We asked the BuzzFeed Community to tell us about their favorite coach. Here are some of the life-changing lessons they learned from their amazing coaches:
1. You can't win if you don't try!
"I had a great voice coach who would encourage me to audition for roles and singing groups, and when I expressed apprehension she'd say, "Well, think of it this way: You definitely WON'T get the part if you DON'T audition." And it was, like, genius advice that I now apply to a lot of different things in my life."
—Grace S.
2. Learn from your mistakes — but don't dwell on them.
"When I was a teenager, I had a horseback-riding trainer. There was one lesson where absolutely nothing was going right...and I eventually got so frustrated I started crying. Katie, my trainer, stood by my horse and told me, 'It's okay that you're crying. It means that you care, and caring is always good. But it's also important to learn from what keeps going wrong. Take a minute, stop, breathe. Then try again.' It was a very simple lesson that's stayed with me for my whole life."
—Kaye T.
3. A little patience goes a long way.
"As biased as it may sound, my dad is one of the best coaches I’ve ever had. One year I was on a kickball team of leftover misfits. Our first coach quit because of us, so my dad stepped in mid-season when no one else wanted to. Through his patience, compassion, and drive, we went from this unruly group of teenage girls who couldn’t win a game to second place in the league and winning tournaments because he wasn’t afraid to take on the challenge that was my team."
4. Always stay true to yourself.
"My cheerleading coach all four years of high school was also my English teacher, newspaper advisor, and a new mother early in her career. She showed me that you don't have to sacrifice any part of who you are to accomplish whatever it is that you hope to achieve."
—Casey C.
5. Nothing is impossible if you put your mind to it!
"My ballet teacher was the most incredible coach/role model/teacher I ever had. She had wild red hair, red lipstick, and a bamboo stick to count time and prove that you weren't really standing up straight. She had cancer almost the entire time that I knew her, but she did not let that slow her down or dampen her spirit. She would have chemo in the morning once a week, and she still would be at class teaching every day. She showed me that nothing is impossible, and I would not be even a tenth of the woman I am today without her. Whenever I think I can't do something, I think of my spunky ballet teacher walking out of chemo, swiping on her red lipstick, and going to yell at teenagers about the importance of turning out your feet."
6. Work hard, play hard!
"My freshman-year basketball coach was the most amazing person I have ever met. Although he is definitely the hardest coach I have ever faced, he was always kind and positive with all of us. He gave us each personalized nicknames that were an inside joke, and his wife always made me cookies. He pushed each and every one of us to the best of our abilities all while having the best time of our lives."
—Nina Nix, Facebook
7. Put your heart and soul into everything you do.
"My swim coach, Coach Heikka, was the first person who taught me what it meant to have a passion, and he inspired all of our passions. Whether it be swimming or science or writing or animal-balloon-making, he was behind us 100%."
On and off the field, your coach has your back. And just like your favorite coach, Folgers is here to help you take on anything life throws your way!
Thumbnails via Getty Images.