A Tribute to my Father, my favourite coach.

It is Father's day in North America today. So the format is a little different this week. It is my first Father's day without my dad so I thought I would share something I wrote about him a few years ago.

My father, Guy Payne passed away in December after a long battle with Parkinson's disease. If you have ever watched someone you care about fight Parkinson's you know what a terrible disease it is.

He was a teacher and a coach. Coaching Track and Field and Hockey for more than 50 years.

As a kid, I remember many car rides home from games and practices when my dad and I would discuss what had happened and why.

I never experienced the stereotypical car ride with a parent telling me what I need to improve on. We talked about tactics and strategy, and most importantly we talked about how coaches and teammates handled competition and adversity.

I remember one particular car ride when he told me I would make a great coach one day.

That may have been a nice way of saying I wasn’t going to make the NBA, but it stuck with me.

Like many children of coaches, I grew up at his practices and games.

It was the best and it is something I know that my kids also loved. Other kids watched their heroes on TV, I got to hang out with mine every day.

I also got to see how my dad treated his athletes every day. My father was a transformational coach long before the term ever existed.

He cared about their performance but he was far more concerned about helping them become the best version of themselves.

He loved to tell bad jokes (really bad) to build trust and get athletes to open up about more serious topics.

He worked tirelessly to establish trusting relationships and it worked.

His athletes knew that he had their best interest at heart and that he cared more about them than their performance. As a result, they allowed him to push them beyond what they thought they could achieve.

I have so many memories of him spending time connecting with his athletes. This had a huge impact on me as a teacher and as a coach. Building relationships is also the cornerstone of my work with young people and I like to think I am fairly good at it, I learned from one of the best.

I often catch myself making the kind of corny jokes my father used, which always makes me smile. Sometimes I use them intentionally as a tribute to him that only I am aware of.

He was also an early adopter of sports psychology. I can remember him leading visualization sessions, and meditation in his track practices in the mid 80's when Sport Psych was in its infancy.

My dad fought Parkinson's for fifteen years. It robbed him of his mobility, his freedom and his memories. I never heard him complain about it, not once. He fought this terrible disease with a grace that I admired tremendously.

I have always believed that in some small way, I am carrying on his legacy.

My dad had a growth mindset, and a curiosity for learning. He was always striving to become a better coach.

I inherited that curiosity from both of my parents and it continues to serve me well. I love to learn and am always trying to find ways to be a better human, father and coach.

I have a huge box of my father’s writing on his coaching philosophy but he never published it. Some of it written in his last years as his Parkinson's progressed, his handwriting became difficult to read but I can still see the wisdom and dedication to his athletes shine through.

It has been a powerful motivator for me.

I can only hope that if my athletes were to read this article they would recognize some of the same characteristics in me.

I was lucky to learn them from one of the best.

Thanks, Dad!

This is a great article from our hometown newspaper in 2018. I know my dad hated a fuss being made about him but I also know he was pretty happy about how this article turned out.

Can I help you on your coaching journey?

Let's work together.

I would love to help you or your team build a competitive advantage. Here are a few ways I can help:

• Consult with your team
• Teach mental skills via Zoom
• Work 1 on 1 with coaches
• Work 1 on 1 with athletes

Shoot me an email I love to talk coaching and see how I can help you. Coaching is hard, let's make it easier. Send me an email at jasonpayne@evolutionmpc.com

Thanks for reading and have a great week.