Courtesy Photo | Equipment Operator 1st Class Charles Coleman, a recruiter assigned to Navy Talent...... read more read more
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SMYRNA, Ga. — (Jan 4, 2022) “Coaching is unlocking a person’s potential to maximize their growth,” John Whitmore, author of Coaching for Performance, said. This philosophy parallels with the mission of Navy Talent Acquisition Group (NTAG) Atlanta. Civilians across the country join the Navy to better themselves and unlock their maximum potential. The Navy can provide a multitude of opportunities that can set an individual up for success. Equipment Operator 1st Class Charles Coleman joined the Navy out of Cartersville in 2005 hoping to maximize his potential.
When Coleman joined the Navy, he did not realize that a passion he had in high school would be beneficial in his career as a Sailor. That passion is wrestling. He discovered the sport while trying to find something to do during the football off season. Wrestling eventually taught Coleman several life lessons that he still carries with him to this day.
“Wrestling teaches you to overcome adversity,” Coleman said. “You have to learn from your mistakes and improve yourself every day. You can’t just hide and not put in the work, because it will show on the mat. Without the lessons I learned and my coach pushing me to my limits, I don’t think I would have overcame some of the obstacles I have faced in life.”
In August of 2021, Coleman visited Temple High School on the first day of school for a meet and greet with students and school faculty and staff. It was supposed to be a regular school visit for Coleman, but little did he know he was about to reconnect with his long lost passion. The first person Coleman met was John Garner, the wrestling coach at Temple High. Coleman told Garner he used to wrestle and spoke about his background and knowledge of the sport. He knew he wanted to somehow get involved again so he asked Garner if they could use a volunteer coach. To Coleman’s surprise, Coach Garner offered him a volunteer coaching position at Temple High School.
“You can tell when you meet people if they have a spark for the sport,” Garner said. “I am a very passionate guy and I could tell he matched my level of enthusiasm and passion for the sport. It’s the same level that I look for in our wrestlers. Petty officer Coleman is a self-motivated individual and he’s the type of guy that sees something that needs to be done and he just gets it done.”
After taking a certification course through the Georgia High School Association, which taught him the principles of coaching as well as a refresher first aid class, Coleman was officially authorized to be a volunteer coach.
“I didn’t realize how much I missed it until our first match,” said Coleman. “I missed the atmosphere and the competition. During the match, I had butterflies and felt like I was about to step out on the mat again. I feel their excitement when they win and disappointment when they lose.”
Coleman currently volunteers 20-30 hours a week training and mentoring the athletes. He typically goes straight to practice after work and sometimes has to get up as early as three in the morning to make it to a match. His love for the sport and newly discovered passion of coaching is what keeps him going.
“Petty officer Coleman goes above and beyond at matches and practices to ensure that we are filling the wrestling learning gaps that the kids have,” said Garner. “He makes a point to be in their corner. As the kids come off the mat at a match, I’m usually rolling into another match with one of our other wrestlers. He takes them aside afterward and tells them what they did good and what they can improve on. If he’s not there they notice. It’s because he has built relationships with them individually and not only through wrestling but through goal setting after high school.”
Coleman strives to help every individual unlock their potential and to maximize their growth both on and off the mat. He uses his passion for a sport to connect with the wrestlers and dedicates his off duty hours to mentor and guide them to success.
“Watching the kids not only improve as wrestlers but as young men and women is rewarding,” said Coleman. “I coach because I want to be able to teach young men and women how to overcome adversity in their lives, to hold their heads high, learn from their mistakes and continue to push forward. Hard work will always pay off in the end. I remembered the impact my coaches had on me and I am happy to be able to pay it forward.”
NTAG Atlanta’s leadership encourages Sailors to be involved in their community to help build recruiting relationships, foster positive community connections and volunteer where Sailors skillsets can make a difference.
NTAG Atlanta’s area of responsibility includes more than 35 Navy Recruiting Stations and Navy Officer Recruiting Stations spread throughout 82,000 square miles of Georgia, Alabama and parts of Florida.
Navy Recruiting Command consists of a command headquarters, three Navy Recruiting Regions, 26 NTAGs and 64 Talent Acquisition Onboarding Centers that serve more than 1,000 recruiting stations around the world. Their mission is to attract the highest quality candidates to assure the ongoing success of America’s Navy.
For more news from Commander, Navy Recruiting Command, go to http://www.cnrc.navy.mil. Follow Navy Recruiting on Facebook (www.facebook.com/NavyRecruiting), Twitter (@USNRecruiter) and Instagram (@USNRecruiter).
| Date Taken: | 01.07.2022 |
| Date Posted: | 01.09.2022 15:27 |
| Story ID: | 412638 |
| Location: | SMYRNA, GEORGIA, US |
| Web Views: | 252 |
| Downloads: | 1 |
This work, Navy Sailor Coaches Wrestling to Come Out on Top, by PO1 James Turner, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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