The Coach Poem by Timothy E. Becker

The person who instills discipline and work is felt.
He/she is one who knows his/her players.
Discipline is not instilled with the belt.
Rather it is built by practice and errors.

It is not always easy to know how to win.
When things get to be tricky and unpredictable,
The coach turns to new ideas and new men.
Listening is a skill which makes things stable.

We can never be sure how to act.
The game is normally won through team play.
The coach has to be flexible with tact.
He/she must be neutral, fair, and have a say.

The coach knows when to take a loss.
He/she knows the players and needs their support.
The trick with coaching is to teach by carrying the cross.
A coach like the teacher must carry a burden in the sport.

Sometimes a good coach gets angry.
Other times the coach is warm and approachable.
The team has to know what they could see.
Many times the outcome is not negotiable.