Notes from Adam’s end-of-season event speech
Our growth and improvement is actually predicated on a series of mistakes.
On the outside maybe it looks like our club’s membership growth, racing success, activity involvement, and program depth have been steadily rising.
This is true when you zoom out…and this shows in statistics, ranking lists, notes from former members, and comments from fellow coaches and clubs.
But think of the improvements everyone in this room has made as a skier…were there falls along the way? Maybe a forgotten pair of boots, or a missed wax job? These are the easy mistakes to relate to, but they were important steps nonetheless because they helped show the full range of what this sport brings.
As the achievements and abilities get higher, the mistakes don’t go away: they just appear in different ways and on a similar plane to the level you’re currently at.
Maybe you haven’t fallen on skis in a year, but in a big race you “fall”, in terms of pace or tempo, behind your closest rival on the racecourse. Maybe you have the right wax, but picked a pair of klister skis for a hardwax race. Most difficult of all, maybe you and your teammates all raced to your potential, but you made a comment at the finish line that was taken the wrong way and knocked someone down emotionally rather than physically.
What’s important is realizing that up close our sport cycle of challenges, mistakes, reflection, and new challenges. It’s a wavy line with lots of ups and down, but it trends upward when handled right. When you pan out, that’s when it can look like a steady path forward and upward.
As we’ve grown and changed as a club, we’ve treaded into new territory for achievement and also mistakes. In some ways we’ve never been stronger, more secure, or more successful…but even in our own region I can find examples of clubs and leaders who have been in similar situations and forgotten the value of not just the successes, but the mistakes as well.
Our challenges lies in balancing the same few things we always have, maybe even in the following order-of-importance:
- Acknowledging the positives and maintaining them is our core
- Improving mistakes is our steady growth
- Seeking new challenges is what keeps everyone excited!
Thanks for a really fun year with MNC, and let’s keep moving forward with both the achievements AND the missteps as our guides.
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