Let's go back in time. It's your first intramural game. You're in the middle of a huddle and, to be honest, you have no idea what is even going on. Were you about to really play a game? Were your shoes on the right feet? Was Mom there, prepared for her big debut with the snacks and CapriSuns for after the game? Everything but the sport itself is on your mind at this time in your life.
You loved your coach because he was an extension of Mom or Dad. They were there when you got a scrape on your knee, or when you cried because you swung and missed and let in the winning goal.
Middle school sports are interesting. There you are standing on a field, trembling with fear while trying to remain cool, calm, and collected with 50 other girls or boys that want your position. Middle school tryouts are no joke. You have the athletic overachiever, the girl or guy who just wants to look his or her best at all times, and then there is you; just waiting patiently to make an impression on the coach.
You loved your coach because he realized who the dedicated player was from the start. He saw the determination within you to rise above the average middle school player and play not only for the school, but for yourself and your own improvement.
You're in high school and your sport has taken over every aspect of your life. You eat, play, sleep, wake up, go to school, and repeat 364 more times that year. You aspire to be the player that continues the sport and lives out the dream of being a college athlete. Waking up every morning thinking how long of a day you have ahead of you because of your love for the sport.
You loved your coach because he pushed you to be the best you could be. He wanted to see you reach your potential and follow your dreams. He wanted nothing more than for you to go to college and be on a team like he was when he was in college.
In college, though, coaches are different.
As a college athlete, I interact with my coaching staff day in and day out. The purpose of a coach at this level is simply to present the sport's techniques and strategies and to sit back and see who is coachable and implements the technique. The coach will not push you. The coach will not see your potential, only hope that you play up to his or her standard. The coach is most definitely not the nurturing extension of Mom or Dad.
Today, I love my coach because she sets a challenging standard that pushes not only me, but my teammates, to succeed. At points, she makes the game all mental -- creating frustration -- but, in the end, only makes me a stronger individual and prepares me for life after college. At times, the game is all the physical aspect of life, and the love of the game itself. She balances the two aspects of the game and I am proud to say that I as an individual have been changed in a positive light by my coach.
We should all thank our coaches for the time they put in and the commitments they give to making us the best athletes we can possibly be. Although we may not realize it at the time, our coaches are one of the most important and influential people in our lives.
