Thank You, Coach

I have been a volleyball coach at several level for a while. I coached at university when my eligibility ran out, I coached at the high school level at Horton High School in Greenwich, NS. I coached as part of the Wolfville Waves Club program in the Annapolis Valley.

I started coaching because I liked to compete, and since there were no competitive team for me to play on I did the next best thing and tried to build one. It was also fun and  I really enjoyed my time there. Getting young ladies and making them into a cohesive, mostly friendly, and competitive unit was very rewarding. I hope I made a difference for some of them.

Two years ago on a business trip back to the Annapolis Valley I ran into one of the parents of one of my players. It was nice to catch up and share stories about where her daughter was and how I now had a family with a daughter of my own. Off course we got around to talking about the rest of the team. What surprised me was how this parent kept going on about what a difference I had made for her daughter and what a positive impact I had on some of the other players. I had never really given it much thought.

I always treated everyone fairly and worked at giving everyone a fair shot at playing and competing. I ran a tight ship but also had a little fun with the teams I coached. I tried to provide a healthy and positive environment for everyone involved. I hope I accomplished that.

What I didn't realize was just how much these kids were getting out of it. For most of them the team was the highlight of their athletic career in organized sport. I suppose I was part of that. I'm only beginning to realize this now. The reason it is all coming up is because of another coach. Isabelle is now entering the world of organized, competitive sports. Of course she has a coach too. Miss Jenny happens to be our neighbor, but she's also one of the key drivers behind the Orchard Farms Gators, the subdivision's swim team. I suppose she's been Isabelle's coach for a few years now through the Orchard Farms Guppies (the little kids swim team) but this year she's really pushing Isabelle. The pushing is in a good way and I'm glad Isabelle has found a little competitive spirit.

Anyway, the point I want to make is that I think I'm beginning to see how the parents of all those kids I coached feel. I see now that the thanks that were offered to me were more than just for teaching their kids some athletic skills. It was also about teaching them some life skills, and getting them to be more than they could be by themselves. So, Miss Jenny, and Miss Jill and Miss Ally, thanks for being there for Isabelle and all the other swimmers. Keep up the good work, even though our kids can test you sometimes, knowing that you are making a difference in making our kids who they are going to be later on, and for that I can't thank you enough.

GO ORCHARD FARMS GATORS!!!

By the way, we won the Divisional championship today. All the swimmers did a great job and had a lot of fun and excitement doing it. I'm proud to say Isabelle was a part of it and is already looking forward to next year.

Off course it would be wrong not to mention the officials as well (right Bill?).