The External Control Coach
There was a gentle haze across the sun. All its heat seemed to dissipate behind the last clouds of the day.
The team was warming up and two youths were off to the side speaking loudly.
“Why do you always talk down to me?” one could hear her say.
The other girl, in a quieter voice, explained that was not her intention – it is just she gets caught up in the game. The other explained that she thought that sucked, if her own teammate had to be that aggressive.
The coach interrupted and asked the girls to prepare for the game. The girls however wanted to continue and so they did. The coach, asserting his external control, began to threaten them with not being allowed to play. The first girl turned to the coach and said asked what the point of playing was if they don’t play as a team. The coach threw his hands up in the air and walked away and then sat down.
“Well let me know when you’re finished,” he yelled. The girls laughed and moved closer and talked to each other quietly. For several minutes they remained talking and then high fived each other. The second girl moved towards the coach and said something quietly. He stood up and again asserted his authority by yelling at her. She just turned and walked away. He again threw his hands in the air and walked back and sat down.
The girls warmed up together and seemed to have resolved their problem.
Coach bri