My Craptastic Morning

I suck and feel like a failure. AGAIN.

ME is sick and wanted to stay home. Unfortunately, it’s her teacher’s last day and her last day of testing (damn testing!). When I reminded her of both she changed her tune and did realize she has to be there, crying, sneezing and blowing her runny nose all the way. I told her I could drive her in because she had a gift to carry for the teacher and she didn’t feel well.

JP hears ME is a car rider so he insists, too. It’s near impossible to get them both there on time, but not too early where they have to wait outside. I don’t care for the waiting outside part at all. Kids and I were ready on time for the bus so just sat around waiting to take them. Of course, then there’s a catastrophe when JP kills a bug in the car and ME won’t get in until it’s cleaned up. So now we’re behind.

I take ME to school crying, she’s barely on time. Head to JP’s school only to be passing all the buses on the school road which means he’s late. Pull in to his school and not even think twice about all the extra cars parked on the side of the road. Pull up to the front door and I asked the two Aides up front if JP was late. They said, no, not today, we’re all running late because of the Muffins for Mom.

MUFFINS FOR MOM! OMG! My head immediately landed in my hands, JP had jumped out of the car and run in and the two Aides are watching me tear up. They both said to park and run in, there are still muffins and grab JP and go have one. I did, only to be stopped by the secretary who said no when I was signing in, that it was too late.

I walked back outside with my head hung low and one of the two Aides grabbed my arm and said come with me. She sent me to the cafeteria and went to get JP. Another (a 3^rd) Aide met me in the cafeteria, saw my tears, and walked me across the completely empty cafeteria to the muffins. I then sat and waited for JP who came running into the cafeteria with tear stained cheeks. When the announcements were made there was a thank you to the “Moms still here” for attending. He heard it and cried because I had forgotten.

So JP and I sat all alone in the cafeteria eating our muffins and holding hands. After I walked him to his class and left in tears I had to stop for gas.

And then... 

I get out of my car to pump gas to realize I stepped in someone else’s vomit!

Being A Coach Is Not About YOU

It’s about the training of others,

                about the fostering of our youth.

It’s about high fives on a job well done,

                win or lose.

It’s about looking forward to seeing your team,

                hearing about their day in school, their weekend,

                their lives outside of “your” sport.

It’s about recognizing your student may have been bullied at school that day
                and need a familiar face.

It’s about understanding your student may have lost a loved one recently

                and need some distraction.

It’s about knowing that not every student’s parent can truly afford this sport.

It’s about motivating each student based on their individual personalities, knowledge, maturity.

It’s about them competing, them playing, them participating.

It’s about giving them someone to look up to. 

It's about parents trusting you with their most prized possession. 

It’s about knowing what makes each player tick;

                knowing when your student needs extra encouragement.

It’s about compassion, patience, kindness.

It’s about their improvement, accomplishments, talents;

                their medals, their trophies, and their wins. 

It’s about their smiles, their bragging rights, and their pride.

It’s about growing with the player and seeing your teachings making a difference.

It’s about your player coming back to your coaching

                year after year, season after season.

It’s about your pride in them;

                with them knowing they made you proud.  

It’s about your successes through them.