Learning

I’m keeping this short and sweet today as I’ve been coaching 4 sessions a day for 3 days with one more day to go tomorrow at the AMAZING Derby Revolution in the BEAUTIFUL City of Gent in Belgium. I am mentally almost spent (hence all the CAPITAL LETTERS- I get enthusiastic when I’m exhausted), BUT I was thinking about no matter how much I’ve been coaching, I’ve been learning so much as well.

You never know who, or when or what, but there is stuff that you don’t know already everywhere. You’ve just got to be open to receiving it. I’ve learnt so much from all the other coaches here. We’re teaching the same game under the same rules with the same legs and arms, but we all have different ways of seeing things and saying things. It’s brilliant! I’ve learnt loads from the speed coach that is here. That’s a skill I definitely want to work more on when I get back home. But I’ve also learnt so much from every participant here. From simple things like stuff I have to remember to explain at the beginning of drills, to brand new ways of executing stuff on the track, to how they run things in their league back home that makes total sense and I can’t believe I don’t already do.

I’ve also learnt that if you put 250 derby skaters, refs and volunteers in one big building for 4 days the atmosphere becomes electric with excitement, heady with sweat, the corridors ring with laughter and exclamations and you can’t help but remember why you love sharing everything that you know to anyone that asks.

Most of all, the thing I’ve learnt that will really stay with me forever and ever, is just how lucky I am to be a part of this community.

Fun scrimmage where I was an honourary Belgian rocking my new skates. Photo courtesy of Derby Revolution.