🎥 Video: Tom Brady on his Athletic Journey [LINK]

🆇 ICYMI: Confidence is earned. [LINK]

📰 Article: How Great Coaches Neutralize Negativity

🏆 How Great Coaches Neutralize Negativity

Negativity is contagious. Here’s how to stop it before it spreads.

gregberge.beehiiv.com/p/how-great-coaches-neutralize-negativity

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Contact Me: Greg Berge, [email protected]

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