Another excellent convention experience in the books!
So much to see, so much to do, so many good sessions on at once. So many familiar faces. Field sessions or classrooms? Grass coaching or futsal? So. Much.
So how do you plan your trip to the convention?
I pick a theme. I don't follow the mini-diplomas.
This year I focused on leadership and connections.
Leadership -
All in the classroom:
Leading yourself
Fundraising
Psychology for leading yourself and others
Connections:
Officially meeting with people I work(ed) with - lunch, coffee, beer.
Unofficially standing in busy thoroughfares to see the most people possible and connect with those who I see every year:
Those people are from coaching courses, college, and previous jobs.
Why?
I don't particularly enjoy the field sessions. Not since Verheijen and Beane, anyway. Or I pick sessions apart and that's no good for anyone.
It's also not that I feel firmly about one way of coaching, or another, it is that I think so much can be absorbed from sitting in class sessions with people who are different from me. Fundraising, for example. Almost every individual was older, and much more experienced. They were also in positions that I am striving for, and provide an opportunity for connection (my second goal!).
Ultimately, it's an incredible experience, but it can be overwhelming if you're trying to see everything. It's also underwhelming if you go with coaching colleagues, and only stay with them, in your own bubble. What did you think this year? Will you be in Anaheim for 2024?