Go Ask Dad: Coach speaks whistle
Coach blew a loud BREEEEET to mean, “Come here!" or, “¡Vamos!” in the native tongue of his players. Every child understood; they scampered to him.
My eight-year-old son’s basketball coach speaks whistle. He clamps the silver instrument between his teeth, then blasts or toots instructions. After explaining directions for the layup drill, a simple screech signaled the start.
Short staccato chirps halted players after they had begun to guard the shooter rather than grab the rebound. After he had everyone’s attention, including the parents in the stands, Coach demonstrated what he wanted, shooting the basket with his magic pipe still between his teeth.
Two clear notes eventually signaled it was time for something else. After a detailed explanation and demonstration, another blast began the new dribbling drill. He was not a blowhard. Coach let the young players try as long as no one was in harm’s way. Effective communication in any language includes knowing what not to say.
But when one of the players tripped and toppled to the hardwood, Coach whistled three sharp trills as he rushed to the fallen boy. I recognized this three-note distress signal from my days as a lifeguard. I'm happy to report that my son’s teammate was fine, perhaps a little embarrassed. Coach gave him three reassuring thumps on his back. I noticed that, as Coach comforted this player, his whistle dropped from his mouth and hung by a chain around his neck.
After a brief scrimmage, another loud shrill brought practice to an end. As the team gathered around their leader, Coach’s whistle once again fell out of his mouth so that he could say a few words of inspiration and encouragement. But to paraphrase (badly) the great Maya Angelou, players will forget what you say, but they will always remember how your whistle made them feel. BREEEET!
Andrew Taylor-Troutman is the author of Little Big Moments, a collection of mini-essays about parenting, and Tigers, Mice & Strawberries: Poems. Both titles are available most anywhere books are sold online. Taylor-Troutman lives in Chapel Hill where he serves as pastor of Chapel in the Pines Presbyterian Church and occasionally stumbles upon the wondrous while in search of his next cup of coffee.
