What have you learned this year?

[Smitty]

Originally Posted by BigT

Been working on this side too. Sometimes I just dont have the patience for it.

I hope it didn't need to be said that this was something I was trying to accomplish all the time and in every situation. It was a general statement for me being more approachable than I've been in the past. This is something I've always struggled with - communicating with coaches. I don't tolerate coaches behaving badly, but I will make an attempt, when I see an opening, to try and just listen and communicate more (I'll even initiate conversation) rather than talking at coaches all the time. It's all relative to each situation, and each coach. I've moved around the country a lot and have had to start over in new associations a lot. It takes some time to get used to how things are done in each place and to see coaches enough to get to know their personalities and behaviors. I've been here for 6 years now and finally feel comfortable enough to do this. I'm not making a statement on what others do or should do - this was just my personal response to the OP. It's working for me and has made this season so much more enjoyable than any other since I've been here.