Coach Alan teaches positivity, real-life lessons

I'd like to report an incident I witnessed after the recent Little League baseball team.

I wasn't trying to eavesdrop; I was just sitting there minding my own business when I overheard two of the players on the Bonners Ferry Navy team. They were talking about a team much further south of us. The conversation went something like this: 

Player 1: "I never realized how good our coach is until I saw how the other teams' players were treated!" 

Play 2: "Me neither! I can see why they were acting like that; look at how their coach acted." 

I may not have heard the interaction perfectly, but I did get the gist of their conversation accurately.

If l may go one step further. I would agree with these boys! I am so glad

Alan Dickson is my nephew's (Gordon and Winchester Woelfle) coach!. All our players are learning something more important than baseball, such as how to react to authority, how to treat teammates and others in general, how to lose or win with grace, and win or lose as a team. In other words, Coach Alan is teaching these children real-life lessons.

Today, I noticed a stark contrast in coaches during the game. The other team's coach would yell at their players or the young umpire to the point of getting mad. I was embarrassed for their team. On the other hand, Coach Alan Dickson encouraged our players! I heard him say things like, "Remember, have fun!" and "great swing, just like that!" even after they missed the ball. "Chin up, you'll get it next time." 

These weren't the exact words, but the words he used encouraged these children when they were already feeling bad for striking out. In other words, one coach helped his players in their downward spiral as they already felt bad. He would keep them going in that downward direction. The Bonners Ferry coach stopped the downward, self-imposed spiral and encouraged each player to keep looking forward. After every inning, he would have a team meeting and teach the players. No wonder it seems that we are getting better each game. 

I would like to publicly thank Coach Alan Dickson! Today our team's eyes were open to the blessings that we have in you, Coach Alan. 

BRIANNA NASH

Bonners Ferry

PS. I'd like to thank Tom Bushnell of "Bushnell Law" for sponsoring our team.