Corporate HallucinationsWhat soccer can teach you about corporate life

Editor’s note: Ragan.com will begin presenting the “Best of Corporate Hallucinations,” from Steve Crescenzo’s popular blog. We hope you enjoy them.

So, I’m a soccer coach now. I’m coaching my six-year-old son, Zach, in his first year of soccer.

The thing is, I never intended to be a coach … but I’m glad I’m doing it, because it’s teaching me valuable lessons about communications, and even more valuable lessons about how to manage people.

First, some background.

As I said, I wasn’t supposed to be a soccer coach. I think I got tricked into it. When I went with my son and my ex-wife, Tracey, to meet the real soccer coach and pick up Zach’s uniform, the coach greeted us with a huge grin, and said: “And I’m so glad you decided to help coach this year. I really need you.”

Tracey and I looked at each other. We get along extremely well for a divorced couple, but when you divorce, there is always an element of distrust. I was thinking, “What did you do?” and she was thinking, “What have you done now?”