For some reason I try to keep myself objective when I coach. I don’t want to play favorites; I want to be fair; I want to have logical reasons for why I do everything I do. This is one way to coach, but the more I think about it, the more I dislike this method. I’m not getting closer to the kids, I’m not learning about them, and I’m keeping them from learning about me. I’m hoping to change this. This post is about the first steps.
Halloween night was also senior night at Woodside. It was our last home game and before the game began, all the football team seniors walked out with their parents. Cheerleaders are honored during basketball season, so we aren’t really a part of the senior night. I have eight seniors on my team of 21. They make up more than a third of the team. While I’m scared about what this may mean for next year, the seniors are all great people and so far I have had a great time working with them.
Being Halloween, we decided to dress up as ‘Wild Kittens’, which basically meant we wore cat ears. The seniors decided to wear the senior jerseys as well. About halfway through the first half it started rain. This meant we were grounded for the most part. No stunts. No tumbling (not that anyone tumbles on the track). The rain also drove out most of the fans. By the second quarter, the stadium was almost completely empty.
Despite the lack of fans, I really felt like the team did extremely well. I saw ZERO falls or bobbles, the motions were all there. They were loud and engaging to what little crowd we did have. I’m sad that this was our best game, as it is our last home game. I just really hope we can bring this type of energy through to our basketball and competition season.
I’m not going to lie, I’m starting to get sad that our football season is ending. These are some great kids, and it is the last time I get to be their coach at a Woodside football game.