Do Coaches Cry? Confession Beyond the Pitch We are accustomed to seeing coaches as invincible. They stand at the touchline with stony faces, giving instructions, gesturing, arguing with referees. Their voice is the voice of authority, their decisions are judgments. It seems to us that these people do not feel pain, that they are robots programmed for victory, and their faces never show tears. But this is an illusion that we create ourselves. Coaches, like all people, do cry. They just do it not in the eyes of the stadium, but in the dark locker room, in an empty corridor, in the quiet of a hotel room. And these tears are not a sign of weakness, but proof that they are alive, that they love the game, their players, and their work to the bottom of their hearts. Let's figure out why and when coaches cry and why their tears deserve respect as much as trophies. The Iron Mask: Why We Don't See Their Tears The image of a coach in the public consciousness is that of a severe mentor, a strict father who does not allow himself to have weaknesses. Since childhood, we have heard: “Men don't cry”, “A coach must be an example”, “Tears are a sign of defeat”. These installations penetrate into the consciousness of coaches themselves. They get used to hiding emotions, suppressing them, because their authority is at stake. Once they show tears, they are called weak, insecure, and unable to control the team. But this is just a game. Coaches are actors who are forced to wear a mask even when everything inside is collapsing. They know that their tears can demoralize the team. Therefore, they cry in the locker room when the players have already left, or in an airplane, looking out the window. They cry in the arms of their wives, in phone calls with their children. They know how to cry silently, making no noise. However, the world is changing. More and more often we see coaches who are not afraid to show emotions in public. And this is not a sign of weakness, on the contrary — a sign of ... Read more