MONDAY MINDSET: THE KEYSTONE

WEEK OF 4.29.24

 

Coaches, Athletes, and Keystones–

There should exist a natural tension between the athlete, who desires to grow, mature, and overcome boundaries, and the coach, who works to contain the athlete inside of a structured training protocol.

People generally shy away from conflict or from disagreement, as if the presence of tension is a symptom of a corrupted relationship.  However, this is not the case.

Conflict and tension are necessary conditions for a strong, supporting relationship.  We often talk about finding a coach that’s a “good fit” for our needs – a piece of the structure whose shape lends strength to the career that we are building, or the goals that we are pursuing.

Consider a keystone–the final piece of masonry that, inserted at the apex of an arch, provides support and stability to the structure.  It is this exact presence of tension, friction, and conflict in that structure that produces its strength.  

The arch is the basis of architecture.  To an extent, every large structure (surely the ones that we hold in the highest esteem, anyway) follow this simple concept of tension and friction leading to strength.

A good coach or leader is a keystone – the rock that provides structure and strength to you through friction, weight, and tension.

It is agreement through conflict, progress through resistance, and strength through opposition.