This weekend, I’ll close the book on an exciting, odd, and sometimes stressful journey: my second year coaching my 6-year-old’s soccer team. Last year, after signing him up for t-ball for the first time, I volunteered to coach. I never had any talent as a player, but a lifelong love of baseball made me eager to jump in and coach.
A few months later, after we signed up for soccer, we got a desperate email asking for a parent - any parent! - to coach. I know next to nothing about teaching kids to play soccer, but I decided to go for it. What did I have to lose?
The last two years have been an adventure, to say the least. The kids are a delight, and I’m learning as I go. That said, there are times I want to tear my hair out trying to get a team full of kindergartners to follow directions. The weekly joke in the family is that I spend an hour of the week politely but firmly imploring my team to do one thing:
GO THAT WAY!
OUR GOAL IS THAT WAY!
DON’T DRIBBLE TOWARD OUR GOAL!
I think they’ve gotten the lesson…for the most part. We still have a few eager breakaways in the wrong direction, but they’re getting the picture.
A humbling element of coaching is how much is out of your control. You teach the lessons, make the game plan, and support your players, but they’re the ones who ultimately shape the outcome on the field.
It takes me back to some of the most common problems we face as fundraisers. A perfect fundraising strategy needs a team to execute. The organization’s leadership, staff, and Board need to be willing to do their parts as a fundraiser, that can be maddening.
In some ways, it’s like coaching! Here are some lessons I learned on the soccer field that can be helpful in our profession:
Consistency Matters: Make sure everyone knows their role, what they have to accomplish, and why it’s important. Sometimes, people don’t get the message the first time through, but if you stick with it, you’ll get people to come around.
Reward Success: Fundraising can be intimidating for some people, especially Board members. Make sure every success in engaging donors or bringing new people to the organization is recognized as a major contribution.
Offer Encouragement: Just like rewarding success, it’s important to acknowledge that sometimes the work can be frustrating. Frustration can lead to burnout, which will affect participation. Intervening early, offering support, and working together to find solutions can keep a team on track to achieve and exceed fundraising goals.
Make Adjustments: I’ve had to take my team back to basics a few times when I realized our game plan was too complicated. The same happens with fundraising: maybe your Board has too many responsibilities with a gala, and some roles can shift to staff. By giving them more room to focus on fundraising, you might be able to set the whole team up for more success.
Just like coaching, fundraising can be frustrating but very rewarding. The best way to achieve your goals is to keep a whole team moving in one direction, and it’s vital that you, as the team’s leader, be supportive, empathetic, and encouraging.
Need help getting your team moving in the same direction? Team Kat & Mouse is here to help! Drop us a line to schedule a free consultation.
Comments