You are not a jug.

That's not as obvious a statement as you think. A lot of players - and coaches - think that players are empty jugs, ready to be filled with the liquid of knowledge imparted by the wise master coach.

You get the right coach with the most knowledge an you can do anything. It's why we assume top class players make great coaches: they have set the example to follow.

Here's the thing: It's the other way around. The player is the master.

It doesn't matter how much knowledge the coach has. It doesn't matter how good the coach was as a player. The coach can't walk onto the pitch and take your wickets or score your runs. Only you can do that, and that means you are the one in control of your development.

You can only succeed in your way.

The coach can understand, analyse and advise but they can't be you.

You might find the advice the coach gives just doesn't work for you. It may have worked for them. It may have worked for 5, 10 or 100 other players. For you, it's useless.

You have to learn how to listen, evalute, test and either use or discard everything. You have to be self-reliant and not hopeful that you are just one coach away from making as as player.

You have everything in your grasp right now.

The player is the master.