How Do We Measure Impact?
What actually lasts when the season ends
Principle: Relationships, Not Metrics
We’ve had a number of experts come speak to our coaching community over the last few weeks. The topic of how we measure our impact as coaches came up both times.
You might think the answers would be obvious.
Championships.
Sprint times.
Strength gains.
Sleep scores.
Wins.
But these coaches who have over 50 years of high-performance experience between them both said the same thing, albeit in different ways.
They measured their impact by the number of relationships that lasted beyond the job.
One measured it in hugs — how many former players still came up to embrace him when they saw him.
The other measured it by how many athletes he was still in touch with 5, 10, 20 years later.
When the job ends, the metrics reset, but the relationships don’t.
Perspective: Let’s Stop Getting Distracted by the Dashboard
This isn’t to say that metrics and science don’t matter. They absolutely do. Data sharpens decision-making. Monitoring improves performance. Science protects health and extends careers.
But coaching is a human endeavor first, so data should deepen our understanding of people — not replace our connection with them.
No spreadsheet builds trust.
No dashboard earns loyalty.
No wellness score makes someone feel seen.
Connection does.
And here’s the practical reality: in modern sport, players have influence. I’ve seen performance coaches secure roles because a player requested them. Because a player trusted them. Because a player advocated for them.
If that’s the environment we’re operating in, why wouldn’t we invest as much time building relationships as we do refining metrics?
Story: Jill Ellis and What Actually Lasts
Jill Ellis led the U.S. Women’s National Team to back-to-back World Cup titles in 2015 and 2019.
Her résumé is exceptional, but when Ellis reflects on those victories, she doesn’t start with trophies. She starts with people.
In an interview with FIFA, she said:
“It’s not necessarily the big picture of winning a trophy… it’s the people you went on that journey with.”
Ellis was known for direct, honest communication. For difficult conversations handled with respect. For understanding players as individuals — their families, their motivations, their fears.
Her success was built on relational clarity.
Two World Cups are measurable.
But the fact that players continue to speak about her leadership with trust and gratitude years later?
That’s impact.
Question
For reflection:
How many former athletes are you still in touch with — or would genuinely be happy to see you?
Closing Thought
Championships fade.
Records fall.
Metrics update.
But the way you made someone feel, the belief you built, the trust you earned, that tends to endure.
Measure what lasts.
Until next week,
Caleb