Confessions of a First-Time Coach

Last October, I was asked to write a piece about all the reasons why one should volunteer to coach. My words were so compelling by the end of the write-up, I had talked myself into it; a visit to the coaches’ corner, a few answered questions on the application, a quick trip to get a background check and one purchase of Coaching Soccer for Dummies and I was set.

A team parent who previously played soccer stepped up to be my assistant coach (which was great because I had to learn what a corner kick was), and together we set out to make our practices fun and helpful. After our first practice, I was feeling pretty great about the high fives my team was sharing with me and felt warmth spreading through my heart when at the end of practice the kids ran up with a simple, “Thanks, Coach!” before disappearing.

The morning of our first game, I was ready—prepared with a spreadsheet to help me remember which players went in at what time so that everyone had equal game play, but that went right out the window with bathroom visits, trips and falls on the field and one tearful plea of exhaustion. The game was a whirlwind of little feet, filled with fervent reminders that they were running in the wrong direction. The highlight of the game was when our goalie who had been scored on seven times excitedly jumped up and down and proclaimed, “Did you see me stop the ball?! I’m really good!”

At this point in our season (about six games in), I’m starting to see big changes in my tiny athletes. Kiddos once afraid to run toward a ball are now stealing it, and this past Saturday, our team scored its first goal. I literally jumped for joy. What’s even better, I can

see the kids cheering each other’s successes and encouraging one another when they fall short—if we don’t score another goal for the rest of the season that will be enough for me. I’m so proud of their progress and the big difference our short time together has made. The season has been an unexpected joy, filled with high fives, stickers, grateful parents and more smiles than I can count.

I’m so glad I decided to be a youth sports coach, and if you’re ready to try your hand at making a big impact on little lives, the next sport to sign up for is Youth Baseball/ Softball which runs from July 17 to October 7. You can find more information at okinawa. usmc-mccs.org/youthsports. Hopefully I’ll see you on the field! 

—Dani Livesey