As a coach, it is great that you played pro ball, or is it? Well that depends on many different factors, but the first factor is, how you handle it.
If you think playing pro ball means everything you say is 100% right, then you are destined to fail. If you think people should just follow you blindly, and then you get upset when they don’t, you have no chance.
Playing pro ball is a small benefit, that gets you a little respect in the beginning, but you have to work your butt off to keep it. Remember, your players do not care what you did, and how well you did it, they care about how much you care about them, their careers, and how much better you can make them.
Never say, I did this when I played. Why? Because chances are the majority of the players cannot do the things you did, due to talent issues, and even if they can, they do not care what you did, and the more you talk about yourself, the less they listen.
So if you played pro ball, let it help your cause of getting started, but do not think it is the end all be all.
At the end of the day you are going to have to coach, and coach well.
