What does a coach do?

I always thought a coach told players what to do. My coaches ran practices like army drills. They were tough.

Kids' coaches including teachers, parents, sports coaches, and music coaches. As adults we stop getting coaching. We rely on friends to tell us what to do.

Did you know the friend may be the worst type of coach you can have.

A friend may be afraid for you. A friend who has not had a similar experience cannot coach you through your problem. In those cases, any advice you receive cannot be trusted, even if it came from your most trusted confidant.

A good friend will listen. Listening is only half of the answer. The other half is asking the right questions. The questions are more important than the feedback your friend offers you. Without experience, your buddy cannot ask the right questions.

As I get older, I respect the coach more now than ever before. A good coach doesn't tell us what to do. She trains us to tell ourselves what we want to do.

The professional athlete has a fitness coach, a nutrition coach, a media relations coach, a financial coach, a personal coach, an agent, etc. 

Besides a few friends, what coaches do you have?