But as my wife reminded me, you don't score success in U5 soccer by goals or wins-losses. You measure it with how you treat the crying children, which we do have, and how you encourage those who are not playing well, which is all the rest and how much fun they all have, which they do have fun. The girls give me hugs and bring my pictures they have made for me. The boys roll around on the ground but do listen to me (mostly). I know Jacob's favorite part of soccer is playing on the big dirt pile by the field after the game or practice is over. Still, I am glad to coach my little Bluejays team.
Ahh! Brings back memories of my first baseball team when boys did not know which way to run around the bases, how to stand in the batter's box, and were unprepared to field a hit ball because their arm was stuck down a gopher hole in the outfield! I remember one boy asking me, in the process of having our brains beat out by the other team with a score of a whole lot to a very little bit, if we were winning. I remember looking for the next batter in the order and he was missing due to nature's call or the call of the concession stand.
ReplyDeleteBut I also remember this team ended its existence as a championship team and I remember the boys and parents who stuck with it the entire 8 years. I remember how well most of the boys grew up and enjoy thinking I had some small role in that as their ball coach. Was it work? Absolutely! Was it fun? That question can only be answered with a resounding yes.
Keep on keeping on. You do make a difference and you do influence young lives, even though chasing them around a soccer field trying to keep them in the game may not feel like it.