The beauty of reading is that you never know from what source you will get an epiphany, earth-shattering or not.  About a week ago, I was minding my own business reading Reagan on Leadership when a paragraph in the book reached out, grabbed me by the throat, and smacked me in the head!  Brilliant.  Why didn’t I think of it?

As most people know, Ronald Reagan was an actor prior to his election as President of the United States in 1980.  According to him, “For years, I’ve heard the question: “How could an actor be president?”  I’ve sometimes wondered how you could be president and not be an actor.” Furthermore, he recounted:

On the second day I was introduced to the rushes.  This is the custom of going at the end of each day’s work and seeing on the screen what you shot the previous day.  What a shock that was!  It had taken me years to get used to seeing myself as others see me; and also seeing myself instead of my mental picture of the character I’m playing.  Very few of us ever see ourselves except as we look directly at ourselves in the mirror.  Thus we don’t normally know how we look from behind, from the side, walking, standing, moving normally through a room.  It’s quite a jolt.

While Reagan wondered how you could be president and not be an actor, I wonder how you can be a Judo coach and not be an actor.  After all, coaching and teaching often involve stepping outside your normal shell in order to be an effective educator.  We have to look like we could run a marathon when we really just want to take a nap.  We show up sick when we’d prefer to be at home resting.  We have to be inspiring on the day we find out our father just died unexpectedly half way across the globe.  And we have to show restraint when we feel like strangling one of our junior’s parent.  So yes, Judo coaches have to be actors too.

How can you be a good actor and coach, if you don’t know what you sound like?  Are you monotonous and so soft-spoken that you put your students to sleep?  Do you go on and on talking about how great you are, when your students should be doing Judo?  Is there passion and excitement in your voice?  How many “um” and “you know” are in your speech pattern?

How can you be a good actor and coach, if you don’t know what you look like?  Do you have command presence that shows confidence and leadership?  What do you look like when you demonstrate Judo?  Competent?  Athletic in spite of perhaps being overweight or a bit on the old side?  Or do you cringe at how low your own skills have deteriorated?

Do you coach by walking around or can we find you leaning up against a wall, bored out of your gourd or daydreaming?  Are you one of those coaches who spend more time talking to other coaches than watching and helping students?  Are you providing constant feedback and encouragement to your students on the fly?

What about your mannerisms?  Do they drive you crazy?  Do they drive others crazy?  Are you a hugger, back-patter and high-fiver, or are you hands-off, stone cold and afraid to show emotions?  Do you drop to your knees and bend over so your eyes are level with those of the child you are talking to?  Or do you tower over him menacingly?  Are you equal part “tough,” equal part “love?”

While we are quick to recommend that our athletes watch videos of their performance, we neglect to follow the advice we give our students.  But as Reagan discovered, seeing is believing.  So, coaches, video your performance.  Find out what your strengths and weaknesses are, and get to work making yourself a better actor and coach.