More Than Winning
You may sometimes hear it said that “winning isn’t everything, it’s the ONLY thing!” This obviously isn’t true for youth sports and I dare to say that it isn’t accurate for pro sports either.
I am writing this blog post from my cousin’s apartment in Harrisburg, PA as we prepare to make the journey back to Colorado (where I spend the off seasons). Ironically, Harrisburg is the Pro Team we (Richmond Kickers) just lost to in the USL PRO Semi-Finals. A devastating loss capping off a great season.
As I think over the season, I try to materialize what it all meant. Each player poured so much of themselves into this team and we worked very hard towards the goal of winning the title each and every day. Now that this goal is gone, I have to accept that the season cannot be measured by wins and losses alone. There is certainly a deep disappointment that comes from not achieving something you work so hard for. The journey towards this goal was rough, but very rewarding. Apart from the results, great satisfaction is gained when you challenge yourself to be your best, push yourself to the limit and know you gave everything you could.
Another rewarding aspect to this season (that fell short on many standards) was the relationships gained, people inspired and influenced and challenges overcome. Rather than go into this on a personal level, I would like to relate it to how relationships and character development are an important part of Mighty Kicks as well. Each Mighty Kicks coach has a unique opportunity to be a positive impact on the youth they instruct. They are made aware of this responsibility and chance, but it is up to them to fully capitalize on it. The seasons of Mighty Kicks come and go and some participants eventually forget about their coaches. However, many participants remember their coaches and although the name might slip their mind, the lessons learned and impact made often lasts decades!
I have coached youth for over 18 years and I sometimes receive updates from players I coached long ago. As a player, I can tell you about so many of my coaches going back to U4 soccer! What a great opportunity and responsibility coaches have! I believe that in the long run, it is our Faith and CHARACTER that counts. Our character is like a muscle and can grow through proper training and formation (often through challenges and setbacks). Stronger Character – What a great way to measure achievement! Although our Pro Season didn’t end how I would have dreamed, I look back with joy over the relationships formed, people impacted, experiences shared and stronger character developed throughout the year.
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This week we continued learning the soccer basics of Dribbling with our feet (NO HANDS). We worked on our Ear Power and listening skills during the warm-up. While being Respectful to our teammates, we waited our turn to go through the Awesome Obstacle Course. Dribbling our soccer ball fast was easier. We were sure to listen to what Coach Simon Said and follow the instructions.