This season has certainly given me much more experience than I thought it would. It has been one filled with much hardships and taught me that being a coach isn't always as merry as it seems. Late in the summer season, I got a call saying that one of the captains on the team had his mother pass away from a lengthy battle with cancer. I cannot imagine being without a parent, so I cannot act like I know what he must have been going through. I do know that our team had become a family and had each others back, and that is something that you cannot teach on paper.
The entire team was there for the funeral and each person individually paid their respects and was there for their teammate, their brother. I had called the athletic director about possibly getting something made like a wristband but by the time they would have been able to cover the charges the season would be over. A couple parents got together with me, and we bought these wristbands that had her initials on them for the next game.
Nobody would have faulted the player if he did not want to play the remainder of the season, but he was adamant about finishing what we had started. Not only did he play, but the player pitched a complete game shutout. After the game the pain in his eyes was evident, and his teammates had his back. This season just continues to show me that coaching is not about the win/loss record but more about growing as a person and providing an outside resource kids can go to in times of need.
The entire team was there for the funeral and each person individually paid their respects and was there for their teammate, their brother. I had called the athletic director about possibly getting something made like a wristband but by the time they would have been able to cover the charges the season would be over. A couple parents got together with me, and we bought these wristbands that had her initials on them for the next game.
Nobody would have faulted the player if he did not want to play the remainder of the season, but he was adamant about finishing what we had started. Not only did he play, but the player pitched a complete game shutout. After the game the pain in his eyes was evident, and his teammates had his back. This season just continues to show me that coaching is not about the win/loss record but more about growing as a person and providing an outside resource kids can go to in times of need.
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