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Heart of a Coach
John Rittman
Stanford University, Head Softball Coach
Chosen Attribute: Responsibility
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“If my players see that I am responsible in my life, then that helps them be responsible in their lives.” |
Dictionary definition: “Reliability or dependability.”
My definition: “Keeping everything in perspective and owning up to your actions.”
Favorite quote about responsibility: “My grandma use to tell me that if it’s worth doing, it’s worth doing right the first time.”
Favorite Scripture that deals with responsibility: “Pay careful attention to your own work, for then you will get the satisfaction of a job well done, and you won’t need to compare yourself to anyone else. For we are each responsible for our own conduct.” – Galatians 6:4-5 (NLT)
Why I chose this passage: “I think, in the athletic world, you are always comparing yourself to other coaches and teams—your success versus their success and your failures versus their failures. A lot of things can happen in any given year, both on and off the field. In the end, if you are confident in your beliefs and in the way you do things, that responsibility alone will keep the balance in your life. You won’t compare or judge yourself against other people. You know you have done the best you can, and at the end of the day, you can be confident.”
How I apply responsibility to life: “I am a Christian, a father, a husband and a coach, and I constantly strive to fulfill my responsibilities in each of these roles. I balance the responsibility that I have at work and at home and make sure I spend time doing things right, maintaining the core family values I believe in.
“Many coaches get consumed in their jobs and end up losing their families. My family is one thing that I have made a priority. I don’t want my kids to grow up and say that I wasn’t there for them. I want to spend the time with my kids while I have it and maximize that opportunity with them and with my wife.”
How I apply responsibility to coaching: “For a coach, responsibility is huge. As a head coach, you are the leader of the program and your actions speak louder than your words. If my players see that I am responsible in my life, then that helps them be responsible in their lives.
“My biggest thing is to include my family in my work. There have been times when I have taken my kids to practice or on a road trip. My players are able to see me interact with my family. Yes, I am responsible as a coach on the field, but I also have a family. And hopefully they see that side of me.”
About the Coach: Coach John Rittman is in his 11th season at Stanford University. This spring he returns after accumulating 10 consecutive 40-win seasons with 10 postseason appearances. Rittman has twice been named the Pac-10 Coach of the Year and is responsible for taking the Stanford softball program from the non-scholarship club level to a fully-funded championship contender. He also served as an assistant coach for the 2004 U.S. Olympic team, which captured the gold medal in Athens, Greece.
Active in FCA during his athletic career, Rittman says, “FCA was an opportunity for me to figure out not only religion, but also how to share our beliefs with other people my age.” 
*For more stories about faith and sport, visit www.sharingthevictory.com, the official magazine of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes.
Photo courtesy of David Gonzales/Stanford Univ.
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