I took an extra day to sit back and really contemplate about this last season before I started this End of the year email. I wanted to have enough time away from the big game to be able to clear my head of any distracting thoughts that might cloud my judgment while sending you all the last email of this 2011 Flag Football season.
I want to start by quickly telling you all a brief summary of why I chose to coach flag football. For many of you parents who remember watching "Married with Children", you may remember Al Bundy always telling stories of his high school glory days and how he could have been someone, etc.... That wasn't me. I didn't play football in high school. I played Volleyball and was on student council. That was it. I was however and still am very close to many of the Varsity football team and our coaches. I would help out in practices and was always allowed to travel with the team if I wanted to. That was fun for me.
As I grew up, I learned to love the game. I watch it religiously and study it from many angles. I love to talk about players, plays etc. So for me there has always been a love for this game. However, this love wouldn't really hit home for me until last year when my both my boys started playing flag football. I was not able to coach them because my work schedule didn't permit me to so I was forced to watch from the sidelines. Like some of you know; that can be frustrating at times. I would watch Andy's practices and talk to Dale about how the coach was just not teaching them enough and how he was under utilizing some of the players etc. Probably like some of you have done this season.
So I decided to stand up and as soon as I could I volunteered to coach NFL Flag football and asked my sons, "Which one of you wants daddy to coach them?" I was shocked that it was Shawn who replied first. Andy's remark was, "Well daddy, you really don't know a lot about football." I was shocked at his response, but I explained to him that it was okay if he didn't want his dad to coach him, even if it was killing me inside. So, I took the opportunity to coach & after that short season, Andy looked at me and asked me if I would coach him during the next regular season. The rest as they say is history. You got me as your coach and well, we had a great season.
Now here we are at the end of the season where we started 0-2 and things didn't seem to click as well in games as they did on the practice field. That was until our team got that first win and realized that they could do it. I know you heard me say this all at the party but I have to repeat this. I am blessed to have the team, parents and coaches that I got this season. Without any of y'all, none of this would be possible.
Each child played a particular role in the season, whether it was on the field or by teaching one of us a lesson. Each parent stepped up and did something special for this team. You guys made banners, held chains, shared tents, took care of a crying child, cheered until your throats were sore and other intangible actions that may have gone unnoticed to some, but not to all.
For those of you who follow my blog, you know that this is just part of the journey. There will be other seasons. There will be other players. There will be new coaches, etc. For me, it's all about the kids learning and me just being there to be a part of it. Parents: Thank you for putting up with me and supporting my coaching decisions. Thank you for allowing your children to take direction from someone other than you. I know how hard that can be.
I want to thank you all for a very special season and I hope that your children continue to play football. Whether it be NFL-Flag, or another season with the SVFL even if it's with another coach, each kid will always be special to me.
To my coaches, Dale, Jeff Long and Jeff Brown; again I thank you for every moment that we shared together out there working on making our team better. We didn't always see eye to eye, but we made it work and we made it fun.
I know that the kids are too young for this closing thought, but I think that as parents you will be able to grasp this and hopefully, one day you will share this with them.
Man in the Arena
"It is not the critic who counts: not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles or where the doer of deeds could have done better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood, who strives valiantly, who errs and comes up short again and again, because there is no effort without error or shortcoming, but who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions, who spends himself for a worthy cause; who, at the best, knows, in the end, the triumph of high achievement, and who, at the worst, if he fails, at least he fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who knew neither victory nor defeat."
Once again, from the bottom of my grateful heart... THANK YOU!
Coach
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