Coaches often face significant strains in their personal relationships due to their demanding schedules, particularly when traveling for extended periods, such as 200 days a year. This puts added pressure on their spouses, who manage household responsibilities independently, leading to feelings of guilt for the coaches. The intense focus and commitment coaches have toward their athletes can overshadow their own family needs, resulting in emotional sacrifices. Furthermore, coaches grapple with a sense of helplessness as they can't directly control the performance outcomes of their athletes, which can be particularly frustrating for those who were once competitive athletes themselves. This parallels the experience of faculty who feel more anxious about their students' performances than their own, highlighting an inherent tension in wanting success for others while navigating personal emotional stakes.
America's top athletes need coaches. And those coaches themselves need guidance. It's a hard and stressful job - and one where coaches can easily become burned out and unhappy. And stressed coaches can't help their athletes win medals.
Christine Bolger and Emilie Lazenby of the US Olympic and Paralympic Committee teach happiness lessons - many they heard on this podcast - to America's elite coaches. They share their story with Dr Laurie and tell us what regular folk can learn from top coaches.
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