Meeting a New Year, Connecting with an Old Passion

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

It seems appropriate that in this first week of 2012 as I officially blog my first entry in “Women in Coaching” I also begin to write the first chapter in the new story of my career as an assistant coach for University of Michigan’s inaugural NCAA DI women’s lacrosse program.  I am thrilled to embark on this challenging and exciting new journey and look forward to sharing many of my experiences along the way with all of you!

So as I greet this New Year with arms wide open I also anxiously welcome the opportunity to connect with an old friend – my passion for coaching. Like many people, I believe when you have a passion for something and you follow it you are doing what you were meant to do and thus you will realize your own unique success and happiness.  Yet as we all know however, uncovering and discovering your passion while finding the means and opportunity to follow it in life is sometimes easier said than done.  But for those who are fortunate to find themselves in a position of pursing what they love to do in some way, shape or form, the personal rewards and satisfaction are immeasurable.

The fantastic thing about coaching is that are numerous opportunities to get involved and uncover your passion that don’t require the commitment of coaching as a full-time job. So whether you are currently coaching or not, in this New Year I encourage you to seek out a new way to reconnect with your passion for coaching in whatever way possible.  It may mean finally taking the step to help out with coaching your son or daughter’s youth league team or volunteering your time as a coach for your local recreation department’s sports league or simply making an effort to learn or develop a new skill or apply a new technique to your current approach to coaching.  The important thing is not how big or small the effort, but rather that you take the time to consciously connect with your passion, grow as a person and coach, continue to reveal the happiness that lies inside and in doing so carry on with sharing what you love to do with the world!

And so it is in honor of all coaches that I give TWO THUMBS UP to 2012 and another year of passion-filled days of sharing your love and talents through coaching!

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I am a big fan of quotations as I enjoy the way they often open my mind and allow me to look at something from a different angle or a new perspective.  So for each of my blog posts I intend on sharing a related and hopefully stimulating and thought-provoking quote with you!  This week, I was reminded of the following quote about passion from Baseball Hall of Famer Ernie Banks:  “Work? I never worked a day in my life. I always loved what I was doing, had a passion for it.”  

Jennifer Valore, Assistant Women’s Lacrosse Coach, University of Michigan, valore@umich.edu. Follow me on Twitter: jvalore