Every athlete has the moment: the time in his early athletic career when he cannot stand to hear another word from his coach's mouth. When he knows his coach just does not understand and is only making his life miserable. What is the point of all this correcting and yelling and why is it so important? Does it really help anything? Yes, it does. Different types of coaches can change an athlete's perception of the sport and his perception of life. I am currently in my fourth year of track and field and I have witnessed a coach go from hard to soft. Freshman year, my coach ruled with an iron fist and demanded the respect and attention of his athletes. We won a championship that year. Now, as track starts in my fourth and final year, he has slowly turned softer. Though he still demands that respect, the team just doesn't have the same fear in them and we have not won a championship the last two years. Our coach is not to blame for not winning a championship, but having him barking at you and keeping you in line is an obvious positive when it comes time to announce the league champion. He often tells me, "It's all about life." Some coaches only care about the sport. They just want to win in that small area of life and that may be all good for them but some of us athletes are thankful they have a coach, as I do, that actually cares about the person - the type of coach that not only takes on the challenge of shaping a strong athletic team but also takes on the additional challenge of shaping strong individuals. Every athlete or student knows when they are screwing up. They know when they are not making the right decisions, but without anyone there to tell you how big of a mistake you are making, then you have no reason to correct yourself, no one to push you to change, and you go through life being a flake. But, when you have a coach who cares enough to say something, no matter how harsh the words may seem, you have just received some of the best help you may ever get. By stepping in early in our lives to correct us, a good coach can help you start the rest of your life on your best foot.