Personal Narrative: Coach Hayes

What makes someone a strong leader? Some people might say that a leader is a role model, someone that people look up to. To someone, a leader could be an actor or actress, a famous athlete, or even a politician. The truth is; leaders are all around us. A leader could be anyone; a teacher, a coach, a friend, or even a parent. There have been many leaders in my life that have influenced me in positive ways, but one person that I admire most as a leader is my swimming coach, Rick Hayes. I first began swimming when I was ten years old and in the fifth grade. Throughout all of my years in swimming, I never had a coach that I didn’t like, but one of my favorites has to be Coach Hayes. I observed Coach Hayes lead as he prepared the Women’s Swim

For the first time in two years the men’s team won two meets during their season, and for the first time ever, the women’s team placed fifth of seven teams at the NEISDA championship meet in Rhode Island. Of the many different leadership styles, I believe that Coach Hayes demonstrates the coaching, participatory, and laissez-faire leadership styles depending on the situation. He knows how to coach, direct, and support the team when needed, but also knows when he needs to be more hands-off and let people make their own decisions. Perhaps what makes him such a great leader is his knowledge of which leadership style to use in different situations. In my opinion, I believe that Coach Hayes’ source of power comes from seeing his swimmers succeed. When he sees someone reach a goal, qualify for championships, win a tough meet, or break a record, that’s what gives him the power and energy to keep leading the

In the words of Psychologist, Lisa Haisha, “Great leaders don’t set out to be a leader… They set out to make a difference. Its never about the role, but always about the goal”. The most rewarding part of these leadership roles is when I see a student succeed. Whether it is a resident coming to me saying they aced their exam, a first year student that thanks me for the fun they had at orientation, or a student who gets an internship or job after I helped them with their resume, the success of each person that I helped lead inspires me to keep leading and keep making positive differences in peoples