A coach provides immediate instruction, direction, and prompting.

Recently, I attended a high school football awards banquet at the end of the school year. It was the coach’s responsibility, of course, to introduce each award recipient. This would have been the perfect time for the coach to praise each winner (obviously, they had some desirable strength or they wouldn’t have been chosen to receive an award). He could have easily praised the skill, leadership qualities, and resiliency of these fine young men. Instead, he foolishly chose to make them the butt of quips by commenting on their athletic and academic shortcomings. While his comments drew laughter from the audience (undeservedly so), the players were obviously uncomfortable and embarrassed. Had that coach offered his critique during the season when performance could have been improved, he might have had a winning season. As it was, he saved his criticism until the end of the year when nothing could be done. Timing is everything.