Fake Smiles
I've been an athletics trainer for half my life. When I was 15 or 16 years old, I began my journey with the youngest kids in my athletics club and then grew to coach increasingly older athletes. The U14 and U16 athletes have been my base group for fourteen years now.
Over time, I've noticed two versions of myself when coaching, which heavily depend on my mood. When the past day was busy and tough, my energy during coaching is low. Meanwhile, when the day was relaxing and easy, my energy during coaching is high. No surprises there, of course.
However, my mood affects the athletes. My bad mood leads to annoying athlete behavior, while my good mood leads to exemplary athlete behavior. That's not something I should hold my athletes accountable for, but myself.
Since I realized this, I've been trying to put on a good mood, even if I don't feel like it. I know what effect it will have on my athletes. Surprisingly, after faking a good mood for a while, I usually start feeling energized again. It's like laughing therapy, where a continuous fake laugh turns into genuine bursts of laughter. Fake it until you make it. It's a win-win situation in the end.
