PASTOR DAVE’S MUSINGS FROM THE HEARTLAND

October 9, 2024

A PERSONAL COACH

Tuesday, September 27^th, Dr. Alful Gawande, professor of surgery at the Harvard Medical School, was interviewed on NPR’s “Talk of the Nation” about his article in The New Yorker magazine.  While watching Rafael Nadel playing at Wimbledon, Dr. Gawance noticed his coach urging Nadel on.  This brought to his mind the question of why it is that tennis players have personal coaches but surgeons do not.

Dr. Gawande’s observation can be found in other arenas.  Opera singers have personal coaches while concert violinists do not.  Most professional golfers have coaches.  I am not sure that I have ever heard of a professional bowler having a coach.

Two ways of learning were suggested by Dr. Gawande.  He learned to be a surgeon by following a teaching model.  Gawande learned his profession by attending medical school, doing internships, and then by being sent forth to be a surgeon with some continuing education along the way.

The other model that Dr. Gawande suggests is that of a coach.  While tennis players may have attended a college or university, most of the learning of their trade came by employing personal coaches.  The use of coaches continues throughout a tennis player’s entire career.

After seven years as a practicing surgeon Dr. Gawande thought that he was no longer progressing in his profession.  To address the problem he employed the help of a retired surgeon who monthly observed him in the operating theater.  The doctor helped him to identify some details that were interfering with his techniques and when corrected made him a better surgeon.

Coaches employed by tennis players, golfers, and opera singers are hired by the professional.  Their job is to help the professional be the best they can possibly be by noting small details that may be causing problems and by giving a critique of their performances.

A team coach that Dr. Gawande mentioned was John Wooden.  One of the keys that helped Wooden win ten national basketball championships at UCLA was his attention to details.  The first thing Coach would do at his team’s first practice every year was to go over with them how to put on their socks.  A small detail, but if not done properly could ultimately result in a player not being able to perform because of a possible blister.

In the Christian tradition there is a practice of a person employing a spiritual director to help him or her grow in their own personal faith.  These directors provide a sounding board against which one can bounce ideas and feelings and who can raise questions for consideration.  They can identify the little things that were spoiling a person’s life.

The last ten years I was a pastor I employed the use of mentors with my confirmation classes.  Each confirmand would select an adult with whom they would meet on a regular basis.  The adult would share their own faith journey with the young person as well as participating with them on projects and experiences.

Today there would seem to be a growing interest in life coaches.  They are there to help one with the profession of living.  All of us could use a little help along our journey.  Many of us find such persons within the constellation of our extended families.  Families are God’s way of providing personal coaches for each of us in our life under the sun.

(This article was originally published October 9, 2011.  Comments may be sent to davidh15503@embarrqmail.com.)